HOW I RETHINK AN OUTDOOR SPACE

Today is dedicated to that one outdoor space (porch, patio, garden, alleyway behind the garage) that isn't quite working.

Watching how we use our spaces is one of my obsessions. At least for the last few years. Well, maybe forever.

If there's a clickbait article about a tiny home or a clever remodel, I'm in.

Along with identifying, planting and caring for plants, helping outdoor space work to support people's lives and make their time outside G O O D is something I love to do.

ASK: Could this space be changed - even just a little - to better suit us?

Looking at any space, my first question is "who is it for?" and then "how is it used?" and finally, "is there a way this space could work better for the people who are using it?"

An example and story:

THE BACK PORCH PROBLEM

The back porch sits right outside our kitchen door. It's small, badly in need of a coat of paint (or maybe a complete re-build,) and I originally had it set up with a table to eat outdoors.

Because that's what people do on the back porch.

Right?

Well... not really us. We don't do much outdoor dining. When walked through the space I felt sad/guilty about that. And when we did occasionally picnic, it felt like we were on display, chowing burgers perched above the neighborhood while people walked by and gawped at us. Awkward and weird. Not exactly that relaxed al fresco dining experience I'm going for.

An additional but unrelated problem was the lack of contained outdoor play space for my little kids (ages 1 and 3 at the time).

THE BACK PORCH SOLUTION

Thinking about who needed the space and how it should be used solved both problems at once. No more pretending we eat outside on that deck. Instead of the table - a cheap outdoor rug on clearance covered the kid-foot-eating-sized gaps in the decking. An unused baby gate from the garage blocked the top of the stairway, voila! A play space.

The outdoor toys gathered up from their various scattered locations around the garage and patio. This included a water table, a small kids table and chairs, ride-on toys, and a lawn chair, although I tend to sit on the carpet to be at the kids level. Down there, it feels like you're in this wonderful, cozy, play jungle. The next summer, I added a few tall planters (with good drainage and plants that don't mind overwatering, since watering the plants is a favorite kid activity.) Other than that, I've changed it very little.

The kids love it. I love it.

After this re-do, I am able to say YES when the kids ask to go outside and I have to keep working on dinner. They knew to stay on the back porch, where I could hear and see them playing.

This past summer the kid-space on the back porch has changed a little - no more gate as the kids are older, a few more plants, additional rugs to cover the peeling paint. It's still SO USEFUL when we need a contained outdoor space for play, snack, or messy art projects.

And who knows - it may need another re-do as our life changes and the kids grow.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Which outdoor space is calling for a little bit of love?

Is it a deck or patio that you never find yourself using?

Is it a neglected garden?

Does your eye snag on a certain area when you drive up to your house?

Or does something feel like it was designed for the previous homeowner/renter?

Once you've picked an area, I invite you to ask these questions:

1. Who is this space for? List the people and imagine them there. You? Your family or roommates? Guests stopping by for a visit? Or is it unused by you, but seen by neighbors walking by? Are there pets or wild birds there?

2. How is it used? Imagine a heat map showing the pathways people travel, and where they spend time. Are they walking through the space to the garage? Do they have to dodge around chairs and potted plants? Is there a spot where someone is sitting with a book or a phone? Or maybe you drink your coffee alone there in the morning? Be real. If you don't eat outside, don't dedicate a huge space to a dining table. If your kids are the ones playing there, set it up for them.

3. Could it work a little better? Here's where you get creative. This doesn't need to be expensive or time consuming. It could be just moving the chair over to that sunny spot you always gravitate toward. It could be removing furniture or decor that no longer serves you: toys that have been outgrown, a planter that is falling apart. And then watch: as people come into the space, do we want to spend more time? Do we sit? Do you smile when you walk through to take out the trash?

4. REPEAT! Once you've lived with the newly re-designed space, you might find yourself needing to make further changes. Or, ready to spend money - upgrade your chair to a more stylish or comfortable one that feels really good when you sit in your favorite sunny spot. Or add a planter to block an undesirable view and grow some herbs and flowers. Or, upgrade your stepping stones to something that fits with your style.

You can totally do this! I invite you to tell me about your progress and the way it feels to listen to your outdoor space and coax a little more usefulness and beauty out of it.

Note if you're stuck: I can help you. Sometimes it takes an outside voice, a listening friend, maybe even a visual thinker, to help get you un-stuck.

Email, comment or DM your question. I will read and respond to everything on this topic. (As I said, I'm kind of obsessed).

I can't wait to hear about your re-designed space!