5 Tips For Enhancing Indoor-Outdoor Flow

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Appreciating the need to create a seamless flow, the professionals at American Shutters offer these innovative ideas for indoor-outdoor living.

1. Blur The Boundaries

Down with walls! Picture windows, sliding doors and bi-fold shutters are an ideal way of creating an unbroken transition from indoors to out, especially where living and entertaining areas are concerned. When it comes to versatility, outdoor shutters have the added advantage of allowing you to tailor your interior-exterior space according to the season. In summer, the shutter louvres can be opened or the shutter panels completely retracted to expose a balcony or patio for full enjoyment of the sun’s warmth and light. After sunset, or when winter weather threatens, the louvres and shutter panels can be closed to keep out wind and rain.

2. Use Indoor Furnishings Outdoors

Appealing options for outdoor fabrics have grown exponentially over time – in fact, identifying moisture- and sun-proof materials by appearance alone can be near impossible these days. No longer are cane, wrought-iron and plastic the only options available for outdoor decor. With the choices of exterior upholsteries and soft furnishings now mimicking those available for interiors, the outdoor lounge, complete with comfy sofas and armchairs, plush cushions and padded ottomans is infinitely achievable. And don’t stop there – take outside all the accoutrements of indoor living and, as you would with your interior-decorating scheme, create additional layers of texture with rugs, throws, lanterns or chandeliers.

3. Take The Kitchen Outside

In years past, dining alfresco meant firing up the braai, slapping on some steaks, and sitting at the traditional table-and-bench setup, with all prep work done indoors, and countless trips inside and out. But as boundaries continue to blur between interior and exterior living spaces, homeowners are discovering the convenience of an all-in-one outdoor cooking and preparation zone. When it comes to layout, apply the same theory as you would when designing an indoor kitchen: the classic ‘work triangle’ approach – with the fridge, grill and sink all within a few steps of one another – is a failsafe option, as is a single island with integrated appliances.

4. Bring The Garden Inside

What better way to celebrate the happy union of house and garden than to merge the two? Indoor planting, especially the kind that echoes your exterior landscape, effectively marries inside and out by way of a common green theme. Think potted herbs in a sunny breakfast room that draw the eye out to a kitchen garden, or large planters of statement palms and hanging ferns in a living room that mimic the lush foliage of a tropical garden glimpsed through windows and open doors. Vertical gardens – a current design favourite – offer a striking solution for indoor greenery where space is at a premium.

5. Shine a Light

While the functional and security benefits are immediately obvious, the effect of outdoor lighting on the mood and enjoyment of external spaces is too often neglected. A well-lit garden, with some features dramatically illuminated and others shrouded in mystery, introduces a sense of enchantment and illusion. LED technology has opened up a whole new world when it comes to landscape lighting, and countless options are now available, from spot lighting to highlight, say, an outdoor water or sculptural feature, to down-lighting for demarcating a garden pathway, up-lights for accentuating the leafy labyrinth of a treetop canopy, and subtle accent lighting for taking advantage of the magical interplay between silhouettes and shadows.

For more indoor-outdoor inspiration, be sure to visit Decorex Joburg, Gauteng’s biggest annual decor and design event, from 6 to 10 August 2015 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. Tickets on sale at decorex.co.za.