The words “living room” bring to mind game night with friends, watching a movie with family, or a cocktail party for everyone you know. The term was first coined in the mid-19^th century to differentiate the space from other parts of the house (like the dining room and bedroom) and to denote an area where general living and socializing activities take place. The predecessor to the term “living room” is the word “parlor.” That comes from the French word “parler,” meaning “to speak.”

Pergolas provide shade and cover, making it possible to sit outside on a hot or drizzly day.

In recent years, homeowners have turned this entertaining hub on its head. Having already designed and furnished indoor living rooms, they’re looking outside — to Living Room #2.

For some, that simply means a patio with lawn furniture, a large umbrella, and a grill. Maybe a cooler of beer. For others, the outdoor living room is a way to shine and to experiment in ways they never would indoors. We’re talking a pergola covered in vines, an outdoor kitchen complete with dishwasher, a fire pit full of lava rock or colored glass, even removing turf from a lawn and replacing it with stones, gravel, or other unusual material.

Outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity. Adding an outdoor kitchen can boost the sale price of a home by 26%.

Here’s what we know about outdoor living rooms and why they’re taking off:

• In a recent survey by home improvement website Houzz, more than half of respondents say they’re doing “substantial upgrades” to their backyards. Sixty percent of those people cited entertainment as their reason. Many are hiring a landscape professional, and those who do so are spending more than $10K on upgrades.
• The outdoor entertainment season has been extended from four months to up to six or seven months in many parts of the country, thanks to pergolas, gazebos, heat lamps, and more effective insect repellent products.
• People in various regions are customizing their spaces based on climate. In Texas, homeowners are flood proofing their backyards while California residents are replacing water-guzzling lawns with a mixture of stone, mulch, and low-maintenance succulents and perennials.
• The National Association of Realtors reports that adding an outdoor living room can boost a home’s value. On average, an outdoor fireplace adds a 22% premium to the sale price of a home, while an outdoor kitchen adds 26%.
• Homeowners are increasingly seeing outdoor living rooms as a way to create something different from the rest of their home. Maybe your indoor living room is formal and grown-up, with stately curtains and an elegant mantel. Designing your outdoor living room is a chance to play with bright summery colors, fun lighting, creatively repurposed furniture, hanging baskets, and more.

We feel lucky that we get to help homeowners turn their vision into reality. A personalized outdoor space is at the heart of what we do here at the Companion Group. Patio Companion®, our line of outdoor citronella candles, goes beyond the basics to provide attractive and practical lighting options, while our grilling accessories brand Charcoal Companion® features inventive products for every griller, from the SoundBeam™ Grill Light/Speaker to the Safe Scrape™ Non-Bristle Grill Cleaning Tool. We’re excited to create more innovative products, and we can’t wait to hear from our customers as they build their backyard oasis.

Daniel Replogle

Daniel does business development and marketing at The Companion Group. When he isn’t writing you can find him rock climbing or doing ceramic artwork.