A Designer's 5 Tips for Turning a Yard into a Living Space

A Designer's 5 Tips for Turning a Yard into a Living Space
by Felicia from Bravo TV's Top Design
plug it"I need the outdoors," says Top Design contestant Felicia. I grew up in Southern California and have always been an outdoorsy person. I moved to the Pacific Palisades because it gives me access to the beach and the mountains, so now I can hike, swim and jog every day. It's part of who I am, and it makes me really happy. In my work as an interior designer, my purpose is not only to create a beautiful home for my clients, but to help them improve their lifestyle. And hopefully, that lifestyle can extend beyond the four walls of their home to include outdoor spaces. A lot of my clients moved to Southern California to take advantage of the great weather, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve for bringing together indoor and outdoor living spaces. Choose window treatments that let the outside in. When I work with a client, I look from the outside in. First of all, I talk to my clients about what type of window treatments or designs they'd like to use so that we can maximize the view from the window or balcony. Use mirrors to make small space seem bigger. I recently worked a bachelor pad that was very small but had breathtaking views, especially from the balcony. To increase the size of the small balcony, we covered the railings of the balconies with smoky mirrors. Maximizing this small outdoor space in a simple way made it appear larger and more inviting. Choose the right seating. If you're outside space is behind a railing or a fence, choose seating that lets you see over the barrier. Pick a patio set or a bar table that has higher chairs. If you have a big open space, there's no reason you can't bring a bed into it to use as seating. Think about what seating will let you make the most of the space and your view. Practice climate control. There are easy ways to protect yourself from cold breezes with drapes, longer overhangs and fire pits, which you can often find for under $200, and you should consider how you're going to keep your outdoor environment as cozy as your indoor one so you'll want to spend more time there. Blankets are easily brought outside on chilly nights, and the gas heaters that restaurants use on their patios are available in a table top size. Understand the difference between an outdoor patio and an outdoor living space. If we create a comfortable space outdoors, it will make us want to be out there. To turn your outdoor set up into a living space, incorporate things that you would normally have on the inside. It's amazing what is available to us in terms of outdoor furniture nowadays. No more are you confined to wrought iron tables or plastic chairs. Find a plush outdoor sofa, bring out a coffee table. You can do anything outdoors that you can do indoors, especially in mild climates or during specific seasons. More at : http://www.capessa.com/members/storyactions.aspx?g=126789&m=86990