Realise your alfresco dreams this summer by creating an indoor outdoor living space that will have your neighbours green with envy.
Read on to discover our tips on blending your indoor space into your outdoor area.
PLANING AN INDOOR OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE
Homeowners want their indoor/outdoor living space to be a desirable place to relax in, ensure that you clearly define the area, make the space as fluid as possible and there needs to be easy access to the backyard.
Having a big view of the outdoors means that you can take full advantage of the natural décor that your garden gives you, instantly strengthening that connection to nature.
Also have a think about what you would like to use this space for, if it's a kitchen extension the natural choice is to have a seamless kitchen diner area, making it easy to cook and entertain for a crowd, in the case of creating an indoor outdoor living room space, keep all the electronics inside and have an outdoor area for socialising and relaxing.
SLIDING DOORS FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR LIVING
Sliding doors are the threshold between your indoor and outdoor spaces and so are vital to creating a cohesive flow between areas.
There are loads of choice for indoor outdoor living sliding doors: Bi-folding floor to ceiling or stackable doors are very popular, opening these doors allows you to facilitate a natural transition between the indoor and outdoor space, in keeping with period properties you can achieve a similar look with black crittal doors.
If your room is on the corner of your house then you may also want to consider corner glass doors, as this creates an uninterrupted view outside, even when the doors are shut, making the internal room feel part of outside.
BEST FLOORING FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR LIVING AREAS
Consistent flooring between indoor and outdoor living spaces gives the impression that the areas are one, consider using tiles or wood flooring as they are durable materials, ideal for indoor and outdoor use, you could combine both and use wood-effect tiles!
Choose a floor that can be laid throughout both the inside and outside areas, making sure that your chosen style is weather resistant, and if you are opting for wood flooring use decking in the same colour as your wood floor, remember to run the flooring in the direction running away from the house to create an illusion of continued space from interior to exterior.
If you do not want the exact same flooring in both spaces, try to find two styles that complement each other, there are many natural stones for outdoors that will work with wooden floors.
There are also lots of indoor outdoor rugs for the living room that are durable and easy to clean.
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DESIGN FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR SPACES
This same continuity of design should also be applied to your choice of décor, by decorating both areas in the same styles, i.e. colour palettes, furniture and soft furnishings, will create the impression of one unified space.
By using greenery to link the two spaces, during the winter months, this will help create the illusion of being outside even when the doors and windows are firmly shut.
FIRE PITS FOR INDOOR OUTDOOR SPACES
Having a source of heat to gather round encourages us to stay out and enjoy the space till after dark, fire pits or an indoor outdoor fireplace creates a focal point and are great to socialise around, even in the colder months and it doesn’t have to be a feature that is only used at night either double up by creating a lid or table top for your fire pit, that way it can be used as an extra surface.
Having moved from London to Cyprus, if there is a place in the world where the pleasure of living outdoors is especially savoured, it's in the Mediterranean, but this doesn't mean you can't enjoy indoor outdoor living if you live in a cooler country - just make sure you cover all your outside furniture when not in use.
