Indoor/Outdoor Living Space

Building an extension is disruptive and expensive. Why not create an extra “virtual room” by using what you already have – your backyard? Your outdoor room can be a place that you use only in summer, or all through the year. It all depends on how much you are willing to spend, and what your needs are.

The most basic outdoor room is simply a weatherproof table and chairs, arranged on your lawn or deck. Add a big umbrella and you have some shade on a sunny day.

If you live in a hot area, invest in a “sail” made of shadecloth (available from hardware stores). Sails can be rectangular or triangular, and which you choose will depend on what fixing options you have. Two of the corners can be fixed to the wall or roof of your house. The third (and fourth) corners could be fixed to a nearby fence or shed. Now your outdoor space is starting to feel like a room – you can walk around under the shade of your sail, and the kids can play while you sit and drink your beer.

Prefer more natural solutions? Build a pergola and grow a deciduous vine over it (that’s one which grows in summer, but loses all its leaves in winter – a grape vine is a good example). In summer when it’s hot, you will be sheltered by cool greenery; in autumn when the leaves fall, you’ll be able to enjoy the last rays of warm sun.

Of course, plants, shadecloths and umbrellas are not much help if it rains. To extend the usefulness of your outdoor room, you could take the next step and put a roof over it. The most economical is perspex – clear if you live in a cold climate and want the sun’s heat, or tinted if you live where it’s hot. You will need a frame supported by your house wall on one side, and posts on the other.

By this time, you may have built a deck and invested in more furniture. From there, it’s only a small step to enclosing your “room” altogether. A great Australian invention is the “Queensland room” – rather like a conservatory, but for people not plants! Large sliding windows enable the whole room to be virtually open in summer, and closed up in winter. The perspex roof has blinds that can be pulled down in summer if it gets too hot. The tiled floor is cool, and won’t be ruined if you leave all the windows open when it rains.

Of course, outdoor rooms are most successful if they open out directly from your main living space. They won’t be used nearly as often, if you have to walk down a corridor or through bedrooms to get there. So if your living area is at the front of the house, it may be worth sitting down with a house plan and considering the possibilities of replanning the layout. Moving a wall or two may be messy, but remember that it is still much cheaper and easier than moving house or building a brick extension – and if the result is a home that feels more spacious and easy to live in, you will not only reap the benefits while living there yourself, but also when you sell.

Photo from JAGwired on Flickr

Tags: home