Upstate House

Whether you’re a social butterfly who loves to entertain or a bookworm who wants a cozy nook to read on the deck, your backyard space should be a natural extension of your home that matches your personality.

“Creating an outdoor living room that’s tailored to your personal style and your family’s needs is the best way to make the most of your outdoor space and enjoy the beautiful Hudson Valley weather,” says Kim Williams, Senior VP of Williams Lumber & Home Centers.

With seven locations, including two kitchen and bath showrooms in Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck, Williams has been a go-to source for home improvement in the Hudson Valley since 1946. “No matter your budget or the size of your project, our expert team can guide you through all the details and help you create an outdoor space that you will be proud of for years to come,” Williams says.

Here are some tips from Williams for creating an outdoor living room that matches your lifestyle.

The Nature Lover

If your idea of the perfect outdoor space is a spot to soak in the beauty of your garden or surrounding landscape, Williams recommends adding features that will gt you outside to enjoy it as much as possible.

If you’re ready to build a new deck that anchors your backyard oasis, Williams’ choice is USA-made Trex. The company’s eco-friendly composite decking is an innovative blend of 95 percent reclaimed wood and plastic that resists fading, scratches, and almost anything Mother Nature has to offer. 

Trex offers a variety of rich, natural colors that blend in with your natural environment, but unlike real wood, it requires no sanding, staining, or painting, and it’s splinter-free. Trex offers a wide array of design possibilities—from striking, minimal ground-level options that create a cohesive look with your garden beds or in-ground pool to sophisticated balconies perfect for bird watching in the morning and star gazing at night.

If you’re looking for an easy project with high impact, Trex deck boards can also be used to create raised garden beds that can transform your backyard into a tiny vegetable-growing powerhouse.

The Solitude Seeker 

Is your patio or deck the place you hide away to read a novel or escape each morning with a cup of good coffee? There are plenty of ways to cultivate an atmosphere of tranquility in your outdoor space and block out any unwanted sights or sounds.

The soothing gurgle of a fountain or other water feature is a great way to mask road noise or chattering neighbors. Williams loves the creative possibilities for hardscaping that are available from Cambridge Hardscapes and Outdoor Living Products. The company offers pre-packaged kits for both waterfalls and fountains, so it’s easy to add on to your existing paver patio or walkway, or create a stand-alone feature in your backyard. Even better, Cambridge interlocking pavement systems with ArmorTec and wall systems are Earth-friendly and recyclable.

Adding a fence is a tried-and-true method for blocking sound and creating a sense of privacy. Williams’ recommendation for fencing is Trex, which offers its high-performance, sustainable composite fencing in three natural colors that can be mixed and matched for a striking design.

If you’re looking for an easy and stylish way to add a little more privacy to your existing space, Williams recommends simply adding a screen or divider, such as the architectural powder-coated aluminum screens from Trex that come in a variety of sizes, patterns, and colors.

The Host with the Most

If your favorite way to spend a summer weekend is having friends and family over for barbecues or make-your-own-pizza nights, you’re the type of person who deserves an outdoor space with all the bells and whistles.

For the passionate home chef, Williams recommends adding an outdoor kitchen to your setup. Cambridge Hardscapes and Outdoor Living Products offers stone veneer outdoor kitchen kits complete with a stainless steel appliance package that includes a grill, refrigerator, and warming tray.

Want to go it alone? You can use Cambridge pavers to design your own outdoor kitchen perfect for showcasing a new Japanese-style ceramic smoker from Kamado Joe or all-in-one electric pellet grill from Traeger or Weber, which burn wood pellets made of compressed sawdust from hardwoods like pecan, hickory, or cherry and add delicious wood-fired flavor to anything you’re cooking. 

If you want to take your al fresco meals to the next level, Williams suggests adding a pergola to your dining area. Pergola kits from Trex come in a variety of styles that add a chic design element to any outdoor space and provide the perfect amount of shade for sunny summer days.