IT'S time to clean up your back yard and create that ultimate summer must have - an outdoor room.

Since the phrase al-fresco dining entered the property market lexicon, even the tiniest patio or balcony is considered potential extra living space.

Whatever the size, big, small or window box, our top 10 great garden ideas will help you enjoy it in style. . .

1Take inspiration from Diarmuid Gavin's collaboration with Shomera - which bagged him the Silver Gilt award at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.

These garden rooms work either as an extension to the house or as an entirely separate studio. Prices start at Euro27,000 for basic design.

(www. shomera. ie) 2"To make the step from inside out more inviting, ideally both spaces should be on the same level, without any barriers such as steps up or down, when French doors are left open.

Place interesting items, whether specimen plants, containers or furniture, within view from the house to invite people out to explore further, " says garden designer Anne Kennedy of The Onion Shed.

3Use every spare inch as inviting seating, says Paula Campbell of luxury textiles company KA International who stock outdoor fabrics treated with special weatherproofing from Euro29.50 per metre.

4"Decking is consistently popular outdoors because it looks so much like an indoor floor and gives a natural extension to interior rooms. It's also nicer underfoot compared to cold stone, " says Les Swarbrigg, DIY expert with Woodies DIY. "The new modular decking system takes the hard work out of a DIY project and you can either treat it with natural deck oil, or paint it in almost any colour with Cuprinol wood shades and then coat it with sealer."

Modular decking costs between Euro90-Euro100 per metre;

a small patio roughtly costs around Euro1,500.

5If your garden table is looking a little worse for wear cheer it up with a sunny tablecloth from the new Bloomsbury collection of fabrics, from Euro24.95 per metre, at Home Focus at Hickeys.

6Gas may come, and gas may go, but the classic and reliable charcoal barbecue holds a strange magnetism, says Patrick Moore, BBQ buyer for Atlantic Homecare.

"It's a myth that the fuel adds extra flavour to the food; in fact, it's the fats and juices falling on the hot coals and the resulting smoke that creates the unique barbecue taste."

Atlantic's colourful, and portable, kettle barbecues cost just Euro25 in either black, blue or red.

7"The garden is the perfect place to create an 'extra room', so convert that humble wooden shed into the ultimate summerhouse with a lick of paint, " says Mary Ward from the Dulux Creative Board. Get the look: left wall painted in Pebble Drift 2; woodwork:

Gipsy Bloom I; floor: Jungle Drumms 5 and shelves, Cocoa Blush 2 8Lightweight bistro furniture, easily moved around and stackable, is a mainstay for impromptu garden dos in your outdoor room. This summer Marks & Spencer is doing outdoor living in style with their Cappuccino garden furniture collection.

9Adopt a more ecofriendly approach to the outdoors. "There are two ways to make a strong connection with the earth through your garden.

Even the smallest space can be used to grow food to feed you and your family, or else grow native plants to provide habitats for wildlife so that you can be surrounded by a truly alive space, " says garden designer Mary Reynolds.

10 If you haven't got space outdoors why not bring the outdoors in. Amanda Pratt of Avoca has brought a little 'outside-in' magic to the design of the company's new tea rooms at Mount Usher.

"I covered one 10m wall with a vast mural created from wonderful forest inspired wallpaper we sourced on the internet.

"We also suspended shallow lampshades with the same paper pasted inside to enhance the effect of being in a lush garden and used outdoor furniture inside. To finish it off we created fun centrepiece table top gardens using potted plants.