Do your indoor and outdoor living spaces work in harmony? Can you just walk from one to the other and feel like you never left the room? Making your home flow can be tricky, but if done well, you can double your living space and create an inviting and functional entertaining area.
Open a wall
If possible, design your home to have a large opening between your indoor living room and your outdoor area. Like walls, any barriers are an obvious physical separation that contribute to limiting your space and dividing people into one or the other. Consider large accordion or pocket doors to really blur the lines between inside and outside.
Continuity in flooring
Tiles inside but wood outside can really make the step from one to the other obvious. For a space that flows, create continuity in your flooring materials. If you don’t want them to look exactly the same, try to find some common ground (no pun intended) by matching just the material or the colour.
Also think about levels – a step up or down into an area is another clear demarcation that can detract from the unity of a space.
Make your ceilings flow
While not quite as important as your floors, ceilings with a similar design are still a great way to achieve a cohesive look through your entertaining areas. If you haven’t yet covered your patio or deck, now is the time. While some uncovered outdoor space is nice, quality roofing is a must when it comes to maximising an alfresco area – it can mean the difference between enjoying a party no matter the weather and cancelling because your living room is too small to fit everyone.
Dress up your décor
Got a beautiful nature theme going on in your outdoor living space? Bring that inside with some beautiful pot plants or a bamboo feature wall. Whatever your décor, plan your space as one big room when you purchase the accessories and you will end up with a seamless look.
Got the look already? Make sure your space is party-ready all year round with our article on patio maintenance essentials.
