45 Outdoor Living Room Ideas for Al Fresco Entertaining

Build a Custom Banquette

A custom banquette that fits your space is a streamlined way to provide plenty of seating in your outdoor living room.

This Manhattan rooftop seating area from NYC-based Manscapers has a wood banquette fitted with padded seating, throw pillows, a pair of organic coffee tables, and a Moroccan-style rug that makes it feel as comfortable as an indoor space.

Add a Mirror

An outdoor mirror is an unexpected accessory that can make an al fresco living room feel decorated and complete.

Marie Flanigan Interiors leaned a framed mirror on the chunky wood outdoor fireplace mantel reflects light and lightens up the rustic wood and stone finishes.

Add Privacy

You don't need a huge outdoor space to create a cozy outdoor living room fit for afternoon reading or cocktails under the stars. Fantastic Frank created privacy on a Mallorca apartment terrace thanks to high walls and some inexpensive bamboo fencing softened with climbing vines and LED string lights.

Hang Some Art

Decorate an outdoor living space like a covered patio with art for a surprising touch that will bring the indoors outside. Breeze Giannasio Interiors hung a seascape over the outdoor fireplace to create a focal point in this outdoor lounge area.

Add Partial Cover

If you have the space, create an outdoor living room that includes shaded and open areas. Mark Langos Interior Design designed a modern pool house living room under a roof to provide shade and shelter from the elements when desired.

Use Black and White

Give your outdoor patio living room a modern feel with a black-and-white palette. Eggshell Home decorated the seating area of this backyard deck with patterned upholstery and a contemporary fire pit to make it ready for entertaining.

Use Hedges for Privacy

Use tall hedges to create privacy in an outdoor living room. BASE Landscape Architecture used extra-tall hedges to create a backdrop for a contemporary outdoor living room in Portland, OR finishes with stone, wood, and woven furniture and accents.

Incorporate Scandi Style

For urban apartment dwellers lucky enough to have a balcony, an outdoor living room can truly function like an additional room. This sleek Copenhagen apartment from Fantastic Frank has a neutral palette on the inside that's carried out onto the balcony, erasing the line between indoors and out.

Hang Some Curtains

Hang curtains around the periphery of a covered porch to add softness and diffuse direct sunlight. Interior designer Kara Mann draped this indoor-outdoor California room in Napa Valley with sheer white tie-back curtains that complement modern slipcovered sofas and sculptural tables for a breezy sophisticated look.

Accent With Color

Energize a neutral outdoor living room by accenting with bright colors. Anita Yokota punctuated this raised backyard deck living room with bright green and orange textiles that give it a vibrant feel.

Try a Shade Sail

Add partial cover to an outdoor living room with a shade sail. This New York City rooftop living room from New Eco Landscapes is finished with a black shade sail that shelters the seating area without blocking the view of the Chrysler Building.

Accessorize With Textiles

If your outdoor living room is located just outside the main living space, decorate it to look like an extension of the house.

Breeze Giannasio Interiors finished this comfortable outdoor living room with an overstuffed sectional sofa, plenty of throw pillows, Moroccan leather poufs, and a lush green canopy for shade and privacy.

Infuse It With Boho Style

Give your outdoor living room a breezy boho-style feel to bring the vacation vibes home. Blanco Bungalow added a mix of textiles, natural tones, and abundance of accessories to this outdoor space, and painted the brick wall white for a fresh look.

Use Moody Colors

Use moody colors to create a relaxing feel in your outdoor living room. This woodsy outdoor living room from Emily Henderson Design is painted in a dark shade to match the exterior paint color of the house. A mix of dark gray and soft pink accents makes the space feel warm and inviting.

Add Multiple Seating Areas

This outdoor space from interior designer Maite Granda includes a covered outdoor sitting area with open sides, a cozy seating arrangement in shades of gray and white, an overhead ceiling fan, and a pair of curtains that give it a VIP room vibe.

Accent With Orange

Orange accents will complement cement finishes in an outdoor living room. This breezy outdoor living room Breeze Giannasio Interiors has stylish seating, pops of cheerful orange, and a quintessential Los Angeles city view of palm trees and electrical wires.

Paint the Fence Black

Paint your fencing black to create a cozy feel and a backdrop that makes natural greenery pop. Manscapers added low-slung, deep wood pallet seating in this Brooklyn backyard that invites lounging and afternoon naps.

Lay Graphic Floor Tiles

Add pattern and interest to your outdoor living room with graphic floor tiling (or a DIY stencil). This minimalist Palo Alto, CA patio living room from Cathie Hong Interiors has graphic floor tile, a midcentury modern-inspired sofa, and sculptural planters and throw pillows.

Try Wicker Furniture

Woven furniture will add a homey feel to both traditional and modern spaces. This Newport Beach, CA outdoor living room from Mindy Gayer Design Co. has wicker-style furniture outfitted with overstuffed white upholstery that softens the outdoor living room.

Install a Pergola

Define the seating area of your outdoor space with a pergola. New Eco Landscapes anchored this rooftop deck space with a weathered wood pergola and rustic modern planters to create a cozy oasis feel.

Add Contemporary Decor

If you are decorating an outdoor living room for a contemporary home, add cohesion by using sleek indoor-outdoor furniture, decor, and lighting.

Interior designer Maite Granda chose contemporary furniture with an airy open weave and neutral colors for a sophisticated, grown-up feel.

Combine Bold Blues

Complement an urban balcony living room with shades of blue. This long and narrow NYC balcony from New Eco Landscapes is transformed into a sophisticated outdoor living room with a fire pit, plush sofa seating in vibrant shades of blue, tall planters for privacy, and glass walls that don't block views.

Try a Cabana

Create a minimalist outdoor living room by adding a pool cabana to your backyard. Cathie Hong Interiors outfitted this Northern California space with a modern teak and metal cabana is just big enough for an oversized sectional that offers a shady place to dry off after a swim.

Zone It Out

Make a sprawling backyard space more functional and inviting by creating multi-purpose zones.

This outdoor living room from Mindy Gayer Design Co. is located on a paved stone patch of the lawn, centered around a fire pit, and set up to facilitate conversation and togetherness.

Add Balcony Seating

Turn a balcony into a second living room with simple furniture and decor. Interior designer Maite Granda gave a balcony off the primary bedroom the feel of a luxury suite with simple seating and a potted plant that makes it the perfect spot for morning coffee or decompressing at the end of a long day.

Mix Blues and Greens

Complement a lushly planted backyard with blue and green textiles and dark wood accents, like this cozy New York City outdoor living room oasis from Manscapers.

Install an Outdoor TV

Turn your al fresco living room into an entertaining space with an outdoor TV for hot summer movie nights. Marie Flanigan Interiors finished the space with a matching set of seating and mixed materials for a textural feel.

Add an Outdoor Rug

Anchor your backyard porch seating area with a simple indoor-outdoor rug, like this easygoing space from Emily Henderson Design that is decorated in shades of blue and white.

Accessorize the Outdoors

Make your outdoor living room feel cozier by layering on the accessories. This homey outdoor living room from Inspired by Charm is styled with decorative objects, vintage touches, hanging plants, and string bulb lighting that makes every night feel like an occasion.

Slipcover the Sofa

Cover your outdoor living room sofa with a slipcover made from indoor-outdoor fabric. Jenn Pablo Studio decorated this inviting poolside seating area with earthy neutrals, comfortable upholstery, and an organic wood side table for a relaxed feel.

Decorate the Lawn

If your backyard is covered in artificial grass, you can set up an outdoor living room right on top of your faux lawn without worrying about killing it. In this outdoor living room designed by Mallory Wackerman Design for Emily Henderson Design, a patterned outdoor rug anchors a comfortable seating area to create the feeling of a room within the open space.

Set Up Multiple Seating

On a large back patio, set up multiple seating areas for a family-friendly space. This modern farmhouse outdoor living room from My 100 Year Old Home was made for entertaining and family reunions, flanked by another outdoor seating area as well as an equipped outdoor kitchen and bar.

Mix Materials

Mix materials and finishes to add interest to your outdoor living space. Contemporary furniture and a neutral palette complement the mix of wood, brick, concrete, and woven accents on this raised back patio living room from Mindy Gayer Design Co.

Mix and Match Textiles

While many people choose matching furniture sets to decorate an outdoor space, Manscapers used mismatched furnishings and patterned textiles to give the space an effortless, indoor appeal. Generous plantings provide privacy from neighbors and create an urban garden setting.

Add Landscape Lighting

Pay attention to lighting to make your al fresco living room usable and enjoyable after the sun goes down.

Design Lines Signature designed this contemporary rooftop living room from for a crowd with shades of gray, a glass-walled fire pit, and ambient lighting in the form of landscape lighting.

Keep It Eclectic

Create an eclectic feel in your outdoor space with a mix of patterns and colors. This small outdoor living room from Manscapers has black-and-white oversized poufs that double as seating and coffee tables and colorful throw pillows and flowers.

Landscape the Rooftop

Use landscaping to structure a large outdoor living room. New Eco Landscapes used plants and trees of varying heights to define zones, while a corner sectional located under a large pergola creates a shady focal point.

Accent With Gold

Add glamour to a simple outdoor living area with gold accents. Blogger Ursula Carmona for Home Made By Carmona incorporated bright gold sculptural side tables that add an unexpected touch of bling that reflects light and shines like the sun.

Add a Grilling Station

Create a multipurpose space by adding a grilling station to your outdoor living room. Mary Patton Design set up this covered patio for all kinds of recreation, with a grilling station, fireplace, wall-mounted TV, and a seating area with comfortable furnishing anchored by a geometric patterned area rug.

Try a U-Shaped Layout

Create a conversation area in your backyard living room with a U-shaped seating layout.

Anita Yokota defined her outdoor living room in a large backyard by installing a pergola and adding a trio of love seats around a square coffee table on top of an area rug.

Use Floral Accents

Add a natural feel to a small outdoor living room with botanical print accents. Design Lines Signature decorated the armchairs with bright floral throw pillows that add color and echo the indoor-outdoor setting.

Try an Adjustable Umbrella

Retain an open feel while providing options for shade with a retractable standing umbrella.

This spacious outdoor living room from Leclair Decor has wrap-around seating, a central fire pit, a large area rug, and an adjustable umbrella to provide shade.

Accent With Bold Color

Brighten an outdoor living room on a budget with bold color accents. Acid green throw pillows, upholstered teak seating, and industrial bulb lights make this outdoor living space from blogger Ursula Carmona for Home Made By Carmona feel inviting.

Mix Wood Finishes

Mix painted and natural wood to add interest to your outdoor living room. Michelle Berwick Design used a mixture of wood finishes on the floor, walls, and ceiling to create interest and dimension in this semi-covered space.

Screen It In

Depending on where you live, the idea of an outdoor living room might be marred by mosquitoes or too-harsh sunlight. This freestanding screened porch-inspired living room from Kate Marker Interiors is built from the bones of an old gazebo to provide a cozy and intimate gathering space.