The Kiwi summer lifestyle has always been about moving our activities from the indoors to the great outdoors, but over the past twenty years or so our idea of alfresco living has evolved into something more sophisticated than a barbeque on a sunburnt back lawn.
Today, even the most basic homes and baches usually have a deck or paved patio to let us sit out in the sun, drink a cold beer and burn a few sausages. In today's best contemporary homes, outdoor living spaces have become more integrated into the total design, rather than being tacked on later as an afterthought.
Here are some great outdoor ideas and thought-starters that you should consider right at the early planning stages of your new home.
Blur the line between indoor and outdoor living spaces with bi-fold, slider, and slider-stacker doors which allow whole walls to open-up, creating a wonderful flow from indoor to outdoor spaces.
Use the same materials and colours indoors and out to help create the illusion of bigger spaces and to help the flow between the two. Read more about creating an exterior colour scheme.
Flexibility is the key. Many homes now have more than one outdoor space, so that whatever time of the day, or which ever direction the wind is blowing from, there is always a sunny sheltered spot.
Think about shelter. Recognise that New Zealand is not a tropical island! Although we all love the summer months and the lifestyle they offer, the fact is that for many months of the year the weather can be less than perfect. Consider shelter and wind breaks when designing outdoor spaces to maximise their usability year round.
Think about shade. There's more to it than just putting up an umbrella. Good early planning and planting can create a variety of shady and sunny spots. Pergolas with leafy plants like grapevines provide shade in summer when you want it, and lose their leaves in winter when you want the sun to shine through.
Heat it! Even summer nights can be cool. Built-in outdoor fireplaces are becoming increasingly popular, as are small braziers, café-style gas heaters and clay-pot fires. The warm glow of a fire makes a chilly night far more inviting.
Light it! Think about outdoor lighting as part of the total design, not an afterthought. Here are some thought-starters:
- Light directed upwards is more interesting than light pointed down – especially when used to highlight interesting plants, trees and shapes.
- Lighting should be used to create drama and interest – not to floodlight. Your garden is not a rugby stadium!
- Avoid lights that draw attention to themselves. If possible they should be all but invisible. It is the effect of the light and shadow that is important, not the light in itself.
- Light can be used to highlight – for example, water features take on more drama at night when well-lit.
- Use side-lighting to create shadows and dimension – front on lighting makes everything look flat.
- Lighting steps with down-lights under the treads is a good safety measure and can help to create a sculptural play of light and shadow.
- Consider other light sources such as candles, fires, and gas lights for soft effects.
- Security lighting should operate separately from landscape lighting.
Break up the spaces. Rather than one big space, the trend is to create smaller spaces for specific purposes for example, outdoor cooking areas, dining, and garden areas.
Outdoor rooms are in! Rather than creating spaces that are totally open to the elements, think about creating rooms that can be inside or outside spaces. Use sliding doors, shutters and windows to open up the walls to create a ‘pavillion' that can be opened up more or less depending on the weather and the temperature.
Outdoor kitchens, incorporating sophisticated barbeques, storage and washing up facilities are a growing trend at the top end of the market. No more trotting between the kitchen and barbeque when you've forgotten the tomato sauce!
Consider landscaping and planting right at the earliest planning stages to achieve integration with the house design.
Use a variety of materials – rather than creating one vast expanse of deck, or lawn, think about breaking up the spaces by using different materials, eg: decking, tiling, concrete, shell, pebble and pavers – see a great example of this at the Ultimate Homes Showhome (insert picture above).
Multi-level decks can be designed to help connect elevated living areas with the garden. Plan a series of levels to step down, rather than building your deck directly off the living area and leaving it cut off from the garden.
