Renovate to create indoor/outdoor flow.
New research shows Australians are spending billions of dollars each year on renovating their homes. In Western Australia alone, $582 million was spent on renovations last year.
Of these renovations, alfresco living is a high priority for many families seeking to make the most of WA’s outdoor lifestyle. Outdoor kitchens are becoming increasingly popular as we strive to go beyond simple barbecue food and embrace more adventurous gourmet cooking and entertaining.
It has taken Aussies a while to reach this point. Back in the 1950s, Western Australians would typically build British-style bungalows better suited to England’s frosty weather than the Mediterranean climate we enjoy in Perth.
Nowadays, we seem to have embraced the European zest for outdoor living, with home designs that open out onto terraces and decking areas to blur the line between inside and out.
Renovating gives owners of older style houses the opportunity to open up and bring the outside in.
Climate - a major factor for renovations
One of the biggest draw cards of Western Australia is its climate. With long warm days and the cooling afternoon sea breeze of the Fremantle Doctor, WA has year-round weather that’s the envy of many countries.
We kick off our thongs down at the beach, spread picnic blankets on the grass at Kings Park and exercise in the open air from sun up to sunset. It seems crazy to come home to a house where you shut the doors, close the windows and whack on the air conditioning. A clever Perth renovation uses solar passive design techniques to provide natural air flow and shading to keep a home cooler in summer and retain radiant warmth in winter for year-round comfort.
Merging the outside with the inside
Structures such as covered alfresco areas, cabanas, outdoor kitchens and bathrooms, sliding glass doors and concertina shutters are just some of the ways that homeowners around WA are letting the state’s great outdoors into their lives.
By creating a smooth transition from open-plan living areas inside to shaded decking or paving outside, a visual flow from inside to out invites your guests and family to gravitate to your outdoor entertaining areas.
One way of doing this is to take out back walls and replace with glass doors that can be completely opened to create a giant living room that’s both outside and in.
A traditional barbecue area can be enhanced with a sink, food preparation area and a fridge to become an outdoor kitchen. Plus, with the addition of a space heater, people can effectively entertain outside all year round.
These kinds of renovations are usually simple to do by working with existing space and enhancing the utility and style at the same time. The effect is to make your home feel much freer, and give your family more areas for living.
Advantages indoor/outdoor flow
No matter what the season, there are far more sunny days than stormy in Western Australia.
Getting outdoors makes us happy and relaxed, and gives a special touch to our home lives. There’s nothing better than entertaining outside with family and friends, and if your place is set up properly, it can become a popular hub for good times all year round.
Aside from enhancing your lifestyle, a renovation that brings the outside and inside seamlessly together can also save you money by cutting down on power bills from running air conditioning constantly. A cool breeze is free.
Design Renovate can help
Design Renovate is one of Perth's leading home renovation specialists with intimate knowledge of the state’s unique conditions and lifestyle.
Our design and building teams can help you create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space that perfectly complements your existing home, bringing the best of the outside into your life.
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