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A lot has been said about creative lifestyles driving people to spend more time at home, and many find this to be a greatly positive development.
This lifestyle trend encourages quality time at home for the family. At the same time, it is a setup that creates improved safety and security for kids, plus, it has proven to be a frugal and sustainable lifestyle solution as well.
Among the popular ideas that have occurred due to the desire of many to make their home a more enriching space for the family is the indoor-outdoor space design.
This type of design transforms rooms of a house or even a commercial building into open spaces. This means that an indoor room can be opened to “merge” with an outdoor space. The design blurs the distinction between where the indoor ends and where the outdoor section begins.
There are numerous advantages to an indoor-outdoor space.
For parents, they like how they can easily relax “in” their homes while also keeping an eye on their children playing in the yard. Meanwhile, a lot of homeowners enjoy the natural illumination and ventilation. It is important to note as well that such space planning offers greater functional versatility.
Creating Indoor-Outdoor Spaces
Indoor-outdoor spaces come in a large variety of open designs.
Some homeowners prefer their living room to open directly to their patio, and for their patio to smoothly transition into their garden.
For such open design, there is a myriad of solutions available and some of them are typical products intended for the patio, paired with ingenious building and decorating techniques. Here are seven of them:
1. Operable partitions
Instead of real actual walls, a lot of homes with patios choose to use operable partitions. These partitions come in a variety of configurations (accordion, swinging panels, removable panels, and others) but they all can close and open up to create a more functional space.
Operable partitions can be used to connect a sunroom and a patio, or close off a patio to separate it from the lawn or garden.
2. Sliding glass patio doors
These are similar to operable partitions but they always have a look of openness because of the big glass components. They just slide open and close though.
What is particularly nice about sliding glass patio doors is they let light in even if they are closed, and they truly maintain the look of openness even when the doors are closed. And, when these doors are open, they automatically turn two separate room spaces into one.
3. Bi-fold glass doors
This is a good alternative to glass patio doors particularly if you want the doors to open really wide. These are very stylish and, like sliding glass doors, they provide a clear view of the space beyond the building. Additionally, they can turn living rooms into an open sunroom the moment the bi-fold doors are open, particularly if they are used instead of walls or even operable partitions.
These doors are often used for beautiful greenhouses as well. This is why a lot of country properties actually prefer them especially if they are done in a French design.
4. Large glass windows
These home implements also work similarly to glass doors although some window designs such as picture, bow, and bay windows do not open. Through large glass windows, you can get a clear view of the patio and the garden. And, when you open them, outdoor elements can easily flow into the house.
Some people like to add a window seat to large glass windows that open to the patio. This way, a person can stay inside, sit by the window but also “join” in the activities in the patio.
5. Roll down shades and retractable ceilings
There are innovative home designs that make use of roll down shades and retractable ceilings to transform an indoor living space into an instant patio.
The moment the shades and ceilings are retracted, a part of the room becomes an outdoor space that lets natural light and ventilation in.
6. Bringing outdoor elements in
This is a design technique that is working for homeowners that do not really have a big lawn or garden but still want to have aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces that combine the indoors and outdoors.
For homes that have glass doors separating an indoor room from the patio, creating a sense of continuity is achieved by extending the turf into the patio and even into the living room. Artificial turf is perfect for this special design.
Others, meanwhile, choose to bring potted plant varieties from their garden and patio into the house.
7. Furnishing the patio as an extension of the indoor space
This is a design technique that Steven Ehrlich, a California-based architect did for his house in Venice, California.
He reinforced the look of merged indoor and outdoor spaces by furnishing the yard around his house with pieces that allow the function of interior rooms to flow outdoors.
For example, his guest bedroom gets its own living area because it directly opens to a patio furnished with plush seats, tables, and even a fire pit. With smart outdoor furnishing, Steven was able to make activities flow seamlessly from inside to the outside, which is what indoor-outdoor spaces are all about.
Upgraded Quality of Life at Home
As mentioned earlier, creating indoor-outdoor spaces for your home can have a huge impact on your quality of life because they bring functional versatility.
Energy savings and improved safety are just two great benefits; but think about how much easier it would be to make your home a venue for gatherings. With indoor-outdoor spaces, you get a spacious yet cozy place for parties.
Also, consider how you will be able to appreciate the seasons more.
You have spaces in your home that will allow you to easily witness changes in the weather. Think about waking up one morning to a clear view of the warm golden hues of autumn. Isn’t that enough to make you want to relish the start of your day, drinking tea or coffee? Or, perhaps, plan a “harvest dinner” with family and friends?
Initially, it truly may not seem anything more than a simple design upgrade, but creating an open design for your home with patio solutions indeed has the ability to rekindle the joy of home living. Therefore, if you want a form of lifestyle elevation that will benefit the entire family, this is one idea to seriously consider.
AUTHOR BIO
Carmen Velilla is an experienced Brand Manager currently overseeing the strategic development of multiple brands as part of the Epwin Group. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (ACIM), specializing in Corporate Communication and Digital Marketing.
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