With the growing popularity of outdoor rooms, it's no wonder that people love spending time out behind their homes, enjoying the great outdoors. And what's not to love? Outdoor rooms allow you to combine the furniture styles you love with the privacy and comfort of your backyard. Here are seven great backyard ideas that will give your outdoor room a beautiful and comfortable ambiance.

1. Fire Pit

Fire pits allow you to bring the coziness of your fireplace outdoors. If you yearn to hardscape a fire pit, make sure to hire topnotch professionals. Many models exist on the market, from the in-the-ground pit to the tabletop versions using a gas powered fire pit kit. To make the most of this piece, center furnishings like outdoor couches and chairs around the pit. Create even more ambiance by putting potted plants or end tables at your couch's ends.

2. Bamboo Screens

And speaking of privacy, outdoor bamboo screens are an easy way to partition off sections of your backyard. Place them around your couches for wind protection and privacy. Or use them as dividers between the different sections of your flower gardens to create beautiful arrangements.

3. Bamboo Storage Ottomans

Ottomans count as some the most versatile outdoor furnishings you'll find. These two-in-one pieces of furniture mean you always have a footstool or a chair to sit on. And you get places to stow things away once you lift the lid. Bamboo storage ottomans count as the best options for outdoors. They're lovely, but also sturdy.

4. Outdoor Kitchen

No doubt about it. You love cooking out. The addition of a stove and built-in barbecue unit plus a fridge brings the best of your kitchen outdoors. People who build outdoor kitchens like to position them in close proximity to outdoor living rooms or outdoor dining rooms. Such an arrangement encourages sitting and visiting over dinner.

5. Outdoor Mirrors

Mirrors with decorative elements like sconces light up dark corners of an outdoor living room. (Hang them on a false wall or on a bamboo screen.) Or they add soft light to a backyard bungalow or guesthouse. A word of caution, however, be sure to place the mirrors away from direct sunlight. The idea is to reflect light without blinding people.

6. Waterfalls

Running water is always soothing, and with the popularity of items like saline pools and waterfalls, there has never been a better way to add the sounds of trickling water to your backyard. Decorate your outdoor waterfalls with native plants, garden benches, and beautiful stepping stones.

7. Outdoor Office

Anymore, the sheds you have built for your garden area count as more than just a place to store your shovels. They can be converted to places to write and to dream or to have tea. If you have an old shed just taking up space in your backyard, add lighting, shabby-chic furnishings, and other decorative elements. These can be set up by themselves or used as an extension to an outdoor room.

About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her 3-year-old husky Snowball. The information in this article is credited to Design Furnishings.