Outdoor Living (5 of 7): Scale

Designing exterior space is very different than designing interior space.  A weird phenomenon occurs once you step outside – the spaces get crowded a lot quicker!  If you take a 10x10 space and furnish it inside your home – that same layout will feel crowded and uncomfortable outside.  So be sure you have enough space to do what you want outside.  If you are planning a picnic area with table and chairs you need more space than in your dining room.  If you are planning a lounge area you need much more space than you would for your living room.  A key is to provide less furniture than you would inside and allow the lawn to become part of your space planning.  Nothing feels better than to lay back on a thick carpet of grass and spy shapes in the drifting clouds!