Not enough space inside your home when you entertain? Want to enjoy the warm summer nights outdoors in comfort and style? Want to add more value to your home with a few outdoor renovations?  If these questions have ever crossed your mind, then the new trend for creating an outdoor living room is coming your way!

How can you miss it these days?  It seems all of the major retailers are offering a multitude of outdoor furnishings and accessoriesoutdoor heaters, outdoor  rugs, outdoor tables and chairs, bar-b-que grills, outdoor art and much more.  Not only are these options available for quick set-up in a small backyard or patio, but theyre also being incorporated into fully functional outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas.

Its the new look for outdoor rooms that blends beauty with function, and creates a continuous extension of your home. Beyond adding the furniture and accessories, outdoor rooms can blend harmoniously with landscaping and elements of your home. For example, your concrete patio can be transformed with concrete staining or stamping. Color it to match your home or blend it with surrounding foliage to appear natural and authentic.

Incorporate a fully functional cooking area with a sturdy and beautifully designed concrete countertop. Include a built-in grill, sink, refrigerator, or mini-bar. Or take your outdoor room to the next level and integrate your own outdoor pizza oven. Create ambience with a built-in fire pit. Create depth and style with a gorgeous concrete patio floor, complementary pool deck and stunning walkways.

Choices abound for creating outdoor living spaces! Below are links to more in-depth information about staining your concrete, stamping, choosing colors, styles, and patterns, and putting together all of the elements for a stunning outdoor living room.

Concrete Patios: Todays Back Yard: The New Resort Area

Stamped Concrete: Patterns, Colors, Uses

Pool Decks: Stamped Concrete, Colored Concrete; Pictorial Tour

Outdoor Living: Outdoor kitchens, pizza ovens, etc.

In addition, here are a variety of useful online articles about the phenomenon of the outdoor living room spanning from Myrtle Beach, SC to San Francisco, CA. Read more about ways to design your outdoor living room, products available, and trends in outdoor rooms.

Homeowners pamper yards, treat them like extra rooms, from the Journal Gazette Fort Wayne.com.

Outdoor makeovers don't have to be drastic, from Marin Independent Journal.