Today’s homeowners are becoming savvy with utilising the footprint of their home. The large back lawn is not as common these days, with beautiful outdoor rooms that connect the home to the outdoors being seen instead. Being able to flow from the inside of the home to the outside (no matter how small the “outside’’ is), to be in the sun or not, and to have more space are all factors that are highly sought after and need to be considered when designing for a smaller, efficient home.

Louvretec has the privilege of viewing a lot of homes and plans where every square metre has been thoughtfully designed for function and aesthetic. Here are six ways to connect townhouses and apartments to the outside:

Cover the outdoor area

By covering the deck area, designers can effectively create another room in the home. New spaces add to the home in so many ways, giving the clients more room to relax, entertain or just take in the moment. Louvretec has nine opening roof options available. Start with an opening roof and then close in the sides with operable or fixed louvres, glass doors or outdoor blinds.

Louvretec offers free, no-obligation quotations and site visits and they welcome the opportunity to discuss design options for outdoor spaces with designers and their clients. 

Choose natural colours

The team at Louvretec has been noticing a lot of olive green, dark blue and baked earthy tones appearing in outdoor rooms. Colour can be introduced into the outdoor area with cushions, pots, throws or outdoor rugs. To achieve flow and consistency, find a piece of artwork for the home and pull the colours from this piece to use in the outdoor room. This is a style that Louvretec sees time and time again with customers and even applies when they style their own showroom.

Go green

Place a tall pot and plant such as a beautiful Bird of Paradise to give height to the outdoor room. Louvretec loves beautiful tall pots that make a perfect home for a kentia palm to grow.

Vertical gardens or living walls that use edible plants such as herbs or berries are incredibly popular for smaller outdoor areas. They look (and smell!) so fresh, lush and contemporary but are also functional. One or two hanging pots will also add a feeling of height and bring the outdoors closer to the home.

Select the right furniture

A lot of Louvretec's customers love darker outdoor furniture to contrast with a lighter colour opening roof. A two-seater sofa and chair with a rounder look can soften a smaller space and when this is combined with a woven material it can create something special. Louvretec is also seeing a lot of rope being used in outdoor furniture in place of rattan.

Use composite decking

The team at Louvretec are big fans of looking after the planet and recycled composite decking is one tick in this box. There are many beautiful ranges of composite decking options including tonal variations throughout the decking boards which disguise wear and tear. Composite decking is a good, sustainable decking option for the environment. The boards are splinter-free and can be scratch, fade and mould resistant.

Brighten it up

Carefully placed outdoor lighting will draw the eye to the outdoor space, create atmosphere and highlight special features. Guests will be drawn to the outdoor area to enjoy afternoons that flow long into the evenings. The Louvretec team loves a group of small lights that are hidden in potted plants or that line the perimeter of the outdoor area.

Further enhance opening roofs with Louvretec's outdoor lighting range that includes blade or gutter lighting for louvre blades.