When the sun’s shining and the weather is good, spending time outdoors is a wonderful thing to do. It’s equally lovely to be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature from inside too – especially when the days are less warm or when there’s a brisk wind blowing. So how can you achieve that indoor-outdoor vibe in your own home? Here are some ideas to revamp conservatories and style sunrooms for summer…
Indoor-outdoor living space
There are many ways to achieve an indoor-outdoor feeling in your own home – and a having a conservatory is just one of those. If you don’t already have one, take a look around your rooms and find out which one offers the sunniest aspect. Then, you can remove the heavy curtains, throw open the windows or patio doors, and position a couple of comfortable armchairs beside them. This way you can enjoy the sounds of birds chirping outside (especially if you hang up a bird feeder nearby) and feel a refreshing breeze but you won’t be sitting outside in the burning hot sun and you can stay dry indoors if it starts to drizzle.
Alternatively, if you have a large porch you could take some chairs and cushions out onto the porch, add some plants and solar-powered fairy lights and make it a cosy indoor-outdoor space for the duration of the summer. If you have decking or a patio, you could install a waterproof awning over the top of the space to protect you from the elements while you’re outdoors and enabling you enjoy alfresco meals.
Temperature control
If you’ve already got a conservatory or sunroom, you’re already a step ahead with indoor-outdoor living. However, with the summer sun comes an increase in temperature – especially here in the south east – and that’s when conservatories can get unbearably hot. It’s such a shame because the summer is exactly the time when you’ll want to be spending more time enjoying your indoor-outdoor space so the solution is to make it as comfortable as possible, temperature-wise.
You could install blinds to block out the heat and open windows to allow a breeze to flow through the space but it’ll still be very warm in there on the hottest summer days. If you found that was the case last summer, you might want to replace the conservatory roof with a tiled one – this won’t only help with reducing heat in the summer, it’ll also be warmer in the winter, making your home more energy efficient. Similarly, solar controlled glass can help with temperature control so, if you’re considering this option, now’s the time to visit your local showroom to get a quote and hopefully having the work completed in time for you to enjoy indoor-outdoor living this year.
Bring the outdoors in
You don’t need to have a dedicated space to enjoy indoor-outdoor living. If you don’t have a garden, or are living in an apartment, the solution to enjoy those summery vibes is to bring the outdoors in. Invest in a few house plants to create a tropical feel inside your home. Take care to read the labels or searching for planting advice online so that you can give your houseplants the right light conditions to help them thrive. Then, simply open those windows, allow the sun and breeze to come streaming in and enjoy relaxing in your own urban jungle!
Another way to achieve that indoor-outdoor feel is by bringing your outdoor furniture inside to furnish your interior. If you’ve got the space in your conservatory, why not bring your lovely wooden garden chairs indoors and add some cosy cushions and throws? I’ve even had a look for hammock stands so that I can continue relaxing in our stripy hammock even when it’s chilly outside. At the very least, bringing your benches or deck chairs indoors will help to keep your outdoor furniture protected in bad weather so they’ll last much longer than if they were sitting outside all winter.
Take the indoors out
If you’ve got some outdoor space – perhaps a lawn or a patio – you could always add an outdoor ‘room’ over it to help prolong the amount of time you can spend outside. Either pop up a gazebo, wind up a large parasol or even build a permanent pergola with sunshades over the top of your deck or garden. This will give you some protection from the sun when it’s boiling hot outside, and can help to keep the rain off when you’re dining alfresco.
Let me know if you have any ideas for indoor-outdoor living this summer in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you’re using your garden or indoor space to enjoy the sights and sounds of summer this year. 🙂
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