Equip your backyard getaway with functional furniture and bright accessories to make it just as cozy as your living room.

That Caribbean vacation you’ve been dreaming of might be on hold – indefinitely. (We all can dream.) And the family beach vacation might be out of reach this year, or seem like a frivolous expense. But investing in your own great outdoors, and creating a living space that feels like a resort escape, will provide a “vacation” from life’s hubbub every time you leave your back door.

WHAT’S IN IS OUT. “The transition between indoors and outdoors used to be very distinctive,” Faulkner says, noting that today’s patio furniture is more substantial. “Now, the lines are more blurred. People are willing to put money into the styles because sometimes, they bring the furniture indoors in the off-season.”

And even if that furniture will stay planted on the patio, or be sheltered in a garage or storage space during winter, homeowners are tending toward cushy comfort that makes an outdoor space feel every bit as welcoming as a family room.

Faulkner is even seeing outdoor beds with curtains that shield the sun. “People like the look – it’s exotic,” she says. Some configurations of this design include two loungers with serpentinecurved backs that are attached at the “hip” to form a queen-size chaise. Adding a canopy provides privacy and gives a four-poster-bed feel to the look, which is appealing to those who wish to take a plein air siesta or soak up some rays.

The same coffee-table arrangement in the living room can be accomplished outdoors by creating “conversation zones” with small tables and chairs. This setup might be a sidebar to the main dining table, or replace the traditional round all together. Faulkner is seeing sectionals that pull apart into individual chaises that can be easily moved around the patio for convenience.

And many times these outdoor rooms are anchored with a rug that can withstand what the weather throws at it. Materials like sisal and bamboo are low-maintenance and won’t mold. Cachet finds these floor pieces at popular home stores.

FURNISHING AN OUTDOOR ROOM. There’s no hard-fast rule stating you must anchor your patio look with a big, ol’ table and matching chairs. “Form follows function,” Faulkner says, emphasizing that homeowners should identify how they really use the space rather than how they think they are supposed to spend time outdoors.

Do you really like to eat meals outside? If so, a hip communal table and bench seating or extravagant dining-size table and chair set will suit your lifestyle. If you find yourself taking that plate indoors to eat (avoiding bugs, heat, sun), then consider creating eating hubs with smaller tables and chairs, or bistro-height rounds and barstools that are conducive to entertaining – and snacking, not dining.

think they have to have a table with six chairs and that’s great, depending on how you entertain,” Faulkner says. “If your family eats a quick meal and moves on, then a table and chairs might not be what you want.”

No matter what you decide, consider these basics before buying patio furniture: your climate, available storage space, ease of cleaning and versatility.

Cachet remarks on how many people mistakenly purchase metal furniture for a patio that gets full sun in a hot climate. “They can’t understand why they burn their fingers and the backs of their legs,” she says.

Decide whether storing furniture is necessary in your region, and if so, how much space do you have to stow away patio pieces? Can you take some furniture indoors – and would you want to do that every winter?

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