Indoor – Outdoor Flow
At this time of year we are particularly grateful to be living and working in Victoria. The cherry blossoms, daffodils and magnolias have already bloomed, the local nurseries are fully stocked, and our outdoor patios are as busy as ever. But let’s be honest, when you live in a place nicknamed The Garden City you quickly discover that many of us are thinking about indoor-outdoor flow, not just in the spring, but pretty much all year round!
Connecting Outdoor With Indoor?
At Make It Real Design we like to think of exterior rooms as extensions of our indoor living spaces. So we’ve got a few ideas for your next home renovation project that will be sure to maximize your indoor-outdoor flow — starting with a classic; French doors! If you’ve got the budget for an impressive feature like this, we can’t recommend it enough. There’s nothing like having a smooth transition between two distinct spaces to improve the flow. But if your space can not accommodate a full set of doors, did you know that you can easily accomplish a similar feel with folding windows? Yes that’s right! There are a ton of stunning sliding (even curb-less) window options to extend, for instance, a kitchen counter top into your backyard. So when you’re ready to serve up those BBQ sides, you’ve got a convenient, built-in, bar-like pass-through that will keep you connected to friends and family all day long.
Another Option?
No outdoor square footage at your place? Or maybe you’ve come across this blog and you don’t live in a city as warm as Victoria? No problem! Strategically installing fixed windows is another great way to frame a view and create an architectural moment that feels like you’re bringing the outdoors in while keeping the cold out. You might be imagining a FULL luxurious wall of windows, but don’t panic, introducing just a small panel or two of floor to ceiling glass is a timeless design trick that will instantaneously connect your indoor and outdoor atmospheres without breaking your budget.
But let’s not stop there. Look at your one-of-a-kind outdoor space and think about how it might inspire and saturate your interior space. There are varying colours, lines, forms and textures that will pop depending on your unique view. So consider echoing some of these formal characteristics in your design. Use similar materials, supportive colour palettes, or arrange furniture and accessories to compliment and extend these key zones so that your indoor and outdoor setting will feel like one large, open area.
Ready to realize your home’s full indoor-outdoor potential? Consider hiring a professional home renovation contractor, right here, at Make It Real Design.