Fall is our favorite time of year for many reasons. Fall is a season of change, bringing us a beautiful transition from the long, hot summer to the dark, cold winter.  Comfortable outdoor temperatures and beautiful orange, yellow, and red tones in the changing leaves create the perfect recipe for spending time outdoors. Creating a beautiful outdoor space for your home will allow you to soak up the crisp temperatures and majestic colors of the season right outside your door!

Why are outdoor spaces important? Outdoor spaces are beneficial for a number of reasons. First of all, spending time outdoors is good for our health. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, spending time outdoors provides a number of health benefits, including decreased cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Outdoor exposure has also been proven to reduce incidents of stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and heart disease.  In addition, exposure to sunlight increases our Vitamin D levels, which supports immune health and regulates mood to prevent depressive disorders.

Having a nice outdoor space also allows us to spend more quality time with our families. Our daily schedules are packed with activities from working full-time jobs, operating small businesses, running to school sporting events, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and everything in between. Having a comfortable outdoor space allows us to decompress from the day’s activities and enjoy our family’s company.

Outdoor spaces also provide us with a place to take in some much-needed solitude. We all need a place to spend a little time with ourselves. Taking thirty minutes to read a book or sip a glass of wine and unwind from the day’s events is beneficial to our mental health. Less screen time and more green time are good for the mind, body, and soul. 

How do you create the perfect outdoor living space?  That’s up to you!  It just needs to be a comfortable and relaxing space for you. It can be as simple or as eccentric as you want it to be, as long as it allows you to escape your worries and enjoy the great outdoors. It may be a large area, such as a front porch or a poolside area, or it may be a small patio or a firepit area in your backyard.  Use your creativity to decorate the space and make it your own.  Bring in a new piece of furniture, a new area rug, or some cute decorative accessories to make it more visually appealing.  This is your space, so make it about you! 

I hope this article has inspired you to create a warm and inviting outdoor space that you and your family will enjoy. With the first day of Fall coming this weekend, now is the perfect time to create your new space to relax and enjoy the season. Happy Fall everyone!