Your backyard can look like wasted space if you don’t know how to maximize it. It does provide you with a convenient private space, but you can upgrade it to more than where your dogs and kids run around. One great option is to have an outdoor living room where you can relax and enjoy the outdoors with some of the conveniences of indoor life. Here are some types of expansions you can make for your home:
Outdoor Living Room
The most basic expansion that you can make is to create an outdoor living room. To start, you have your basic patio. The flooring can be simply made of wood. But you can do better than that, with tiles and cement being popular options. But unlike a simple patio, you will be putting up a roof to protect the contents of the place. The cost of installing insulated patio roofing can be worth it since it will allow you to use the place no matter what the weather is.
Outdoor living rooms don’t have standard walls. Many are open to the elements, though there are ways to close it off during bad weather. Some of them have glass walls so that the occupants can stay and watch the outdoors in comfort, regardless of the weather. That is expensive though. But it can be worth it if you have expensive furniture and appliances inside, such as TVs and sofas.
Outdoor Kitchen
Besides a living room, you can consider building an outdoor kitchen. It is a good idea because when you cook some types of meals, there are lingering smells you don’t want indoors. Having a special outdoor kitchen for smoky and smelly recipes is a good idea.
For outdoor kitchens, the design should have most of what you need for cooking. This includes sinks, countertops, and where you will cook. The great thing about an outdoor kitchen is that you have a larger space to move around. It will also depend on what you will be cooking there. If you will use it mainly for barbecues, then a grill will be your main piece.
Additionally, outdoor kitchens don’t need as much protection as a living room, so as long as you design it well, you can operate in the open air.
Backyard Office
If you want an isolated place to work from home, then a backyard office is a great idea. The main things you need for an outdoor office are space, lighting, and internet connection. You will want it to be separate from the house so that you can have the right level of privacy. Lighting is important since you will be working all day. If you leave it to natural daylight, then the light will change position as the day progresses. Position your home office in a way that you’ll get full lighting all the time. Finally, you need an internet connection and electricity added to your backyard office for the essentials.
The outdoors can be very relaxing and experiencing them in comfort is a very good thing. If your place has great weather most of the time, the expansion ideas above are a great investment. Even if you do face a bad climate, it will only take smart planning to protect your room. Work with a reliable contractor and designer to see which expansion project would be best for your house.
