5 Tips for Designing an Outdoor Living Space in Minnesota

Minnesotans know how to make the most of the outdoors. But designing an outdoor living space here isn’t just about summer fun; it’s about creating a functional, beautiful space that works across seasons and fits your household’s unique needs. Whether you’re starting from scratch or upgrading an existing setup, these five essential tips will help you build an outdoor oasis that’s both stylish and built to last in Minnesota weather.

5 Tips for Designing an Outdoor Living Space in Minnesota

1. Consider Typical Uses 

When creating your outdoor living space, it’s important to consider how you will typically use the space. Questions to ask yourself are:

• How many people live in my home? What amount of seating and space do we need just for the household?
  • Do we have kids in the home? And what age? 
  • Do we have pets? Will the pets be allowed to access the outdoor living room?
• Do I like to host? And do I want to host not just gatherings but more structured events as well? (graduation parties, birthdays, etc.)
• What’s the age range of people who might be using the outdoor space either regularly or coming to events? Do we have a lot of kids? Toddlers? Seniors? 

These are all questions to consider that will influence the final design of your space. For example, a family who wants to frequently host large extended family gatherings with young children, might be more interested in a pool with a water slide and multiple types of outdoor seating. Whereas a family who might still want to host, but be entertaining adult guests more often may want a bar area and hot tub instead of a waterslide.

2. Plan Collectively vs. Piece by Piece

When you’re brainstorming an outdoor living space, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details and all of the exciting optional features. It’s good during the early stages of brainstorming to save anything you come across that might be of interest. But you also want to keep in mind the entire space and how everything will work together.

An easy way to get a wrangle on wayward ideas is to identify your top goals and overall desired aesthetic. This doesn’t have to be something you strictly stick to, but it helps you sort through possibilities. 

3. Look at Lighting and Shading

The lighting of your outdoor living space is absolutely critical. It can also be challenging, because you need to plan for both daytime and nighttime. 

Pergolas, gazebos, and pavilions all help to provide shade in different ways. You may want a combination of these different structures in the same space, to serve different purposes. You also need to look at how the sun typically moves through your backyard during the day. An experienced landscaper can help you take that information and identify how to effectively place and design structures to maximize sun shielding.

Likewise, lighting is vital for the safety and comfort of you and your guests. It also helps cultivate an ambiance. At minimum, you’ll want to make sure your plan includes:

Path and Area Lights: Pathway and area lighting typically extend out of the ground and shine down onto a walkway so it’s safe and easy to move around. At the same time, it adds a touch of luxury and ambiance by leading a soft, decorative trail around your home. 

In-Ground Lights: In-ground lights are great for adding light without making a space look too busy. They are usually level with the ground and work well for pool decks. While this is one of the most practical options, it’s perfect for a more understated appearance that focuses on your home’s accents rather than the lights themselves.

Accent Lights: Accent lights are great for putting a spotlight on certain parts of your landscape—structures, trees, columns, and more that you’d like to stand out. These luxury lights offer a decorative option to highlight the most impressive parts of your home.

Related Content: The Basics of Landscaping Lighting Design and Options

4. Consider Weatherization

Any Minnesotan backyard has to keep Minnesota weather in mind. Your outdoor space will need to be weatherized to withstand rain, moisture, mud, and dropping temperatures. You also want to make it easy to get your backyard space ready and protected during the winter months. 

Related Content: Winter Is Coming......

Ways to weatherize your backyard space include:

• Choosing pavers that prevent water runoff
• Selecting materials that are ideal for Minnesota’s climate, like stone
• LED lights or other lights that can be remotely controlled
• Plenty of storage for anything that needs to be stored away during the winter, like fabrics
• High-quality covers that can withstand winter conditions
• Thoughtfully-designed irrigation and septic systems

Keeping weatherization in mind when designing your outdoor living space ensures that it will be usable for years to come.

5. Multiple Heat Sources

During summer nights and chilly fall days, you’ll want your outdoor living space to still be comfortable. To ensure maximum use, you’ll want to consider multiple heat sources throughout the space. This includes:

• Fire pits
• Fire tables
• Outdoor fire places
• Wood ovens
• Fire features like bowls and torches
• Heated seating
• Remote-controlled heaters

And don’t just limit these to one zone. You’ll want to thoughtfully consider the placement of your heating throughout your entire backyard.

Related Content: How to Choose the Right Outdoor Fireplace

A well-designed outdoor living space adds beauty, functionality, and form to your Minnesota home. By planning intentionally and accounting for weather, comfort, and lifestyle, you’ll create a backyard that you’ll want to spend every season in.

invites you outside in every season. Whether it’s coffee on a crisp fall morning or a summer evening around the fire, your outdoor space should work as hard—and feel as welcoming—as the rest of your home.

Where to Find Minnesota Landscaping Experts

Our experts would be happy to start discussing your landscaping job if you’re interested in adding on to your outdoor living. Outdoor Innovations has served the Twin Cities since 2007, and we have over 100 years of combined experience through our owners, management, and installation staff.

Our professional designers and landscaping architects at Outdoor Innovations will design, plan, and install the necessary structures and features to help you enjoy your landscaping year-round. Curious to see what we can do to bring your dream backyard to life?

Outdoor Innovations Landscaping creates elevated backyards for homeowners in Minnesota. From in-ground pools to luxurious grilling stations to outdoor living rooms, we do it all. Explore our past projects and get a quote online to make your dream backyard a reality.