The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, spring is here. As the temperature warms up, you tend to see more ideas for our outdoor areas popping up on the internet than ever before. We are all consumed with thinking about new outdoor living space ideas to make the most of this beautiful weather. From your best friend adding a deck to your neighbor extending the concrete patio behind their home, there are so many outdoor projects happening now. This is the time to collect outdoor living space ideas to help you customize your favorite house plan to fit your indoor and outdoor needs.
While you search for the perfect house plan, don’t forget that creating impressive outdoor living spaces helps to extend the square footage of your home while giving you the ability to live both indoors and outdoors. But how do you make the most of the outdoor spaces in your favorite house plan?
While a patio and a lanai are very similar, the main difference is space. Lanais are usually a bigger covered space than a patio. Another difference between a patio and a lanai, is the entrance to a lanai is always covered. Offering protection from the weather, this covered entrance usually extends to a larger covered area of the backyard. A patio can be uncovered or covered, big or small. Lanais are just fancier, bigger covered patios and thus the terms are similar but slightly different.
If you’re considering enclosed outdoor living spaces, you could add a sunroom or a screened-in porch to your favorite plan. A sunroom is usually a room located toward the back of the house and glassed-in by wall-to-wall windows in order to view the outdoors. While these spaces are a part of the home’s interior, they are more open to the outdoors and thus create that indoor/outdoor feel without leaving it wide open.
Tight on space? What about stacked decks? Go vertical! This concept is a bit luxurious but it provides a plethora of outdoor space. Having a deck on the top and bottom floor of your home creates extra outdoor space that can be covered or uncovered. To create a more comfortable vibe, you can add lounging furniture, plants, and outdoor kitchen items to establish the best outdoor living spaces for you and your guests.
First, consider how you want to use your outdoor space. If you just want to look outside while you work, make sure your office is facing the backyard with plenty of windows. Maybe add the office in the sunroom, giving you the best of both worlds. Furthermore, if you want to continue your indoor areas outdoors you have to consider how to make the most of your outdoor living space.
Double doors or sliding doors leading outside are a great way to start the conversation. Do you want access to the outside from your living room, dining room, and/or a bedroom? A great way to continue the indoor space outdoors is to add double doors to the living room or kitchen. This provides a seamless connection to your outdoor living space, encouraging you to grab some snacks and drinks, open those doors, and walk right outside to your well-thought out backyard. Let the breeze inside and create your dream indoor/outdoor space.
As you continue to mull over some ideas, ask yourself these questions to determine how you plan on using your outdoor living space:
Now that you know what you want for your outdoor areas, the second step is to consider how your favorite house plan fits those needs? Does it have the right elements to create that extra living space that you long to have? If not, we can help. With our modification services, you can alter your favorite house plan in 4 easy steps to include the outdoor living space of your dreams. There are countless ways to modify our house plans to increase your outdoor space.
There are endless possibilities for the ultimate indoor/outdoor living space! Spend some time making a checklist of your must haves for your outdoor areas and use that list to determine how you will modify your favorite house plan to fit those needs.
Finally, if you’re still not sure how to make an inviting patio or outdoor space, use the following questions to help you imagine the outdoor space of your dreams:
Think about the outdoor space before you build the home! As you are planning the modifications you want done to your favorite house plan, consider the outside almost as much as the inside. We recently created a blog post all about using color and materials to make the most out of the exterior of your favorite house plan. The same can be said for the outdoor spaces. You can use our modification services and some planning to create the best outdoor areas for you and your family. The best outdoor living spaces take into account how you will use the backyard today and 10 years in the future. Creating an inviting outdoor space gives you more areas to enjoy family time, make the most of your home, and create lasting memories.
The amount of outdoor living space ideas are endless and we hope this blog post helped your journey to the ultimate backyard experience. Make sure to tag us in all of your outdoor photos! If you need any assistance with your modification choices, our customer service team is always here to help – give us a call!
Our "go to guy" and company expert, Brandon is the visionary and dreamer of all we do here at America's Best House Plans. He manages quality assurance, audits existing processes for maximum effectiveness, and develops strategies to increase productivity and efficiency. With over 15 years experience in the home design industry, Brandon has a hand in every aspect of the day-to-day operations of our company, in addition to ensuring an unparalleled level of service to our customers.
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