The process and elements in designing an outdoor room are actually no different than that of an indoor room.

There are walls, floor, ceiling, furniture and accessories, so to speak. You still need to consider color, texture, composition and function, but just with a different set of materials and finishes than those inside your home. Whether you are revamping an existing space or starting from scratch, a cohesive and well-designed outdoor living space as an extension of your home can add valuable square footage to your home.

Floor: Decking, stone, brick, concrete, gravel or even grass are the basic materials to choose from and, along with personal choice or budget limitations, your choice may be determined by the location of the outdoor room or existing materials in other areas.

If your space is above the ground, you are limited to decking materials. Obviously all these materials are appropriate for a ground level space, but existing hardscape should be considered for continuity. If you used any of these materials on a walkway, edging, exterior house finish or elsewhere on your property you may want to repeat the same material. A hard surface can be softened and made more interesting with the use of an outdoor carpet if desired. If you are creating a retreat away from your house structure, consider leaving the lawn as a natural floor covering.

Ceiling: Your ceiling may be as solid as an extension of your house roof, an awing system or just an umbrella. It may be just the suggestion of a ceiling with the use of a vine-covered pergola or the canopy of a large old tree. Obviously the wide-open sky can be the perfect and easiest choice.

Walls: Again you may have a predetermined wall of your house on one or more sides. Additionally you could create a sense of enclosure and definition with the use of fencing, lattice, a masonry retaining wall or planter.

The luxury of outdoor curtains hung from a solid roof is an easy and accessible choice to create a sense of privacy. But just as efficient and sometimes more appealing is the use of natural landscaping as an enclosure either planted in the ground or in pots. Advice from your local nurseryman can provide informed and appropriate selections to choose from when deciding on plant material.

Furniture: Based on function, your furniture pieces will include seating, tables and cooking elements. Choices are varied and affordable with the variation of materials now available in a variety of contemporary or traditional finishes and styles.

Weather-proof fabrics for cushions come in an endless array of patterns and colors. The placement of furniture pieces is easy because you generally don't have as many components as inside the house, but remember that placing furniture at an angle makes the arrangement more interesting and inviting.

Accessories: Some accessories like table coverings, dishes and candles are brought out only when in use and certainly add color and pattern to the design. But the basic foundation of outdoor room accessories usually consists of plants and flowers in pots, planters or in the ground surrounding the space. The same rule for placing accessories indoors applies, which is to group components in odd numbers and stagger the size, shape and placement for more interest. Other aspects that are becoming more common but are still often overlooked as unnecessary are lighting, fire and water.

Dramatic landscape or overhead lighting, a simple water feature and the increasingly popular fire pit are the things that add the most dramatic atmosphere to an outdoor space.

Color: A simple color palate works best since blue, green and earth tones are automatically the foundation colors. A fourth color family selection can be hot reds, oranges and yellows or cool purples, pinks and whites. These accent colors can either be enhanced by the floral selections and carried into textiles and other accessories or the other way around - planting flowers to complement colors in the inorganic accessories.

There is nothing remarkably insightful in any of these suggestions. They are a simple and basic outline of the components for an outdoor room. With the promise of spring and summer, hopefully this article will provide inspiration and motivation for you to create a sanctuary to enjoy the pleasures and simplicity that nature offers. As busy as our lives are, a place to reflect, relax and retreat can provide a healthier perspective and set of priorities in our lives.

Mother and daughter team, AnnMarie and Jacklyn Faust are the owners of Suite Designs located in the Stadium Plaza on Route 9D in Fishkill. Jacklyn is a graduate of the Interior Design Program at Parsons School of Design. In addition to her Fine Art and Design experience, AnnMarie has been a business manager in both For-Profit and Not-For-Profit worlds for 35 years.