Australian’s love the outdoors. BBQs with friends and family; dining al fresco all year round; and just being able to stay cool during the summer and warm during the cooler months when we’re outside and close to nature, this is what we all want out of a great outdoor living area. In this post, we share some tips on merging the indoors and outdoors to create a space that seamlessly merges a home with its environment that the whole family will love.

Start from the ground up

Choose a flooring that runs seamlessly from the inside of your home to the outdoors to seamlessly blend the spaces together. Or choose a flooring that is suitable for the outdoors but at the same time, complements the colour of your interior home. You can add comfort to outdoor entertainment areas by laying down rugs and mats.

Keep the floor level the same

Make sure your garden and living space are at the same level and try and avoid any steps – doing so will be not only be more convenient, but it also helps draw the eye outdoors, making the indoor space feel bigger.

Create a nice flow

Doors that can be folded back; sliding doors; or accordion-style doors, help to create the impression of a large expansive room rather than two separate rooms. If you’re worried about security, install an expanding security gate fitter that can be folded away out of sight when not in use.

Decor

Select outdoor furniture that would look just as good indoors. Even an inexpensive patio set can be dressed up with the right fabrics for cushions and tablecloths. The idea is to blur the divide between indoor and outdoor as much as possible. You could also paiunt your garden furniture to reflect the colour scheme in the room nearest to the garden as this is a great way to link the two spaces visually. Or introduce colours into the area with fabrics and decor accessories. Using cushions is an easy way to introduce dashes of colour to the area and you can change the colour with the season or when you feel it's time for a change. 

Green-ify your home inside too

Large, healthy pot plants indoors will help connect the outside with the inside of your home.