You will want to begin the creation of your outdoor room my making a plan or map that outlines your property, or at least the area in which you would like to create the outdoor living area. This provides you with an area to work with, so you can visualize different ideas and schemes. You will want to make sure this map includes any buildings, trees, or other existing features that need to be considered when drawing up your final plans. It will be necessary to take actual measurements to create an accurate plan.
You can use a sheet of cardboard or a notebook to sketch in the features that are to be added. Measure the buildings and draw in important features like doors, porches, and steps for your room. Make sure you take accurate measurements and make right angles. You can determine the location of trees and other smaller objects by measuring their distance from right angles at established points, like the lot line or the side of a building. Record all the measurements on your sketch.
You will find it very rewarding to purchase a small sketch board with T-Square, triangles, and coordinate paper, which will help you create an accurate plan for your room. This is not very expensive, but will help you immensely as you begin your task.
