New England has beautiful seasons, and none are more welcome than spring!
We don't want to jinx it, but it seems like that time of year has fully arrived. That gives us all the chance to spend more time outside, whether it's for gardening, playing, dining, hosting, or just lounging in the sun.
To celebrate the season - here are some of the wonderful outdoor areas we've had the pleasure to work on, along with just a few thoughts on how to make this type of space blend with your home and work best for you. Enjoy!
With a new screened porch addition, plus an overhang and broadened staircase, this GMT client enjoys three-season outdoor relaxation in their coastal New England town. Our build partner was Sun Valley Homes.
Connected indoor-outdoor spaces are among the most fun to design. They tend to lean a bit further toward relaxation, compared to a home's inside spaces that are more defined by a particular purpose.
With thoughtful design, the outdoor space really feels like a natural extension of the home living area.
Accordion doors allow easy movement between home and stone back patio. Seating, outdoor kitchen, hot tub – what's not to love? Build partner: Barnes Building.
For indoor-outdoor space, just as that phrase suggests, a beautiful design is also a practical design. It's about going with the flow: The design of your outdoor patios and seating areas should blend together with the overall look of your home, while still providing great opportunities for visual accents and variety.
One of the most striking ways to approach this is with accordion doors. These doors allow you to open up a large part of the wall dividing inside from out, so family, pets, guests and fresh air can easily circulate between areas when the weather is nice. And during New England's cold winter or wet summer storms, these doors keep your home warm and cozy, while you still get a great view.
Our clients who've gone this route have been thrilled with the easy-living result. And of course more conventional French doors or sliders are other options for accommodating comfortable traffic flow.
This new outdoor space incorporates natural wood, stone and plantings blending into a lush backyard setting.
Same backyard area as above, viewed from atop the staircase - a pergola adds definition, lighting, and some shade for enjoying the deck. Build partner: Gallagher Remodeling.
Simple ideas to spruce up an indoor/outdoor living area
Whether you're remodeling your home's indoor-outdoor connection or just trying to liven up a boring patio, here are some more ideas and inspiration that can add function as well as a little flair.
- Outdoor beverage cart. A little splash of portable fun for entertaining. Small ones start around $200. "Chiller tables" can cost even less.
- Planter boxes. Plants can visually bridge between the home and the yard, and help separate seating areas to create a sense of privacy.
- Outdoor speakers.
- Native stone pavers for seating areas.
- Chiminea or firepit. Add a crackling of fire to a cool spring day or summer evening.
- Heat lamps. A step up from firepitting in terms of keeping warm, gas heat lamps aren't just for restaurants any more.
- Storage/seating bench. Protect cushions, outdoor games and equipment from the elements.
- Pergola. Adds a greater sense of definition to an outdoor space, as well as providing shade.
A backyard redesign in our home town
To close, here are before-and-after photos of a home not far from our primary office in Ashland. GMT's design turned a very plain back patio into a beautiful space, perfect for welcoming friends to backyard dinners or an evening by the firepit.
Before: The old back patio was functional, but limited. The owners do have a lovely dogwood tree they wanted to feature...
After remodeling: A round stone firepit and seating area complement the expanded dining table space, while the dogwood helps welcome spring every year.
Dreaming of outdoor living? Reach out today – we'd love to talk!
About the authors: GMT Home Designs founder Glenn M. Travis has 30+ years' experience in architectural design. VP and project coordinator Carrie Travis has worked in the home design and building industry for more than a decade. Learn more about our design/build services for homeowners and for contractors.