A new show that has recently caught my attention is Interior Design with Jeff Lewis on Bravo. If you aren’t familiar with Jeff Lewis (you’re missing out) he is also the star of Flipping Out and a high profile interior designer, house flipper and remodeler. He’s a character to say the least. In Interior Design, he and his assistant Jenny (who is great in her own way) move in to the clients’ home and remodel a room or two (along with addressing some of the clients’ personal issues). It is incredible to see what they are able to accomplish in just 5 days.
In Wednesday’s episode, Jeff and Jenny worked with Ross the Intern and his partner Sal. The couple lives in California in a small house that didn’t have the square footage to accommodate the company they liked to entertain. Instead of remodeling a room inside the house, Jeff decided to redo the garage and driveway (which they didn’t park in) and create an outdoor dining room that could fit all their guests, increasing their living space. Over the course of the week, Jeff, Jenny and their team tore up the existing cement driveway and installed large concrete pavers to create a large, and beautiful, patio. They finished it with an outdoor dining room set and bar. Needless to say, Ross and Sal loved it.
The outdoor living industry has grown over the last decade and has really turned into just that, living outdoors. I have experienced this transition first hand. Growing up, my family and I had a simple deck on the back of our house. We sat outside in a few plastic Adirondack-style chairs for a little while and then would go back inside. Although nice, I wouldn’t say it was a great outdoor living space. Now that my parents are retired and live in South Carolina, that’s changed. They have great outdoor living spaces where we spend a significant amount of time when we’re visiting. They have a great outdoor kitchen for preparing, cooking and serving dinner, a dining area where we can eat and a few different lounge areas to enjoy a nice day.
The reason we spend so much time outdoors now is that the spaces we have are truly outdoor living rooms, not just decks, porches, patios, etc. There are so many options for outdoor living now: outdoor furniture, rugs, accessories and more that create a comfortable, homey atmosphere.
Outdoor structures have transformed into true outdoors rooms where homeowners want to spend time. Additionally, by creating these extra spaces, they increase the useable square footage of their property. Last year, for instance, my husband and I decided that we wanted to have our rehearsal dinner at my parents’ house. This would have been a problem had it not been for the outdoor spaces. The house itself just couldn’t hold enough people, but when the doors were opened, guests flowed inside and out and sat wherever they wanted.
At Archadeck, we’ve helped create thousands of outdoor rooms for our clients. It is important to us to understand how you are going to use the space so we can design the perfect project for you and your needs. For some, a screened porch works, for others, it’s a covered porch and patio. Every space is different. If you are interested in increasing your home’s square footage by moving it outdoors, please contact your local Archadeck office.