Outdoor rooms

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D e s i g n i n g c o s y o u t d o o r r o o m s i s a l l a b o u t a d d i n g t h e r i g h t b l e n d o f e l e m e n t s t o e v o k e a w a r m a n d w e l c o m i n g v i b e

word s carrol baker

Who doesn’t love a stylish, cosy outdoor space? Somewhere you can make lifelong memories with your tribe or enter tain your friends and family in your own bespoke style.

PLE NT Y OF S IZ Z LE Ramp up the warmth factor at home with a gas, ethanol, electric or wood heater or a fi repit. Outdoor living is ver y much a par t of the way we live, but to ex tend the time and comfor t of your outdoor rooms, heating is a must. Not only does outdoor heating add warmth in the chilly months of the year, it also creates a cosy ambience your friends and family will love.

If you are shor t on space, a fi repit or ethanol heater might be just the ticket to keep you toasty warm. Electric strip heating adds a designer edge to alfresco dining.

Gas heating can be por table, so you can move the heat source with ease, or there are inbuilt models that have plenty of style. Many contemporar y gas heaters can mimic the look of wood heaters, with special ef fects that dazzle. Some models are also frameless to give them a sleek designer edge.

The time-honoured outdoor wood heater never goes out of style. With new technology and stylish good looks, wood-burning fi replaces remain a popular favourite for many. They are available as a built-in feature, a freestanding option or a sculptural pod that is suspended from the ceiling. N E AT A S A PIN A s more of us gravitate to outdoor spaces at home, there is a greater need for storage. Indoors there is inbuilt shelving or storage cupboards that allow you to be organised and pack away items you don’t need, but outdoors it’s of ten a dif ferent stor y. The good news is, there are plenty of options to allow you to store items to not only protect them from the elements, but to keep your outdoor space tidy. From cupboards to boxes to cabinets, there’s a diverse range of options that are easy on the eye to suit any taste or budget.

Shelving of fers places to display items and also have things you readily use at your fi nger tips. There are also discrete storage solutions, such as a bench seat with built-in storage and hidden storage compar tments, and occasional furniture with built-in storage, like a cof fee table with cupboard underneath.

CHE E R S TO TH AT The outdoor watering hole has become a popular inclusion in many Aussie outdoor rooms at home. From a stylish bar car t and bar stools to a complete built-in bar, you can design your bar your way.

Repurposed pallets and furniture, as well as pre-loved vintage wine barrels, can look fabulous. Perhaps you’d like your bar to be an ex tension of your indoor kitchen — you can pull up a bar stool at a bifold window. Other more elaborate bar set-ups can be par t of a complete designer outdoor kitchen.

CULINARY CAPERS Of course, if you are ser ving drinks to your gues t s , having food on of fer is always a smar t idea. Contemporar y outdoor enter taining is a breeze and there are so many ways you can cook up and ser ve your gues t s in s t yle. Back yard chefs across the nation are enjoying the veritable feat of options to cater for outdoor cooking, from barbecues to complete outdoor kitchens , por table gas smokers and pizza ovens .

Do your research before you buy and consider what you love to cook , how many you’ll be catering for and how of ten, to take the guess work out of choosing your outdoor cooking appliances .

SWITCH UP YOUR LIGHTING Lighting can readily transform a space; it can illuminate light and shadow, brighten up dark corners and make a space feel inviting. Lighting, of course, is essential to shine the light on what the chef is whipping up on the barbecue, or to guide the way down pathways or decks for safe passage.

Lighting of ten dictates the mood in a space too, so sourcing the right lighting goes a long way to determining the atmosphere in an outdoor room. An outdoor pendant positioned above a dining table introduces a hint of glamour, while lanterns placed in seating areas add a sof t romantic glow. Beautiful wall light s generate a sof t radiance that is warm and subtle.

The key to ef fective outdoor lighting is to get the right blend of lighting which, when layered, creates visual appeal. Along with task lighting, accent lighting adds depth and highlight s . For example, it can showcase a piece of ar t or a feature pot in a space, while ambient lighting of fers general illumination to an outdoor space.

SHADE SAVERS From permanent s tructures like awnings ,

L i g h t i n g o f t e n d i c t a t e s t h e m o o d i n a s p a c e t o o , s o s o u r c i n g t h e r i g h t l i g h t i n g g o e s a l o n g w a y t o d e t e r m i n i n g t h e a t m o s p h e r e i n a n o u t d o o r r o o m

pergolas , cabanas to fl exible solutions such as umbrellas and shade sails , fi nding a shade option that complement s your home and lifes t yle has never been so eas y.

Umbrellas combine functionalit y and innovative design. Marine- grade s tainlesss teel component s of fer durabilit y. Cantilever umbrellas can be adjus ted to of fer shade where it’s needed without a pos t intruding on the space. Some also have wheels so you can move them as required.

For square, rectangle, hexagonal or triangular shade sails , tr y overlapping several shades to create a design feature. Alternatively, you can place the sails at dif ferent levels to achieve an interes ting shape and form.

Innovative new-look awnings are a sophis ticated and functional shade solution. Many t ypically have sun and wind sensor s ys tems to allow you more control over the element s , and can become a design feature in your home.

POOL S IDE PL AYGROUND Have you ever dreamed of sitting around your own designer pool at home with your mates sipping cock tails , or splashing about with the kids? How about sitting in a soothing spa, relaxing as the day ’s s tress melt s away?

If you are thinking about a pool, s tar t by researching the dif ferent t ypes of pools and spas on of fer, their shapes and sizes , and where it will fi t into your outdoor landscape. Then consider additional ex tras like water features , ledges that allow you to sit immersed in the water, spa and pool combinations , pool fencing, lighting, pool paving or decking, and garden surrounds to create the look you want. Cleverly integrating the pool into the back yard, working with the shape of the block , using similar paving and materials , and working with a colour palette that harmonises with your home will all help you to create a beautiful contemporar y swimming pool.

CLE V E R CO N N EC TI O N Finding ways to promote a harmonious indoor- outdoor connection continues to be a s trong contemporar y trend. That sense of fl ow between spaces ex tends internal and ex ternal living areas , blurring the lines between them.

One way to achieve this is through new-look folding, sliding and stackable doors . These continue to impress designers and movers and

F i n d i n g w a y s t o p r o m o t e a h a r m o n i o u s i n d o o r - o u t d o o r c o n n e c t i o n c o n t i n u e s t o b e a s t r o n g c o n t e m p o r a r y t r e n d . T h a t s e n s e o f f l o w b e t w e e n s p a c e s e x t e n d s i n t e r n a l a n d e x t e r n a l l i v i n g a r e a s , b l u r r i n g t h e l i n e s b e t w e e n t h e m

Lef t Image cour tesy of Liv ing Edge. livingedge.com .au Opposite bottom Image cour tesy of Space Landscape Designs . spacedesign s.com .au Below Ilk ley (Qld ) project . Landscaping by Fluid Design , constr uction by Liv ing St yle Landscapes and photography by Julien Bastien . fl uidlandscapedesign .com .au shakers in the industr y with their versatilit y and good looks . Doors can be opened fully, par tially closed, or fully closed in order to protect you from the scorching summer sun and winter winds .

Architectural stackable glass doors connect you to the outdoors seamlessly. Timber and aluminium products add endless appeal and suit any style of home. These doors can also be automated with the latest in technology.

Doors can be constructed with toughened glass , double- and even triple- glazed. They are energy ef fi cient and many of fer quality sound acoustic protection to dampen or block noise.

SAFE A S HOUSES — SECURIT Y SYSTEMS We all want to protect those we love. Taking measures at home like installing security screening and fencing, cutting back thick vegetation and adding securit y light s that are activated by motion are good deterrents . Letting trusted neighbours know when you are away on holidays so they can collect mail and rubbish bins also helps .

There are many things you can now do to take things to the nex t level of safet y. Stay one step ahead of criminals with in-home securit y systems including cameras , alarms , sensors and locks . Would-be thieves will think twice if you have a security system and other layers of protection — many will move on to an easier target.

Many modern s ystems are now more af fordable, with improved image qualit y. You can also keep up -to - date with what is happening in and around your home with automatic aler ts on your smar t phone.

You can buy a DIY kit that can cover things like smar t locks , alarms that monitor and aler t and CC T V that records and sends to a smar t phone. Or you can opt for a professionally installed one that will cost more, or a fully installed and monitored system.