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"  Sonja Lovas/Flickr My favorite long-term housing trend is the move toward bigger and better outdoor living spaces. And I&amp;#039;m not alone in my love for crazy awesome outdoor living. According to a survey of architectural professionals completed by the American Institute of Architects, buyers are spending less on lot size and more on amenities\u2014especially outdoor spaces. Nearly 63 percent of architects report increasing consumer interest in this kind of space, the report says. Outdoor Living One of the drivers of this trend is the move toward making outdoor spaces true living areas. That means they have comfortable seating, great lighting, and make a real effort to achieve outstanding design. To get a feel for the trend, take a look at my wife&amp;#039;s Pinterest board on the subject, aptly entitled Porches and Such. Here, you&amp;#039;ll notice that livable outdoor areas have a few key traits: \u25CF Fabrics and Cushions. New materials that can withstand rain and sun have been a huge part of the transformation of outdoor spaces. You&amp;#039;re no longer limited to wood, metal, or plastic hard-surface furniture. Abundant use of colorful fabric, thick cushions, and plush outdoor pillows can transform your space. \u25CF Surfaces Matter. One of the things I always see in bland and lifeless outdoor spaces is an abundance of plain exterior-style walls, concrete flooring, and ceilings made of some typical weather-resistant outdoor material such as plywood. Today&amp;#039;s best outdoor living spaces have none of that. Floors have patterns painted on them, walls are adorned with art and accent colors, and ceilings take design under consideration. \u25CF Lighting for Living. Another blah feature of uninspired outdoor spaces is the single porch light on the wall or in the center of the ceiling. Is this an outdoor living room or an interrogation chamber? Better outdoor spaces are resplendent with ceiling-mounted fixtures (both surface mounted and recessed), free-standing floor lamps, and strings of draped lights to provide the perfect balance. \u25CF Heating and Cooling. We all think that one drawback for outdoor spaces is that the temperature is pretty much beyond our control. Not true. You can add warmth with fire pits, fireplaces, and chimineus, or double or triple the number of ceiling fans to provide cooling. In the hottest parts of the country, people are installing mister systems that cool the area with water vapor that (usually) doesn&amp;#039;t soak you. Start With a Vision, Then One Step at a Time So why don&amp;#039;t you have an outdoor living space like that? For many, excuses include not knowing where to start, being unsuccessful with early attempts, and not having the budget. They&amp;#039;re pretty much the same obstacles that keep us from having every room throughout the home perfect, inside and out. Unless you&amp;#039;ve got the money and time to just knock the whole thing out at once, getting that perfect space will take time. To keep on track, you need a vision for the end result. Visit stores, look at pictures, watch TV shows, and do whatever else you can think of to get that vision firmly established. Keep a folder of photos and ideas all in one place. Then just start. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just do one thing at a time and keep going. Eventually you&amp;#039;ll have that outdoor space of your dreams.  Tim Layton is a home and DIY blogger for Popular Mechanics. Follow him on Twitter: @RemodelingGuy "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/a9204/how-to-build-the-outdoor-space-of-your-dreams-15678786/>