It used to be that the height of outdoor living was having a simple patio and a BBQ grill, but as we have spent our time keeping up with the Jones’s the bar for a good outdoor space has been raised immensely.
One area of outdoor design which has become increasingly important is merging the space between indoors and outdoors. By having the transition from living room to garden as a smooth almost un-noticeable experience you create a delightful blend which will: encourage use of outdoor spaces, create a stunning look, and ultimately create a brilliant experience.
So, what can you do at home to improve the transition between your indoor and outdoor spaces?
Blend The Space Between Indoors & Outdoors
In order to blur the lines between indoors and outdoors, you should try to ‘blend’ the space between both, to add continuity and consistency to the space between. This involves keeping top level design elements like colour scheme and décor theme consistent in the space between indoors and out.
By keeping themes, colours and even materials in line with each other, you can create a blending effect where the entrance to your garden is an extension of your interior and vice versa, which will encourage movement between both spaces.
Create A Seamless Transition Between Spaces
Now that each space is encouraging movement between each other, you want to create a seamless transition between your home’s indoor and outdoor space, so that both spaces feel like extensions of each other, rather than two connected spaces.
Where possible, the best way to do this is with large sliding glass doors or wide bifold doors, this will remove obstacles between both spaces allowing for easy movement and providing a view in and out. As an added bonus, you could use door blinds which fit your colour scheme to re-iterate the common design themes.
Use Interior Elements Outside & Exterior Elements Inside
Now that you have continuity and easy movement between the indoors and outdoors, you should look to further blur the lines between both spaces by incorporating interior elements outside and exterior elements inside.
To do this, you could place furniture in your outdoors space to create an outside living room set up, which will encourage socialising outside, include houseplants in your interior decorating to create a garden-y feel indoors, or even put wall lights either side of your patio door to create the feeling of a European veranda.
Install A Pergola Or Canopy In Your Outside Area
Now, finally to finish the merging of your indoors and outdoors space, you should look to install a pergola or canopy roof in your garden immediately near your patio door or entryway, creating a faux ceiling in your outdoor space.
By keeping the feeling of being under a ceiling, you will have successfully merged both spaces with them truly feeling connected. Not only will the pergola solidify the connection between both areas, but it will also allow you to use your garden space during bad weather.
