By Michele Chan Santos

This is the time of year when your “living room” is probably your back yard. Mild temperatures, comfy patio furniture, gardening, pools, grilling, gatherings — their allure means the family is probably outdoors as much as they are in.

“Here, springtime and fall are beautiful. People want to experience their back yard, not just look at it,” said Jerry Levine, president of The Levine Group Architects + Builders in the Washington, D.C. area. Now is also the perfect time to consider dressing up that outdoor living space. It’s like building an addition to your house, without the expense, time and hassle.

Susan McCoy is the president of Garden Media Group, based in Pennsylvania. They track trends in gardening and outdoor living. The biggest trend she sees now in outdoor living is the “outdoor great room.”

This room “has the kitchen area with a fabulous built-in grill, a fire pit, sometimes a super high-end TV.”

If you want, the sky’s the limit when designing an outdoor great room or living room, and taking a look at what others have done can inspire you. This outdoor living room, featured by Designing Online, has a bar, fireplace, benches and a dining set.

Homeowners in the mountains of Cashier, N.C., designed this luxurious outdoor living room. Gauzy, translucent curtains give a tropical resort feel to this Florida outdoor living room. This elegant outdoor living arrangement (pictured above) features Arthur Lauer furniture around a fireplace.

For many homeowners, McCoy said, “The biggest thing the mainstream is really going for is very comfortable, deep-seated outdoor furniture.

“It’s not the plastic-weave lawn chairs but really lovely furniture that may be made of teak, wicker, rattan or iron. And it has beautiful, water-resistant deep cushions.”

For example, Patiolife.com sells the Whitecraft Oasis collection, made of all-weather wicker that’s been treated to resist rain, salt water, sun and heat. Arthurlauer.com sells the Hawthorne loveseat, made of teak and with deep soft cushions, for $1,395. Put it in a sunroom, patio or near the swimming pool.

Online stores carry a vast selection of patio and deck furniture, making it easy to shop around for a style that suits your home and garden.

A cute set from Patio Furniture Station is the Venezia chair and Kettalux tilt table set for $842.37. It includes four chairs and a 31-inch table with an aluminum pillar for an umbrella. Also from Patio Furniture Station, the Belfast 72-inch rectangle teak dining table set (pictured) is $2,475, and includes six chairs.

Top Grill Patio Furniture, another comprehensive site, has lots of cast aluminum furniture, which looks like wrought iron. Their round table set, with six chairs, is very durable and costs $1,470.

Levine has noticed that outdoor areas work best when they flow easily from the indoor spaces. One of his clients built a large screened porch off their living room, as well as a spacious deck which opened from the kitchen. They frequently entertain guests on the porch.

The Buyer’s Guide to Screened Porches is a handy pamphlet to help you decide what you want in a screened porch. Once you’ve figured out the style you’d like, hire an architect and contractor, or build it yourself.

Private Saunas and Durable Decks

Paul Vosen, the president of Degenhardt Home Improvement in Madison, Wis. said one of the biggest trends in outdoor living right now are saunas. If you live in a warm climate, this might not sound appealing now, but think ahead to the fall and winter. And, of course, those in cooler areas can consider this a year-round investment.

Stylish-looking wooden saunas can be portable and pre-built, or custom-made. Some seat one or two people, others seat three to five, and larger ones can hold six or more people. At Saunas.com, you can choose from a selection of traditional or infrared saunas. With traditional saunas, the temperature ranges from 140 to 190 degrees. Infrared saunas have temperatures from 105 to 140 degrees. Saunas.com has both types in a range of prices, beginning at less than $2,000.

Vosen’s company specializes in decks. His clients are looking for something set high off the ground, accessed by a flight of steps. These decks also have spaces for gas grills, and are usually made of composite materials, such as Hardiplank or Elk cementboard siding. Both of these materials look like traditional wood, but do not warp or rot, and don’t need to be stained.

When considering building a deck, Vosen said, you need to decide what you will use the deck for, and how many people you want to accommodate. Lowes.com has a deck design tool which can help. Once you’ve figured out what you want, you can tell the construction firm you hire, or build it yourself.

There are many creative, beautiful ways a deck can enhance your home. This deck in Central Texas was built for the view, as it overlooks a wooded Hill Country area. This gleaming California deck is made of redwood (pictured), or you can have a deck that surrounds an above-ground pool, with an adjacent dining area.

Plants and Statues

In nicely decorated outdoor living areas, furniture alone doesn’t do it: you’ll need plants for color, both in the yard and in containers, McCoy said. Plants can give your deck or patio more privacy, as well as improving its look.

Plantcontainers.com has a selection of faux terra-cotta planters that look like terra cotta but do not chip, break or fade. They are made of UV-resistant polyethylene, and range from $46 for a 16-inch pot to $210 for a 32-inch pot.

Fountains and sculptures are another area where an outdoor living space can shine. These pieces of art can give your outdoor living area a beautiful and forma. focal point.

Design Toscano has an array of fountains and sculptures you can order from their Web site. They sell everything from fountains to statues of children, or gargoyle and dragons, They also have religious- and Asian-themed statues.

Design Toscano’s fountains range from $1,695 for a large sculptural fountain depicting four lions (pictured), to a simple, pretty Rocco wall fountain for $175.

Gazebos

Putting a gazebo up is another easy way to create a beautiful living space in your back yard. “People are discovering it’s fabulous to entertain outdoors,” McCoy said. “Having a covered structure makes it more enjoyable. It gives you a well-defined space. Gazebos can be small and cute or they can be huge.”

Amish Country Gazebos custom-make all sizes of gazebos, for homeowners or large ones for public use. At their Web site, you can design your own gazebo, which is then delivered to your house. You are responsible for assembling it; prices start at $1,695.

The gazebos can come with screens. Place a table and chairs inside, and voila, you have an outdoor dining room.

Pool Accessories

Swimming pools are another feature for a lot of outdoor living spaces. They can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish, with negative-edge pools, saltwater-filtration systems, mini-waterfalls and swim-up bars.

One attention-getting feature in many luxury pools is the water slide. Water Warehouse has several types of these for sale online. The G-Force Slide is 6 feet high and curves for a twisty ride. The slide features slip-resistant steps, and can be paid for in installments, which is handy since the price is $2,800.

The simpler Flume Slide keeps a jet of water running down the slide, to make your children’s zip into the pool faster and more fun. The Whitewater flume slide is $1,200.

If you really want to turn the pool area up a notch, consider some opulent fountains, such as those at Luxury Pools and Spas.com. If that sounds a bit too pricey, less costly fountains make an existing pool more attractive. At Pool Center, you can buy a three-tier floating Grecian pool fountain, for $45, or a Rain dance spinning fountain for $43.

Whatever size pool you have, it will be more enjoyable for your friends and guests with a variety of pool floats and lounges. Lovely but tough, pool floats like the aqua hammock, $60 (pictured), from Aqua Beach Store.com will make you want to float more than soak. Aqua Superstore has a lot of floats to pick from, also. Their Pool Master aqua fun suntan mattress, a floating reflective bed, is a steal at $6.75 and comes in a variety of colors. The Pool Master spirit air mattress is $10 and looks like an American flag (great for a Fourth of July pool party.) For the kids, the Pool Master motorcycle super jumbo rider, $12, is an inflatable floating mini-motorcycle, great for little ones to ride while paddling around.

Be it a new float or a spacious deck, the view from outside will likely be your favorite.