Outdoor Living Room Essentials
This guide is part of our Overstock Brand Ambassador series, home design tips provided by industry experts.
Overstock’s Brand Ambassadors share their favorite outdoor essentials to help bring the indoors outside. Whether you’re prepping or extending your patio season, these year-round must-haves can inspire that cozy living room feeling on your deck or front porch.
Multiple Zones for Gathering
“I love creating mini moments in a backyard because it allows people to gather in different ways and enjoy the outdoor space on their own terms. Walking in and seeing you have three moments in a similar area is soothing. Mix in different types of seating, like ottomans beside chairs, or a café situation.
Delineating the space also helps. For example, there are so many chic ways to create pockets of shade in your backyard space. You could do a pergola, an egg chair, or really cool-shaped umbrellas.” — Lizzy Mathis
Ambient Lighting
“Outside of pool or jacuzzi, I need a real nice fire pit with comfy seating and twinkle lights. We spend every single night sit outside, and take 1-2 hours to talk about our days, listen to music, and hang out.” —
Cozy Layers
“Layering outside is unexpected and that’s what I like. Think multiple rugs and scattered poufs. Or if you have a caged chair, overly stuff it with different kinds of fur throw blankets and pillows for your own little bubble. Layering adds some enclosure, and that helps an outdoor area feel like a living room.” — Vanessa Deleon
Tough Fabrics & Frames
“When I go outside, I need a comfortable place to sit. And when you entertain a lot, you don’t want to have to replace your seating every year or so because your furniture gets kind of thrashed. So while I’m into clean woods with white, I still look for sturdy fabrics and frames. Soft, but weather- and fade-resistant.” —
Decorative Touches
“My favorite thing is obviously pillows. I love searching high and low and finding ones that make it seem like you’re indoors. To add to that feeling, I love putting out a potted floral plant, a rug, and a coffee table. Lanterns and candles in the evenings help make it nice and cozy.” —
Serving Stations
“I love my drinks. While a bar cart is classy, I like a pedestal, because I enjoy little areas to place things. When you have side tables for people to set their drinks, it’s easy to put out a tray with a pitcher. My must-have is a spot where you can kick your feet up, lean in to have a sip of your wine or cocktail, and watch night fall.” — Taniya Nayak
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