Selwyn Times: November 08, 2016

14
Outdoor rooms
Just because the outdoor space doesn’t
have walls, that doesn’t change the basic
principles applied to any design project
inside your home. With a few simple
fundamentals to guide you, you’ll soon
see how easy it is to create a beautiful
outdoor room you’ll love entertaining
and relaxing in throughout the warm
days and balmy nights of summer.
Key considerations include style,
function, lighting and mood, and
remember that your outdoor room ought
to be an extension of the look you’ve
created within your home, which reflects
your personality and lifestyle.
FOCAL POINT
Beginning, as with any room of the
home, a space must always have a focal
point to anchor the space. For some, this
may be a bar or barbeque area, a large
dining table, or a chill-out zone with
couches or loungers. Outdoor fireplaces
are becoming more and more popular
as our living areas blend seamlessly
between indoor and outdoor entertaining
throughout the changing of the seasons.
They can serve not only practical purpose
of somewhere to gather around to warm
as the nights get shorter, an outdoor fire
can make a stunning feature or room
divider for any outdoor living area.
Water feature like a pond with
beautiful Koi fish can also service as
a great outdoor focal point, creating a
tranquil environment in which to relax
and unwind in, or create a meditative
Japanese rock garden which your outdoor
area can overlook.
IN THE ZONE
If you already have a large terrace or
outdoor area, a blank canvas is a great
place to start. If you have a particularly
large outdoor area, dividing the space
into zones makes for a more functional
and aesthetically pleasing space. You can
do this by using a number of different
elements, such as contrasting flooring
materials or by creating different levels
of decking. However, if you’re after a
seamless indoor/outdoor flow or wish to
create the illusion of more space, use the
same flooring materials indoors and out.
Divisions can also be made with the
clever positioning of furniture. Use
modular seating to create divisions
between zones, and are also an ideal way
to camouflage ugly walls.
Create privacy and soften sharp angels.
Living walls, an ever-increasing popular
vertical plant system, can be either free
standing to create different outdoor areas
and can be on wheels to easily transform
your outdoor space at a moments notice.
Play with height and scale with
various types of planters, whether you
use hanging planters to draw the eye
upwards, or oversized planter pots to add
drama.
GO WITH THE FLOW
Creating a great indoor/outdoor flow is
easily created by opening up your kitchen
with bi-fold doors or windows to create
a servery or bar for easy entertaining.
If you are building your home from
the ground up, you may want to design
an outdoor room which lies at the very
epicentre of the building with rooms
opening onto the communal courtyard
with bi-fold doors.
FUNCTION OVER FORM
Consider what you intend to use your
outdoor space for. If you don’t plan on
eating outside, there’s no need for a dining
table, but buy some comfortable outdoor
seating instead, and if you only intend
on sitting outdoors during the evening,
then don’t waste money on awnings and
umbrellas, and invest the money in an
outdoor fireplace which you will actually
use.
ATMOSPHERE
Create unique and personalised
outdoor decor with textiles and
homewares from your travels, your
favourite antique shop, or make your
own shell garlands or wreaths from
beach holidays. String up fairy lights
or lanterns to create a festive mood in
the evenings.
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