Outdoor entertaining areas are an incredibly popular feature in Australian homes. Having a space to relax in comfort, entertain guests and enjoy the fresh air are a huge part of Australian culture. If you're planning to add a new patio to your home, then you're no doubt looking forward to having an attractive space that will act as an extension of your home.
Connecting your new patio with your home's interior space is important if you want to achieve the right indoor to outdoor flow. Most patios lead off from a dining room, kitchen or living room, and you'll need to link the two spaces with the materials you use and the features you include. Here are two great design ideas that will help you to create a cohesive outdoor living room with your new patio.
1. Connected flooring
One of the easiest ways to make two separate spaces feel connected is to use the same flooring in both areas. By using the same flooring on your patio as you have in the living area of your home, you'll feel like you're stepping out into another room of your home when you use the patio.
Unless you have carpet, most internal floors can be replicated on your patio. Timber floors can be installed as a floating floor over a concrete patio slab or you can opt for timber-look tiles in a style that matches the colour and grain of your indoor timber flooring. Another option is to use a new timber-look product that is made from timber production waste products and recycled plastic.
If your interior living spaces have tiles, you can match these with outdoor tiles that are the same but have an appropriate non-slip and weatherproof coating. If you're having trouble finding a match for your indoor tiles, you can have your concrete patio base coloured and stamped to almost perfectly replicate the indoor tiles.
2. Connected physical space
Another great way to make your indoor and outdoor spaces feel properly connected is to remove the actual physical barriers that connect them. Replace walls with beautiful bi-fold doors that can be opened up entirely and create a seamless link between your new patio and your internal living space.
If your kitchen overlooks the patio area, you can take this idea even further by adding a bifold or tilt-open window between the kitchen and patio. This lets you open up and connect the internal and external areas even more and also gives you a great spot to add a bar bench for casual dining and conversation when the kitchen is in use.
Share20 November 2017
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