Well, the weather outside is frightful, but it’s the perfect time of year to consider how to make your outside delightful for the spring and summer and fall (and even winter)! We love a good house remodel that includes big things for the outdoors. Outdoor remodels can expand the living space of your home exponentially, give you extra entertaining room, and bring your family together.
Bring the outside in
Enjoy all four seasons of Mother Nature by installing great big glass doors to your backyard. Why enjoy your landscape and landscaping only from the outdoors? It can be living art for your house! Ever-changing and beautiful. Modern glass doors and windows are well-insulated, no gusty leaks. This is an easy change to bring light and nature into your home.
Dining al fresco
Create an extra dining area on your porch or patio. Why dine inside when it’s beautiful outside? Teak or composite furniture is especially durable year-round. Installing an outdoor dining area may give you more space to entertain than in your confined-by-four-walls dining room. Just think of the party possibilities! It’s a bonus if you can install this right off your kitchen, so you’re not trucking food and beverages across the house. Consider installing ceiling fans on a porch to keep it cool and keep the bugs away. Also consider infrared heaters, either stands or ceiling-mounted, to extend the seasons that you can dine outside.
Cooking al fresco
Outdoor kitchens are huge these days. Cooking outside is no longer just limited to the charcoal grill.
Many people are remodeling their homes to have full-on, functioning kitchens, with sinks, refrigerators, storage, burners, and other appliances and spaces you’d find inside. Combined with an outdoor dining area, this is an amazing spot for you to entertain. Wood-burning outdoor pizza ovens are all the boon right now. Why order delivery when you can hand craft and bake your very own pizzas? I mean the quality is incomparable. And no more traipsing through the house for food and beverages; outdoor kitchens are great paired with pools. You don’t have to dry off or change clothes to grab a beverage, cook, or sit down for a meal.
Who doesn’t love a s’more?
A patio fire pit brings family and friends together all year round. In the summer and late spring, they can chase the nighttime chill from the air. In the fall and winter, they can keep you cozy as the leaves or the snow is falling. And who doesn’t love s’mores or hot dogs roasted over an open fire? Fire pits are natural conversation areas, where everyone is close and able to talk, sing songs, or play instruments. Fire pits can be crafted out of brick, stones, or metal, and can burn store-bought logs or area fallen branches. At parties they are a lock to be a gathering place.
Breaking down the walls
An indoor-outdoor fireplace is a remodel that is sure to enhance your life and raise the value of your home. Consider opening an exterior wall and having installed a see-through glass fireplace that will bring both warmth and elegance to the inside and outside of your home. These fireplaces feature a closed system, so that no cold air from the outside intrudes upon your home while bringing the coziness of the fire to both your indoor and outdoor living spaces. Some models don’t require a chimney because the outdoor fireplace acts as a vent, so they can be great for a home remodel. Talk to an expert to help determine what type of unit suits your application best.
Get it while it’s hot
Empty nesters? Maybe it’s about time that you installed that hot tub that you’ve always wanted. You can always buy one and plop it on your porch or patio– that would be easy. But why not build a whole outdoor remodel with the hot tub in mind, so it’s integrated into your outdoor living area and not just an afterthought. One option is to create a deck around it, with a seating area, maybe a fire pit, and an outdoor shower. Another option is sink it into the ground (there are hot tubs built especially for this) and design a patio area around it. Outdoor fountains would be lovely there, as would a beverage station to serve guests of all ages..
This just scratches the surface of the upgrades you could make to your outdoor living space. Take these winter months to dream and eventually discuss with your home remodeler. Any changes you make to your outdoor space can be done by prime “al fresco” season. It’s exciting to imagine the possibilities.