Imagine relaxing this way in your backyard: good friends are over, meat is sizzling on a grill, and the beer taps are flowing. You punch a button on your phone, the wall slides back, and a massive outdoor TV emerges. As the kids splash round in the pool, the adults tuck into an opulent feast just as big sporting event starts – what a way to spend an evening!
It’s not a dream. Modern outdoor living technology has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, allowing for unlimited options in your outdoor living space. Imagine a roaring fireplace; a gourmet kitchen; spectacular relaxation areas, and the gentle sounds of flowing water.
In Melbourne, outdoor entertaining areas have become must-have items on the checklists of home buyers of all budget ranges.
Origins of Open Plan Design
Frank Lloyd Wright is considered one of the founders of open plan house design. In general, his designs were based around a central kitchen area that opened to other public spaces throughout the home.
Wright proposed that truly organic architecture should integrate with the surrounding landscape. Through effective lighting, spacing and use of colours, his method achieves aesthetic unity throughout the home.
In modern Melbourne, Wright’s ideas have evolved into modern alfresco areas replete with fountains, fully-kitted outdoor kitchens, relaxation spots, cooling fans, beer taps, yoga zones and plenty more.
As everyone knows, Melbournians love to entertain through all seasons. As a result, the demand for alfresco zones and well-devised outdoor living areas has skyrocketed.
Just like Wright’s original concept, well-designed alfresco zones deftly fuse indoor and outdoor living areas, a configuration that works very well in Melbourne’s unpredictable climate.
4 tips for planning your dream outdoor living space
The purpose of alfresco and outdoor living space is to bring indoor comforts to your deck, patio, porch or outdoor room. Because of cutting-edge advances in all-weather paints, building materials, furniture, and temperature control units, there are many options to furnish outdoor spaces to the same standards of comfort as the indoor ones.
If you are planning to buy a home with an outdoor living area, consider the following as things to check for when assessing a potential new home for you and your family. If you already have an unfurnished outdoor space, consider the following as guidelines, to plan your ultimate build:
1. Location: nailing down the ideal location for a outdoor living space is not as easy as it first appears. Where the living room is towards the back of the house, for example, it is simple to deduct that the outdoor living space should flow from the living room to the backyard. However, not all homes offer this option. Alternatives may be to make your alfresco zone an extension of your kitchen, dining, lounge areas or bedroom areas.
2. Well-designed entry point: to achieve a seamless transition from indoors to out, consider making as large an entry portal as possible. For example, consider double sliding or multi-panel doors, which create a nice entryway, but also provide large walls of glass, which will flood the indoor portion of your space with natural sunlight.
3. Give the space a purpose: to make the outdoor zone a truly authentic part of the home, it needs to have a purpose. The options depend on personal tastes. Some might want an outdoor living zone. Others may prefer a lounging spot, or perhaps a dining area. Take note of the primary purpose, and then figure out what extras will be needed to make it happen.
4. Create a sense of enclosure: adding a ceiling or roof to your outdoor space (ideally with a set of roll-down blinds) allows for outdoor use, and also contributes towards fusing the outdoor space to the indoor one. For example, the flow of a lined ceiling into your indoor room will create a seamless look, inducing a greater connection between the two spaces.
Popular alfresco accompaniments
Here are popular trends in Melbourne to consider, for your own outdoor designs:
Design aspects: to make the outdoor space feel like part of the home, consider adding weather-resistant outdoor area rugs, cushions, pillows etc that match the colour tones and textures of the interior space.
Popular items: popular items found in many Melbourne alfresco home living spaces include outdoor fireplaces bench seating, a standalone bar area, lounge furniture, and adjoining garden spaces.
Serving windows: connect food serving windows between indoor and outdoor spaces for a functional edge that will impress your guests to no end. Bring out food and drinks in a snap, to make entertaining a breeze.
Heating and cooling: options include misters, fans and ceiling fans for cooling and built-in fireplaces for cosy heating when the temperatures drop.
Entertainment options: mounted televisions, surround sound that won’t upset neighbours but impress your guests.
High-end kitchen designs: aiming to go well beyond the traditional barbecue area, contemporary alfresco zones can include additional cooking islands, sinks, grills, pizza ovens, and refrigerators.
Benefits of Indoor / Outdoor Living
On the Melbourne home-building scene, contemporary outdoor living spaces can be tailored to the preference of the homeowner, with builders, designers and landscape architects working in sync to fuse outdoor spaces with indoor ones.
This goes beyond thinking about your home as just the internal spaces – it extends to your entire property. By fusing both indoor and outdoor, you maximise your space, increase your home’s boundaries, and get all the advantages of fresh air and controlled sunlight.
However, for this to work, the transition needs to be seamless, and exquisite design and careful planning is highly recommended.
The key is to ensure a smooth transition between inside and out. That will make it easier for the space to be comfortably used (without forcing it or awkwardness). Imagine the possibilities for social gatherings, entertaining, and good old-fashioned daily relaxation.
Be sure to contact iBuildNew, to access our free, independent advisory service when looking to design your new home and outdoor living areas. Our consultants have over 30 years experience and can provide advice on home builders that might best suit your requirements, phone 1800 184 284.
Let us do the legwork for you.
- We’ll ask the right questions to better understand your needs
- We’ll create a recommended shortlist ideally matched to you
- We’ll answer specific questions or concerns related to home building, land purchasing or financing
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