The latest trend in home design is the merging of outdoor and indoor living spaces, more and more people are looking to give their property the wow factor by ‘bringing the outdoors in’ and vice versa. By creating the perfect transition between the two areas homeowners are looking to maximise every inch of space in their property, increasing its value and making it stand out of the crowd.
This trend has resulted in the dramatic increase in popularity of bi-folding and sliding doors in recent years. These doors create a wider, seamless opening between indoors and out and can ingrate your garden into a daily living space in a way a regular patio door never could. However there is more to creating the perfect seamless transitional space than merely installing new doors, there a number of hints and tricks you can follow that will ensure you create a natural progression that will enhance both your indoor and outdoor space.
Flooring
Looking at the flooring is a good place to start. The running tacks of sliding or bi-folding doors can be flush with the floor which allows a low threshold between indoors and out. The advantage of this low threshold is that you can seamlessly continue flooring through both spaces, making it appear as one. Obviously if you are continuing flooring outside it needs to be an extremely versatile material such as granite or tile that can work in both environments. If this is not suitable for your home why not landscape your garden in material that is echoed inside. For example use a similar timber decking to the wooden floorboards inside.
Style
The key thing to do is to get the styling right. Using the same materials, textures and colours inside and out are a sure-fire way to blend the spaces. For example, make sure any kitchen or living furniture reflects the outdoor furniture you choose. You can also use a clever selection of plants and other natural features such as water within your home, to give the illusion that the outside is creeping in.
View
An essential part of creating the perfect transition is making sure you maximise your outlook through your glazing. Floor to ceiling windows and doors work best as they create the illusion that there is no boundary between the spaces. You will also need to decide whether sliding or bi-folding doors are the right choice for your home. Sliding doors provide a larger expanse of glazing that provide an unobstructed view when closed; whereas the frames on bi-folding doors break up your outlook when closed, but when open provide a bigger expanse of space. Work with a company who install, design and manufacture bespoke windows and doors to ensure you get the right configuration for you.
Once you have your view in place, you need to make the most of it. To further emphasise the ambiguity of the boundaries between the two spaces, use elements such as furniture or a water feature etc. that will draw the eye out ‘through’ the glazing.
The overall combination of aesthetic and practical features, plus the installation of a new bi-folding or sliding doors will invite the outdoors in and create a high quality, unique living space.