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It’s too easy these days to live almost exclusively in a climate-controlled,
electronic world. Your days are spent going from air conditioned house to car
to workplace, with your ear glued to a cell phone or your fingers typing away
on your personal digital assistant in between. But as people try to reconnect
with nature, a new trend in home design — taking the indoors outside — is emerging.
Many new and remodeled homes are blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor
spaces. The New American Home is a home built annually in conjunction with the
National Association of Home Builder’s International Builders’ Show to showcase state-of-the-art home-building techniques and materials. The
2009 home in Las Vegas, Nev., was designed with 1,791 square feet of covered
outdoor space including a recessed patio with waterfall and fireplace and
living room with outdoor televisions.
If you’re thinking about building or remodeling to enhance the outdoor spaces at your
home, here are a few of the latest outdoor living trends:
Fire Elements – These can take the form of fireplaces or fire pits, or be as simple as a
free-standing clay chimenea. Wood-burning elements are the most common, but
they can also be outfitted to burn gas or a gel. Each has its own advantages or
disadvantages with cost, maintenance and other considerations such as smell or
the crackling sound commonly associated with wood fires. Fire pits can be
portable or built-in, and are often made with materials such as copper, iron or
stone. Some feature colored, decorative glass pieces laid out in designs that
reflect the flames.
Beds – Forget about hammocks or folding lawn chairs. Today, it’s all about ultimate comfort. Outdoor beds have been seen on the pool decks of
chic hotels in hip cities like Miami and Los Angeles for years. Designed for
lounging or even napping, they come in a variety of sizes, generally have a
futon-style mattress, and some have adjustable backrests. They are covered in
weatherproof fabric, and matching your color scheme is easy with coordinating
throw pillows.
Showers – Formerly seen just at beach houses and used
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strictly for removing sand, outdoor showers are now found in multi-million
dollar Manhattan penthouses, apartment rooftops and suburban neighborhoods for
everyday use. They incorporate natural elements such as stone, bamboo and
plants, and are strategically designed to provide privacy, yet allow the user
to enjoy the view and the feeling of showering in nature.
Having inviting outdoor living spaces in your home will help when it’s time to sell, too. In the National Association of Home Builders’ Consumer Preferences Surveys for both 2004 and 2007, more than three-quarters
of respondents said having a patio, front porch or deck on their home was “desirable” or “essential.” And in 2007, 62 percent wanted an outdoor fireplace or fire pit, a category
that wasn’t even an option in the 2004 survey.
Gather your friends around the fire pit, take an afternoon siesta on your
outdoor bed, get ready for work with a refreshing backyard shower, or check out
Indoors Out on the DIY Network for more ideas on how to embrace the great
outdoors without leaving your yard. To find a builder or remodeler in your area
to help you, contact the GHBA at 281-970-8970 or visit www.nahb.org.
By Stephen Hann, CGR, GMB, GMR, CGP
Hann Builders
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