Natural Connection
Create an outdoor living area you will actually use with a plan that draws you outside and rivals your interior living space.
Lowcountry living wouldn’t be complete without luxurious outdoor living spaces. From
the traditional plantation porch to the modern California room, our impulse to spend time at home–yet outdoors–is nestled deep in human nature. So it’s always worth revisiting the myriad benefits these spaces can offer us, as homeowners and as human beings.
It goes without saying that a well designed outdoor living space can increase a home value by up to twenty percent, and the reason is straightforward: increased living space. The keyword here is living, and the ultimate goal of any outdoor living space is to draw you outside.
Most of us are familiar with the typical stunning pool with boring lounge chair combo, or the gorgeous deck with basic umbrella table and lawn chairs. You can probably picture several homes in your neighborhood right now, where the homeowners likely tasked the landscape company with designing their outdoor space. The result, while charming and with its own degree of functionality, seems to miss the mark of what an outdoor living space can really do. Yes, the backyard looks good when you look out the window, but does it really inspire you to get out of the A/C and spend time out there? It’s a worthwhile question for any homeowner.
When we think of our outdoor space our goal is to create destinations. Each with its own guiding purpose, whose ultimate function is to nourish our connection to our environment. An interior designer will consider the zones that overlap throughout the interior, and this idea of zoning should absolutely continue into the outdoor space. You want a natural extension: if your house has a gabled roof, match that style for your outdoor space. If you live in a hip ridge house, give your outdoor space a cozy hip ridge. Match your bump out roofline to create a free standing structure in your yard that reflects the unique style of your home. While we are looking up it’s worth noting, ceiling finishes and beams create visual areas of interest, and hiding places for conduit. Tongue and groove board ceilings allow for interior style features like can lights and in-ceiling speakers. Though these are typically interior amenities, adding them to our outdoor space brings the appeal that draws us out.
While I always want to complement the rest of the house, what I really want to achieve in an outdoor space is something so inviting, it rivals your primary living space. That means comfort, style, function, and perhaps most importantly, ease of use. The best way to increase ease of use is to make the portal of your transition as large as possible–big sliding doors that offer huge, uninterrupted views to the outside are preferable. Leaving them open makes for a seamless transition into nature. And here is your first simple benefit of outdoor living: stepping through the portal, transitioning from the inside to the outside is a fantastically simple way to organize your thoughts and eliminate daily-grind brain-fog. Seriously. The brain just acts differently outside. Physical changes like reductions in blood pressure, slower heart rate and decreasing activity in the areas of the brain associated with stress and anxiety are a few of the reasons why people who live in proximity to green spaces literally live longer.
Typically your transition leads directly to your first outdoor destination: the gathering ground. The social space. The lounge. This is the space that inspires invitations to friends, blending conversation over the sound of cicadas late into a summer night. What are the amenities you want in this destination? Naturally you’ll need a glut of cushions for excessive creature comfort. Outdoor furniture has come a long way and, while rattan chairs have their place, having a covered area will dramatically increase the life of your outdoor furniture, and expand the range of items you can choose from. It follows that you’re going to need a lot more cushions, pillows, poufs, ottomans, day beds and what have you. Rugs or decorative mats always help emphasize zone transitions within the home, but have increased utility in softening up outdoor spaces like decking, pavers, tiles or concrete. Include plenty of plants and planters in this sheltered area to ease that transition, and emphasize you are no longer inside. Outdoor TV’s have become the norm in the past few years, and are increasingly affordable.
While you’re enjoying watching the game, let’s continue to the next outdoor destination: the outdoor kitchen. How far you want to take this outdoor kitchen is open to your imagination and budget, but a grill is de facto, an oversized sink is luxury, and a dedicated outdoor dining table is surely something you deserve to treat your friends and family to.
A fireplace is an additional focal point you may consider, and has a dramatic impact on any outdoor space. A firepit works too. If you can find space for both, you have two additional destinations in your outdoor living arsenal. Each of these is a gathering place on any given night, providing the additional cozy utility of warmth. The crackle of a fire side is its own incentive to appreciate your outdoor space even when cold weather wants to scare you in. On the flipside, ceiling or wall mounted fans in your space can keep you breezy in a summer swelter. Insect screening in this covered area is something you will not regret, and motorized screens allow you to prioritize your view or your skin accordingly. Cantilevered rooflines, and well designed eaves mean even rain won’t get in the way of enjoying your outdoor space.
I want you to consider now the world outside the footprint of your home. Standalone structures have growing appeal as they emphasize the separation of zones, something the pandemic reminded us to cherish. But don’t overlook the value of including a fully exposed lounging area as an additional destination. Sometimes we just want to bask in the sunshine. And with good reason: sunlight stimulates the body to convert essential fatty acid to cholecalciferol–that’s the vitamin D our body needs. Vitamin D deficiency manifests in lethargy, fatigue and even depression–all treatable with a daily dose of outdoor living. Don’t forget to properly light these areas so they remain comfortable and will still draw you out to enjoy them even after it gets dark.
If your home has a pool that is a major destination. Include a variety of seating and side tables to draw out the poolsides functionality. If you don’t have a pool, water features also make for great garden focal points. Furthermore, outdoor showers are an underrated addition, and an easy value add to any home. They can go a long way in helping keep your outdoors “out” by giving you a convenient place to rinse off whether you’ve got sandy feet, or dirt from gardening. Plus studies suggest showering outdoors lowers cortisol levels significantly more than showering indoors.
Including high impact focal features, and multiple destinations in your outdoor living space need not distract from a stunning view. On the contrary, having multiple focal zones at staggered distance, and even ranges of elevation can work to lead the eye to the horizon, framing those breathtaking sunsets in comfort and luxury. And preferably, privacy. We naturally seek environments that are calming and protective to us. Therefore landscaping, fencing, and general positioning considerations and solutions should be carefully explored to ensure a premium of privacy is achieved around your home. The implied intimacy will only add to the ease and comfort with which you spend time in your outdoor space.
As a custom home builder we spend enormous amounts of time and effort to create healthy living spaces inside the home, emphasizing air quality and circulation. But even the best HVAC systems and filters can’t compare with a lungful of light breeze in the comfort of your own backyard. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.” The benefits are boundless, so get out there. Create destinations. Create purpose. And enjoy your lowcountry outdoor living to the fullest.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ESPOSITO CONSTRUCTION
