How to Create a Dream Indoor and Outdoor Living Space
What’s the style that’s been catching trend fasting than “open-home” themes? Blended indoor/outdoor living spaces, of course!
Designing a home theme that incorporates the beauty of nature with the benefits of modern appliances, you can create a room that expands the footprint of your home and make it feel exponentially larger.
Have you always wanted to develop this type of space in your home? If so, it’s worthwhile to learn where to begin. In this blog post, the experts at Caddy will share a few of our best tips for helping you bring out the best of both worlds in your home!
- Begin with a Dream and a Vision
Before diving into picking out what materials and furniture you want to incorporate into your dream indoor/outdoor space, let’s first think about how you actually envision using this new living space.
Will this area of your home be an extension of your kitchen? Will you be cooking out here? Or, will the space by more of a relaxing living area where you and your family and friends can snuggle up and enjoy a show on an outdoor patio?
There obviously isn’t a right or wrong answer to what your visions are, and you can certainly incorporate multiple different elements into your design. It is important to keep in mind, though, that if you move forward without thinking about the future of this space, you could end up spending more than you had initially budgeted for on things you don’t actually use here.
If you’re stuck on finding inspiration, try exploring Pinterest and saving some images and ideas that really stand out to you. You may also consider searching inside home design magazines or surf through Instagram and Tik Tok. Try searching under hashtags like #indooroutdoor to find some ideas!
- Choose Your Dream Transition
A true indoor and outdoor living space will give you the freedom to close off a section to completely enjoy the other. As an example, if you’re having people over and you’re looking to entertain outside, you will probably want to close off the interior space so you aren’t throwing AC out into the open air all day.
Knowing this, consider how you envision your transition looking. A few options:
- A sliding glass door
- A set (or sets) of French doors
- Sliding glass walls
Based on what model you go with, some doors will restrict your view. We recommend choosing sliding glass if you are after some bit of obstruction from the outside. Also remember that these sliding glass options can give your home a much more modern feel, so choose the French doors if you’re more of a traditional style person!
- Keep Flooring Consistent Throughout the Space
What’s the best tip we can give you for building the ideal multi-functional indoor/outdoor space? To keep the flooring consistent within!
Keep in mind that this will obviously work best if you choose an interior material that is weather-resistant so that you can use it outdoors and it will stand up well with the outdoor elements. Tile and concrete are great choices.
Seamless flooring is ideal for conjoining rooms because it will help with the look flow. Seamless floors will also make the area look bigger by merging the two spaces together!
- Be Sure to Incorporate in Some Shade
Laying out for a nice tan is pretty nice to do in your own backyard! But, it might not be completely ideal to have sharp light beating on you while reading a book, catching up with friends, or enjoying a meal.
If you’re envisioning using your new space to entertain family and friends, you’ll want to consider adding some shade like sun protection to keep your guests comfortable. However, depending on your preferences, this can be a permanent solution or a temporary one that you only incorporate on days that it is necessary. Consider some of these ideas:
- Pergolas
- Awnings
- Retractable shades
- Patio umbrellas
Choose a shade option that corresponds to your ideal colors ad materials you’re already envisioning to use.
- Keep It Warm or Cool, but not Both
The only exception here would be if you are currently living somewhere that has the same temperature all year round. But if you’re like most Americans, there’s a good chance you live somewhere where the seasons change and you’ll want to think of a way to heat and cool your blended indoor/outdoor living space.
If your climate is colder, look for heaters that you can incorporate into your decor. Some of your choices include:
- Fire pits
- Outdoor fireplaces
- Gas patio heaters
You can find these items in a variety of styles, from contemporary to retric or rustic, there are choices for every indoor/outdoor living theme. If the temperature in your climate tends to be more on the warmer side, then you may consider adding some outdoor fans and extra shade options to keep the temperature more comfortable when it gets really warm out.
- Enclose the Area
If your home is expansive and private already, then you probably won’t think twice about grilling and playing music outside late into the night. But if you live in a tight suburban neighborhood with close neighbors, you’ll want to consider adding a little more privacy.
If this is your case, then look for a solution that can easily enclose your outdoor living space with just the right amount of additional features. Some might consider building large concrete walls or trees and bushes that are permanent to enclose the outdoor space. For others, curtains that are retractable at your discretion might be a better option so you can choose to enclose or not during certain times of the year.
Your home should be an expression of your personality. Creating a living space that you love to be in, grow in, and host, is a requirement.
Save this link to your notes to save these tips for when you start designing your dream indoor and outdoor living space. Let your own styles guide you as you begin on this project! Experiment with different feels, furniture, and texture and materials until you find the right fit that works for you.
Along the way, we can help you clear out more room and open up even more space in your home. If you need labor, lifting, furniture rearrangement, or just some muscle to help with the redesign, feel free to book an appointment with your team of Caddy Movers!