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Create an extra living space

IF YOUR home lacks space inside and needs better indoor-outdoor flow, an outdoor room may be the answer. They create that extra living area and give you a relaxing, uncluttered space to spend time outside. A typical outdoor room features everything from an outdoor fire, barbecue, sinkbench and fridge, to drop-down sides, sofas, loungers, tables,cushions, lighting and landscaping.

Outdoor fires are usually the main feature of an outdoor room, both for warmth and the act of gathering around it. Many models also have cooking options, so you can cook pizza, for example. Barbecues in outdoor rooms can range from simple portable models with traditional gas bottles, to built-in models plumbed into the gas line. Outdoor kitchens, too, can be as extravagant or as minimal as budget allows.

Furniture depends on the size of the outdoor room, but typically includes sofas, loungers and even bean bags.

All of these items usually sit on a deck or patio made of timber, concrete or tiles. Timber has a softening effect, but doesn’t hold the heat like concrete or tiles, which emit warmth as the sun goes down.

Large, porcelain pavers are on trend.

They come in beautiful colours or natural tones, are non-slip, frost and heat resistant, don’t expand and contract much and don’t require sealing. Many outdoor rooms are cover or semicovered for weather protection or privacy; options include an adaptable roof that can open or close as weather allows.

For wind protection, homeowners can choose from simple drop-down blinds, to permanent walls or hedging. Lighting is important, both for practical reasons and to set the mood.

You could install lights that wash across the patio so you can see where you’re going; use different colour palettes; light up different zones or a feature like a tree, sculpture or water feature; or hang solarpowered string lights or lanterns for a bit of fun.

Landscaping, too, adds that finishing touch. A careful selection of trees, shrubs and other plants brings it all together.

Whatever your taste or budget, the key to success lies in the planning; you can’t just plop furniture and a table in the backyard and call it your outdoor room.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:

Location: Is it convenient to the house for traipsing in and out from the kitchen? If your outdoor room is at the other end of your section, you won’t use it as much, because it becomes a chore to get to it. Level: An outdoor room should flow straight from the house, rather than be a space that you have to navigate many steps to get to.

Orientation: It must be functional to work well so choose a spot that perhaps gets the sun longest or is sheltered from the wind. Size: Weigh up what you want to use your room for, and what you want to put in it, then draw a layout to scale of the space and desired ‘furnishings’.

Too small and it will feel cluttered; too big and you may not have left enough room for other outdoor essentials. Storage: Invest in the likes of bench seats and ottomans that double as storage for items like cushions.

Continuity: To ensure good indoor-outdoor flow, choose a style, features and materials that complement your house, inside and out.

Budget: Get quotes and shop around, and if money is tight, spend it on the structural elements first. A well-designed and built room with upcycled furniture can look as great as one where the sky’s the limit.

Homed

en-nz

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282351158656794

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