April 17, 2024 - On a warm summer evening, there’s nowhere you’d rather be than outdoors — and you don’t have to go far to enjoy the weather. Whether you’re working with an apartment balcony or a massive backyard, your outdoor space has the potential to be a summer sanctuary. 

Here are some simple ideas to help create an outdoor living space you won’t want to leave. 

Define Each Outdoor Living Area

If your outdoor space is currently one big area, it might be time to create some separation — just like you would inside. Decide which outdoor “rooms” you want to make, like a living room, kitchen, dining area, play space for kids, or even a built-in bar for outdoor cocktail parties. Then, play around with furniture and accessories to define each space.

For example, a few comfy chairs surrounding an outdoor coffee table can act as your entertainment space, while a grill, outdoor bar cart, and table can turn into a kitchen and eating area. You can even give your dog their own space to dig, patrol, and play — just make sure it’s pet-friendly. 

Don’t have much room to work with? Even small balconies can be split into small zones for gardening, eating, or relaxing. Get creative with furniture, lighting, and accessories to make the most of the space you have. You can also extend your space upwards with hanging plants, shelves, or even a living wall to make your balcony feel even larger.

Incorporate Nature

With its ample sunlight and occasional rain (which means less watering), your outdoor living space is the perfect place to flex your green thumb. Consider placing potted flowers and greenery in your outdoor seating areas to weave nature into your design. Your plants won’t just look pretty — potted herbs can also come in handy for salads or a summer cocktail. 

For larger plants that need plenty of room to grow, consider dedicating a portion of your yard to a garden. From a natural patch of wildflowers to a colorful English garden, you can create your own little sanctuary right in your backyard. Add pavers, stepping stones, and seating for you and your guests to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Create Privacy

Whether your yard borders a busy park or your balcony overlooks a road, all the action can make your outdoor space feel a little too exposed. Adding an element of privacy can help you feel secluded from the noise and bustle around you. Other ways to add privacy include:

• Installing a tall wooden fence, planting privacy hedges, or growing bamboo around the edge of your property 
• Separating spaces with vertical gardens or lattices
• Adding a pergola, trellis, or outdoor wall
• Using outdoor screens, shade sails, umbrellas, or curtains around your sitting and eating areas

Consider incorporating Ring outdoor security cameras for extra protection while you’re indoors or away. You can mount a Stick Up Cam on a privacy wall or replace an outdoor light with a Floodlight Cam Wired to boost visibility. You’ll get a notification on the Ring App if activity is detected, and you can check Live View to get a real-time glimpse into what’s happening in and around your outdoor space. 

Add a Firepit

No summer is complete without at least one s’more — and with a fire pit, you can roast as many marshmallows as your heart desires. If you want your house to become the designated summer bonfire spot, it may be worth it to invest in an outdoor fireplace with built-in seating. Or, you can store a portable fire pit in the garage and bring it out for the occasional breezy evening. 

Even if you don’t have much space to work with, there are plenty of compact options, from slim and lightweight versions of popular smokeless fire pits to tabletop fireplaces. Look for the safest choice for your situation and follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for use. 

Install Outdoor Lighting

When the beating sun sets and the temperature slightly cools, it’s the best time for summer entertaining. But to make sure the party can continue safely after dark, you need ample lighting throughout your outdoor living space. 

With solar-powered smart lighting from Ring, you can take advantage of the hot summer sun during the day to create a subtle, cozy glow at night. Add Pathlights and Step Lights around your sidewalks, walkways, and stairs to give you and your guests a clear, visible path around no matter the time. For extra warmth throughout your space, place Wall Lights on fences and outdoor walls. When you connect each light to a Ring Bridge, sold separately, you can customize brightness, adjust motion settings, and turn lights on and off from the Ring App.

In lesser-used spaces, you can add bright motion-activated lighting for more visibility. Spotlights and Floodlights shine powerful LEDs when motion is detected, giving you and your pets a better view around entryways, driveways, and side yards. That means you can enjoy dim, ambient lighting from Pathlights, Step Lights, and Wall Lights while visiting with friends, and they can benefit from a Spotlight or Floodlight’s extra illumination when they leave for the night.

Embrace Smart Technology

If you plan to spend a lot of time in your outdoor living space this summer, focus on making it as functional as possible with smart technology. Here are some easy and convenient upgrades you can make before summer:

• Connect your string lights and other plug-in devices to a Ring Outdoor Smart Plug to control them all from the Ring App. When it’s time to head inside for the night, you can turn everything off from the same place with a few taps. 
• Replace traditional bulbs in your covered outdoor fixtures with Ring A19 Smart LED Bulbs to control dimness and set schedules from the Ring App.1
• Bring a smart portable speaker outside to play your favorite summer jams.
• Put Stick Up Cams in your outdoor living area or kitchen, so you can stay connected from indoors. If you’re preparing a salad in the kitchen while your partner fires up the grill, you can check in and use Two-Way Talk to ask when the burgers will be ready. 

From powerful outdoor cameras to sleek outdoor lighting, smart technology from Ring can help elevate your outdoor living space. Shop now to start creating your summer oasis.