When your kitchen, living room and backyard connect naturally, everyday life becomes easier and more enjoyable. You get a clearer path to your deck, patio or garden, as well as better views and more natural lighting indoors.
A poorly placed door, an inappropriate route outside, or a separate room layout can hinder this flow. That’s why we’ve compiled these tips to help you better plan your indoor-outdoor living and identify key details to discuss with your general contractor before work begins.
Key takeaways for a better life at home and abroad
- Plan the interior and outdoor area together rather than treating the entrance as a separate feature.
- Choose doors based on available space, furniture placement, floor levels, and how the panels open.
- Create a clear path between the kitchen, dining area and deck or patio to facilitate everyday use.
- Coordinate flooring, lighting, steps, and exterior finishes early so the transition is comfortable and consistent.
- Review structural changes, permits, costs and project sequencing with an experienced contractor before doing any work.
Tip 1: Open a living area with wide glass doors
Wide glass doors can give a living room or family room a stronger connection to the courtyard. Even when closed, you can still enjoy your garden, patio or deck from inside.
For one Los Angeles Scandinavian style housethe homeowners installed 10-foot-tall bi-fold glass doors as part of the addition and interior remodel. Doors opened the living areas to the outside while bringing more daylight into the home.
Bi-folding, sliding and multi-panel doors all work differently, so they help look beyond appearance. Before choosing a door, consider the following:
- Where panels will slide or jam
- How furniture fits near the opening
- The difference between indoor and outdoor flooring levels
- How the door will meet the deck or patio
- Where internal and external lighting will be placed
Expanding an exterior opening can include framing, flooring, trim, and exterior finishes. A contractor can evaluate the wall and help coordinate those details so that the new opening fits naturally on both sides of the house.
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Tip 2: Replace windows with doors to access the deck
Sometimes your outdoor space is already in the right place, but there’s no convenient way to get there. Replacing well-placed windows with exterior doors may create direct access without requiring a complete change in the layout of the room.
Owners A Glassell Park Bungalow I replaced the living room’s two windows with pre-hung French doors that lead to her deck. Glass doors brought in views of the hills and sunlight while giving the room a clearer path to the outdoors.
French doors can suit a home where there is space for the doors to swing and a traditional look seems appropriate. Sliding doors require less space, while a single glass door may fit a narrower section of wall.
Before making the change, review the window opening, roof level, steps, flooring and furniture placement together. It also helps to prepare a little Questions for your contractor About door sizes, materials, installation and finishes around the opening.
Tip 3: Plan an easy route from the kitchen to the deck
The kitchen does not always need to open directly onto the patio. A dining room, family room, or sunroom can create a comfortable transition between cooking areas and outdoor gathering space.
A family in the Bronx made this kind of connection with A New sunroom and deck. The former kitchen window became a walkway to the 280-square-foot sunroom, which then opened to a new 250-square-foot deck.
The addition also provides more living space, storage and a bathroom on the first floor. It’s a useful example of how we can make better access to the outdoors part of a broader landscape Home addition plans Instead of treating it as a separate project.
When you plan your route, think about:
- How will food and drinks get to your deck?
- Where guests will walk during gatherings
- Where dishes or supplies will be stored outdoors
- Any room should have a stronger view of the backyard
- How the space will function when the doors are closed
An addition can include architectural plans, structural supports, permits, electrical work, flooring, and various interior finishes. A general contractor can coordinate these parts and help you understand how the work will be sequenced.
Tip 4: Connect entertaining areas to the outdoors
A well-planned entertaining layout allows people to move comfortably between the kitchen, dining area and backyard. When the route is narrow or indirect, guests may end up separated between rooms.
In a Hampton Bays beach houseThe kitchen leads to a dining area and then to a renovated garage. The nearly 300-square-foot room opened to the backyard through an industrial-style revolving door and became a quiet gathering place after time at the beach.
This project takes a less traditional approach to indoor-outdoor living. An enclosed porch, back garage, or underutilized room can become part of an entertaining plan when it’s already located between the kitchen and the patio.
When planning a Kitchen for entertainingfollow the path guests will actually take through the house. A contractor can help determine how the adjoining room, outdoor opening, durable flooring and new finishes will fit into the larger scope of the renovation.
Tip 5: Include access to the patio in your kitchen planning
A patio door is most useful when its location supports the rest of the kitchen. If it interrupts cabinet storage, limits appliance placement, or creates an uncomfortable corridor, you may find that you rarely use it.
to Queens kitchen extensionthe homeowners started with a patio door that didn’t fit the existing design. Her remodel expanded into a rear extension that incorporated the old patio into the kitchen and dining area.
Skylights brought in more natural light, and the back of the house was reorganized around the new design. Instead of replacing the door in the same location, the homeowners reconsidered how the kitchen, dining space, outdoor entry, and daylight relate to each other.
Before completing a Kitchen remodelsee the following:
- Locations of cabinets and appliances
- Walking path to the outside
- Dining table or island setting
- Natural light from doors and windows
- Floors near the exit
- Indoor and outdoor lighting
- How much outdoor space will be left
You’ll also want to review Kitchen remodeling costs Before you decide how much to change the back design. Looking at the kitchen and outdoors together can give you a clearer picture than pricing a patio door as a separate project.
Plan your indoor and outdoor life as one project
There is no single solution to creating better flow internally and externally. Your home may need a new set of doors, or the idea may include a new kitchen, dining area, back wall, deck, lighting, flooring, or addition.
Start by thinking about how you want to use the connection. You may want an easier route for outdoor meals, more space for guests, better garden views, or a sheltered area between the house and the backyard.
Discuss these points with your renovation specialist:
- Internal traffic paths
- Door type and opening width
- Place on the patio, deck or garden
- External steps and floor levels
- Floors near the exit
- Indoor and outdoor lighting
- Potential structural works
- Local permits or approvals
If you’re in the early planning stage, learn more about it Choosing a general contractor It can help you prepare. Sharing the full concept early gives the contractor a better understanding of how the exterior connection will relate to the rest of your home.
Find a contractor for your interior and exterior renovation
Improving indoor-outdoor flow may start with a new door, but it can also impact the design of the kitchen, exterior wall, flooring, lighting, deck, and surrounding rooms. Looking at these pieces together can help you create a renovation plan that looks cohesive from the inside out.
Dessert Connects homeowners with experienced general contractors in their area. A contractor can review the existing home, discuss how you want to use the outdoor space, and help you determine the scope of the project.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the inner and outer life?
Indoor-outdoor living is a design style that connects indoor rooms to the backyard, deck, patio, or garden. He often uses wider openings, clear walking paths, natural lighting, and coordinated layouts so that both areas are easy to use together.
How can I improve the indoor and outdoor flow in my home?
One way you can improve the indoor-outdoor flow in your home is to look at the path between the main living spaces and the backyard, patio, garden, or deck. Wider doors, clearer sight lines, a direct walking path, and coordinated lighting and flooring can enhance connection.
Is renovation to improve indoor and outdoor flow expensive?
Renovating to improve indoor and outdoor flow can be expensive, depending on the scope of the project. Replacing a door may be relatively simple, while extending an exterior wall, changing the layout of a kitchen, or adding a new living space may require a larger budget.
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The post 5 Tips for Creating a Home That Supports Indoor-Outdoor Living appeared first on Sweeten.
