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How to Create an Outdoor Living Area You Can Enjoy Year-Round
Extend your living space with a beautiful alfresco room
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If spending more time at home has had you reevaluating your space and how you can best enjoy it, you may want to consider an outdoor living area. We’re not talking about just a new table and chairs here — more a place that you can retreat to in any season that’s as comfortable and inviting as your living room. Add to that the fact that an outdoor area can increase your home’s value by around 10% to 20%, designer Jim Sweeney says, and you may find yourself swayed. Keep reading for some top tips for creating a year-round outdoor haven.
Design by Visbeen Architects; photo by Ashley Avila Photography
Add a Covered Area
Sunrooms, screened-in patios, covered porches — there are many ways to gain an all-seasons outdoor area. First, decide how you’d like to use the space. Will it be a porch where you can relax, a spot where you can enjoy views of your yard or a place to host family gatherings? Either way, a covered area will protect you from the elements and maximize space. “Covered outdoor living is great to keep us out of the wind, the rain and the snow, and also gives us the opportunity to shade the area that we’re living in,” says Wayne Visbeen, owner of Visbeen Architects in Michigan.
Install a motorized retractable screen with mesh, as seen here, to enjoy fresh air and natural light without the bugs. You can have your space completely open for easy access and clear views, then bring the screen down at the touch of a button — sensors can even retract screens automatically when the wind blows. This type of screen is becoming more and more common with every project, says Sweeney, owner of Mom’s Design Build in Minnesota. “Minimizing the wind, the bugs and the dirt that comes with outdoor spaces is desirable to a wide range of people,” he explains.
Bonus tip: Keep the bugs out of your house too with retractable door screens. Ideal for oversize openings, they disappear when not in use, leaving your views unspoiled.
Add a Covered Area
Sunrooms, screened-in patios, covered porches — there are many ways to gain an all-seasons outdoor area. First, decide how you’d like to use the space. Will it be a porch where you can relax, a spot where you can enjoy views of your yard or a place to host family gatherings? Either way, a covered area will protect you from the elements and maximize space. “Covered outdoor living is great to keep us out of the wind, the rain and the snow, and also gives us the opportunity to shade the area that we’re living in,” says Wayne Visbeen, owner of Visbeen Architects in Michigan.
Install a motorized retractable screen with mesh, as seen here, to enjoy fresh air and natural light without the bugs. You can have your space completely open for easy access and clear views, then bring the screen down at the touch of a button — sensors can even retract screens automatically when the wind blows. This type of screen is becoming more and more common with every project, says Sweeney, owner of Mom’s Design Build in Minnesota. “Minimizing the wind, the bugs and the dirt that comes with outdoor spaces is desirable to a wide range of people,” he explains.
Bonus tip: Keep the bugs out of your house too with retractable door screens. Ideal for oversize openings, they disappear when not in use, leaving your views unspoiled.
Construction by Denali Custom Homes; landscaping by Mom’s Design Build; photo by LandMark Photography
Keep the Climate Under Control
Design your outdoor living area to stay cool in the summer and cozy in the winter. “You’ll need to take into account the size of the area, along with its orientation to the sun, the volume of the room and possibly the integration of opening doors from inside, which also could allow heat in,” Visbeen says. Install fans for the warmer months and heaters for when it gets chilly. “Infrared heat does a better job instead of blowing hot air — it’s more powerful,” Sweeney says. “We’ve used some concealed heaters that are beautiful.” He recommends pointing the heater at the people and away from the house.
Bonus tip: An easy way to help control your climate is with a retractable clear vinyl screen, which can be used alongside a mesh design. “Most people don’t realize that a screen will keep wind and breezes out of the room,” Visbeen says. “A vinyl screen will actually allow the room to retain heat, especially if you have a heat source that’s constant.”
Keep the Climate Under Control
Design your outdoor living area to stay cool in the summer and cozy in the winter. “You’ll need to take into account the size of the area, along with its orientation to the sun, the volume of the room and possibly the integration of opening doors from inside, which also could allow heat in,” Visbeen says. Install fans for the warmer months and heaters for when it gets chilly. “Infrared heat does a better job instead of blowing hot air — it’s more powerful,” Sweeney says. “We’ve used some concealed heaters that are beautiful.” He recommends pointing the heater at the people and away from the house.
Bonus tip: An easy way to help control your climate is with a retractable clear vinyl screen, which can be used alongside a mesh design. “Most people don’t realize that a screen will keep wind and breezes out of the room,” Visbeen says. “A vinyl screen will actually allow the room to retain heat, especially if you have a heat source that’s constant.”
Design by Visbeen Architects; photo by M-Buck Studios
Design for Multiple Uses
Outdoor living is about so much more than a place for simply relaxing. It means enjoying an extra living space with family, dining with guests in a scenic setting, hosting movie nights or working from home while taking in the views. “Outside rooms can have the same level of flexibility [as indoor rooms], especially when it comes to dining, seating, TV watching, a fireplace and music,” Visbeen says.
Storage is also a key factor if you’re going to be using the space in different ways. “When we design porches, for example, we usually include a storage room adjacent or within the porch itself,” Visbeen says. “This way owners can add a table, chairs and other pieces that let the room be used in different ways.”
Bonus tip: Incorporate retractable screens into your multiuse space to give it even more flexibility. Mount them on existing surfaces or recess them into walls, columns and ceiling cavities in a new build so they blend beautifully with your home’s design.
Design for Multiple Uses
Outdoor living is about so much more than a place for simply relaxing. It means enjoying an extra living space with family, dining with guests in a scenic setting, hosting movie nights or working from home while taking in the views. “Outside rooms can have the same level of flexibility [as indoor rooms], especially when it comes to dining, seating, TV watching, a fireplace and music,” Visbeen says.
Storage is also a key factor if you’re going to be using the space in different ways. “When we design porches, for example, we usually include a storage room adjacent or within the porch itself,” Visbeen says. “This way owners can add a table, chairs and other pieces that let the room be used in different ways.”
Bonus tip: Incorporate retractable screens into your multiuse space to give it even more flexibility. Mount them on existing surfaces or recess them into walls, columns and ceiling cavities in a new build so they blend beautifully with your home’s design.
Construction by Aspen Builders and Remodelers; photo by Spacecrafting Photography
Create a Lighting Scheme
It’s important during the planning stage to make sure your outdoor living space is going to be well-lit, whether for the darker autumn and winter days or for nighttime during the whole year. Go for a mix of overhead pendant lights, task lighting, ambient lights and uplights (for safety), and ensure you have power sources in the right spots. “An outdoor room can be lit with as many options as an interior room,” Visbeen says.
Want to use your lighting to set the mood? “My favorite lighting for outside is natural-gas lanterns with movable flames,” Sweeney says. “They flicker [similarly] to candlelight — it’s romantic to have the natural dancing energy of a flame.”
Bonus tip: For added convenience, opt for smart lighting so you can control the illumination from your phone or tablet — and from the comfort of your sofa.
Create a Lighting Scheme
It’s important during the planning stage to make sure your outdoor living space is going to be well-lit, whether for the darker autumn and winter days or for nighttime during the whole year. Go for a mix of overhead pendant lights, task lighting, ambient lights and uplights (for safety), and ensure you have power sources in the right spots. “An outdoor room can be lit with as many options as an interior room,” Visbeen says.
Want to use your lighting to set the mood? “My favorite lighting for outside is natural-gas lanterns with movable flames,” Sweeney says. “They flicker [similarly] to candlelight — it’s romantic to have the natural dancing energy of a flame.”
Bonus tip: For added convenience, opt for smart lighting so you can control the illumination from your phone or tablet — and from the comfort of your sofa.
Photo by Phantom Screens
Make It Look Irresistible
Once your space is set up, you’ll want to make sure that it’s welcoming no matter the season. Looks are important and comfort is key, so go for cushy sofas and armchairs you can snuggle up on, rugs to help ground your look and add pattern and color, and plenty of blankets for cooler days. Rim the area with plants that thrive all year to further blur the boundaries between indoors and out.
“Design your outdoor living space as if you’re planning your kitchen or living room,” Visbeen says. “Buy furniture that looks good and complements your home style, and add plants and accessories to make the room look just as good as your interior.”
Bonus tip: Think about the details. Whether it’s mixing and matching patterns on your soft furnishings or using a color- and finish-matching option for screens, it’s the little things you do that will really make your outdoor living space sing.
Get started: To find retractable screens to suit your home, whatever the style and size, visit Phantom Screens’ website. The company’s screens are custom-made and professionally installed by its in-house team of experts, factory-trained installers or authorized distributors.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Make It Look Irresistible
Once your space is set up, you’ll want to make sure that it’s welcoming no matter the season. Looks are important and comfort is key, so go for cushy sofas and armchairs you can snuggle up on, rugs to help ground your look and add pattern and color, and plenty of blankets for cooler days. Rim the area with plants that thrive all year to further blur the boundaries between indoors and out.
“Design your outdoor living space as if you’re planning your kitchen or living room,” Visbeen says. “Buy furniture that looks good and complements your home style, and add plants and accessories to make the room look just as good as your interior.”
Bonus tip: Think about the details. Whether it’s mixing and matching patterns on your soft furnishings or using a color- and finish-matching option for screens, it’s the little things you do that will really make your outdoor living space sing.
Get started: To find retractable screens to suit your home, whatever the style and size, visit Phantom Screens’ website. The company’s screens are custom-made and professionally installed by its in-house team of experts, factory-trained installers or authorized distributors.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
As the leading brand for retractable screens, Phantom Screens has been making a difference in our customer’s... Leer más
As the leading brand for retractable screens, Phantom Screens has been making a difference in our customer’s... Leer más