27 Beautiful Outdoor Room Ideas For Fall And Beyond

Cozy Outdoor Fireplace
Photo: Helen Norman

In the South, we love fall. The season is for football, cozy casseroles and Halloween. It is also a time of real togetherness for most Southerners. In the heat of the summer, few people want to leave the comfort of their air conditioned homes. Once autumn rolls around, the weather in most Southern states is just right for grilling and gathering in the outdoors. If you've avoided your backyard all summer long, your outdoor living space might be in need a bit of a makeover. We've looked through some of our favorite outdoor living arrangements to help give you a bit of inspiration on this front. So, call up your friends and neighbors, dust off your outdoor cushions and look through this guide for more outdoor room inspiration.

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Vaulted Outdoor Dining Room

Outdoor table under a wooden gazebo

Joseph De Leo

Fall is one of the most pleasant times to be outside in the South, and sitting down to enjoy a meal is a perfect time to soak in the fabulous weather. This dining area has high ceilings for great ventilation and looks out right into the gorgeous trees. The railing was taken out of the front and replaced with a long bench for extra seating.

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Porch Swing Relaxation

Outdoor porch swing with dog

Joseph De Leo

Maximize your time outside this Fall by adding a bench swing to your porch. This comfy bed is hung from the top of the porch and is piled high with cushions and pillows. This is perfect for taking catnaps, reading a book, or spending time with a loved one. Add a rug underneath for your pup!

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A Hosting Bar

party on the porch bar
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Decorated with fall foliage, pops of color that embody the season and a pitcher of your favorite cocktail for a crowd, be smart this fall season and place a bar on your porch or outdoor living space. "Encourage your guests to grab their own drinks so you won't be playing bartender," Mary Hollis Huddleston of Please Be Seated, the elevated event-rental company, advises.

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A Barn As The Backdrop

Beautiful Fall Outdoor Rooms
Photo: Helen Norman

A rustic barn makes the perfect dining room for a fall meal. Here, feed sacks topped with an indigo linen runner and a mix of blue-and-white china establish the table's vintage feel and complement the rich russet hues of the barn, fall leaves, and piles of fresh apples.

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Cozy Outdoor Fireplace

Cozy Outdoor Fireplace
Helen Norman

Create a festive retreat for guests with lots of plush seating and a mantel swathed in a foliage garland made from a combination of oak and magnolia leaves. Swag only one side of the fireplace for a modern feel. Complete the look with simple and weighty pottery crocks filled with autumn leaves, hydrangeas, and berries.

Tip: Dry your summertime hydrangeas to use in fall arrangements.

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Screened-In Classics

2022 Idea House screened outdoor living room
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE

This space "feels like the epitome of a Southern porch with all the wicker," according to Charlotte Harris Lucas, the interior designer of our 2022 Idea House. With warm, inviting touches of fun colored throw pillows and the navy and white ticking stripe on the furniture, this room feels slightly costal while having the ability to transform for every season.

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Botanical Garden Springhouse

Botanical Garden Springhouse
Photo: Ralph Lee Anderson

This springhouse at Moore Farms in South Carolina is a beautiful spot to gaze through the large wattle-woven doors and take in the picturesque fall color surrounding the pond. Casually placed pumpkins give a subtle, seasonal touch.

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Natural Woodland Porch

Natural Woodland Porch
Photos by Jean Allsopp

An outdoor space does not always need to be grand. Accented with an up-cycled rug made of old jeans, a Tiffany lamp and beautiful wooden accents. This porch is the perfect place to curl up with a good book.

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Church-Inspired Pool House

Church-Inspired Pool House
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Anne Turner Caroll

An entry arbor at Christ Church on St. Simons Island inspired the design of this pool house. The wood fireplace makes for a cozy gathering place for cool fall evenings.

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Old-World Dining Courtyard

Outdoor Dining
Photo by: Laurey W. Glenn, Styling by: Matthew Gleason

This dining courtyard is adjacent to the interior dining room and features a wood-burning fireplace to warm up outside dinner parties, especially in cool fall months.

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Fall Garden Terrace

Arrange White Pumpkins
Helen Norman

This garden terrace gets fall flair from white and gray pumpkins. If you can't find these varieties locally, try spray painting your own.

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Romantic Outdoor Fireplace

Outdoor Rooms: Outdoor Fireplaces
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

For year-round lounging, there's an enclosed sitting area that boasts candle chandeliers and a fireplace. Filling the fireplace with candles instead of firewood gives this small seating area a romantic feel.

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Inviting Patio Makeover

Inviting Patio Makeover
Tria Giovan

Humble materials can pull off a high-end look. This backyard transformation began by installing a 10-foot-wide by 30-foot-long iron pergola. Then, wisteria was planted, which in time turned into a leafy canopy overhead. To anchor the space, an outdoor fireplace was constructed from cinder blocks lined with fireproof brick and covered in stucco. And all the furniture and accessories that decorate the space were chosen to withstand the elements but age gracefully, resulting in an inviting spot for alfresco entertaining.

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Cozy Screened Fall Porch

Cozy Screened Fall Porch
Photo: Tria Giovan

A wood-burning fireplace is the center of attention in this porch, and dozing, reading, and chatting are the orders of the day. An indoor-outdoor rug softens and defines the gathering space. The seating arrangement includes a upholstered swing that the homeowner had custom made based on an antique bench she saw at a Paris flea market.

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Vintage Brick Patio

Vintage Brick Patio
 Photo by Laurey W. Glenn

The brick in this courtyard came from old buildings that were torn down. The biggest issue with antique brick is there are several different sizes and it tends to get mixed up. So these homeowners set the brick in sand, rather than concrete, to give a relaxed and aged look. Plus, the sand helped level odd-size bricks.

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Comfortable Outdoor Porch

Cozy Brick Porch
Jean Allsopp / Styling:  Buffy Hargett

Composed of a brick chimney, mantel, and firebox, this exterior fireplace is covered with stucco as well. This touch not only distinguishes it from the surrounding brick walls, but it also makes a focal point. The hearth is raised for additional seating. Plus, by centering the fireplace between a brick opening and the exterior living room wall, it provided a nook for firewood.

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Stepping-Stone Entry

Stepping-Stone Entry
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Scott Martin

Randomly placed stepping-stones crafted from local granite lead to the front porch's wide steps. Hand-hewn posts and railings, along with graceful brackets, are crafted from regionally harvested locust wood to further enhance this cottage's connection to the land. Local fieldstone clads the porch walls.

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Calm, Classic Outdoor Living Room

Entertaining Porch
Photo: Melanie Acevedo

A Sunbrella-covered sectional and ottoman, plus a nearby dining table that seats eight, make this covered porch ideal for outdoor entertaining. The high coffee table is also perfect for al fresco dining.

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Poolside Pavilion

Outdoor Rooms Pool House
Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery

Measuring 20 feet square, this pavilion provides shade during the summer and a warming fireplace when the air turns cool. Kitchen conveniences run along a sidewall. Set back beneath a lean-to roof are a bath and areas for prep and storage.

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Outdoor Dining and Fireplace

Outdoor Rooms and Outdoor Fireplaces

While the great outdoors are naturally beautiful, do not be afraid to accentuate your space with a pop off color. In this outdoor dining room, orange is brought in through the tablecloth, seat cushions, throw blankets and pillows. The color accentuates the natural stone as well as the lush green of the trees surrounding the space.

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Party Courtyard

Courtyard Pool
Photo: Charles Walton IV

Besides several seating areas, this courtyard offers a fully functional outdoor kitchen with a gas grill, mini-fridge, and ice-maker. On axis with the pool and stone wall is a fireplace. Tucked beneath a second-floor balcony that overlooks the courtyard, chairs snuggle near the fire with a bit of overhead protection to increase seasonal versatility.

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Small Space Outdoor Room

Purchase Good Advice
Photo: Ralph Anderson; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Short on space doesn't mean short on use. This area is barely 25 feet deep and 50 feet wide, but it includes a place to have a drink and watch the game, a location to dine, and a spot to relax by the fire.

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Autumnal Fireplace

Outdoor Rooms and Outdoor Fireplaces

An outdoor fireplace makes it comfortable to sit outside on cool fall evenings. Touches of the season around the mantle and the hearth feature arrangements of pumpkins, gourds, and fall leaves.

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Lights Over A Large Outdoor Living Space

Entertaining Outdoor Fireplace

Lighting is key to entertaining in a large outdoor space. Strands of light strung overhead create a nice glow for stand-and-snack gatherings. Comfortable outdoor sofas, a blazing fireplace, and a convenient bar set the scene for the most popular fall party spot.

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Chic Outdoor Dining Room

Outdoor Dining: Simple, Chic Style
Photo: Howard Lee Puckett

Stylish, weather-resistant pieces make this dining porch an easy way to take the party outside. The white finish of the long trestle table maintains a minimal look. The hanging lantern adds a touch of elegance.

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Garage Addition

Garage Addition Outdoor Fireplace

This seating area and fireplace blend seamlessly with the garage behind it. The vaulted pitch of the arbor mimics the lines of the garage roof and makes the garage more background than feature. The brick chimney helps to draw the eye up, creating height and keeping the attention on the fireplace, which features a mix of fieldstone and brick for added interest. The entire seating area is elevated, improving views of the pool and surrounding property.

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A Light-Filled Free Standing Fireplace

Candle-Lit Patio

Building a freestanding outdoor fireplace creates an instant cozy gathering place for fall. Decorate the mantle with a row of tea lights for extra sparkle when the sun goes down.

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Autumn's Living Room

Autumn's Outdoor Room
Southern Living

You do not need walls to make an outdoor living space. A stone fireplace creates the perfect area for fall gatherings in this backyard. A cluster of pumpkins and mums warms up the sitting wall.

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Weather-Proof Pergola

Patio Living Room
Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Enjoy the outdoors in any type of weather by adding a pergola. Whicker furniture and the elegant fireplace are made to withstand the elements of a rainy day.

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