Often, the introduction of a new living trend brings with it a sense of urgency, to immediately switch things up around the house. We get it, especially when it’s a trend with a whole lot of benefits.
But when it comes to indoor-outdoor living – there’s no need to rush things. In fact, there are simple (read: strategic) ways to blur the boundary between your interior and exterior, and you get to do it in stages.
here are a few ways to get started:
Clever Ways to Link Your Indoor and Outdoor Rooms
1. Swap walls for glass
Seems like an obvious step but getting rid of walls that divide different rooms is the first step to adopting this living trend.
Glazed doors are a good compromise should you want to differentiate one room from another. They’re also great for encouraging natural light and shielding your interior from SA’s notorious thunderstorms.
Glass also allows for views of the garden – perfect for enjoying the outdoors even when things are closed up.
2. The same walls and floors
Maintaining a constant design theme throughout will open up your floor plan and allow you to make a statement. Wall cladding is a great way to get this right. Why?
It creates that all-important visual link between the interior and exterior while creating textual layers and enhancing architectural features within the space. Then, when it comes to flooring – ensure that whatever you choose is both weather-proof and slip-resistant. Or, has a floor finish conducive to the area.
3. Accessorise for consistency
Incorporating the right features and architectural details will help create an obvious connection between the inside and out. Especially when making use of materials commonly associated with the outdoors, inside your home.
Complementing your inside fireplace with an outdoor fire pit is a beautiful way to turn two different areas into one. Using paint colours that could work for both the exterior and interior of your home is another effective way to link the two.
4. Choose appropriate furniture
In the same breath, consider furniture and décor that complement both the inside and outside of your home. Adopting similar colour schemes and materials will help seamlessly merge the two for a sense of consistency throughout. This can be done with the right patio furniture – whether tables, couches or deck chairs – and decorative rugs, carpets and throw pillows that work in both spaces.
5. Get the lighting right
And finally, the right lighting can complement your overall look while drawing attention to all the right places.
Your outdoor lighting needs to be warm and inviting but, bright enough to remain almost consistent with your interior. Doing so will open up the space and will ensure that you aren’t walking from a light and bright interior, into a dark and gloomy garden.
Lanterns, solar and fairy lights wrapped in between tree branches are great options for getting this right.
Ready to get started? We thought so! But remember, taking things step-by-step will help you identify areas that need extra attention. So, take it slow and soon enough you’ll be reaping the rewards of outdoor living.
