Extend Your Living Spaces to the Outdoors

Posted March 13, 2018

Extend Your Living Spaces to the Outdoors

When you live in the Pacific Northwest, it’s easy to take the outdoors for granted — after all, you’re surrounded by nature anywhere you go. The mountains, the water and the lush trees create a unique backdrop you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world.

Viewpoint of the McCormick Woods Golf Course from the outdoor deck by Garrette Custom Homes

Those lucky enough to live in McCormick, however, can take their appreciation for the outdoors to a whole new level. Not only is the community set against a beautiful golf course and pristine forests, but our builders are also in tune with how to make the outdoors a true extension of indoor living spaces. Every new home in McCormick comes with a feature that’s far from standard for new homes in the Puget Sound area: outdoor living areas. We’re not talking about simply putting together a deck or patio and calling it an outdoor room. Rather, these are well designed and comfortable spaces that truly let you enjoy your life surrounded by nature. Many of these outdoor living rooms even come with fireplaces!

And as it turns out, people want to be outdoors a lot more these days. A survey just released in February by the International Casual Furnishings Association found that 70 percent of the 1,000 respondents enjoyed spending time outdoors more than indoors. It’s not just a place where people eat or relax, either — many people bring their computers outside or even have a TV in their outdoor room. The line between indoor and outdoor living can truly be blurred with the right design.

The survey also found that 40 percent of people would spend even more time outdoors if the space were more comfortable. That’s why we’re so excited that every single builder offering new homes in McCormick understands that this trendy feature is in high demand.

Outdoor living area by MainVue Homes

Personalizing Your Outdoor Living Space

When it comes to entertaining, you’ll find that an outdoor living space is indispensable. Whether you’re entertaining a small, intimate group, or throwing a big party, once you’ve extended your party to the outside once, you’ll wonder how it did it before without having this great option. The fun part about an outdoor room is that you can get quite creative with your décor. If your space is enclosed, you don’t even have to worry about using outdoor furnishings — treat this space like you would any room in your home.

If you plan to use this room for entertaining, keep in mind that you should arrange your furnishings to encourage mingling. You may also want to create a focal point — a fireplace, fire pit or a water feature would be the perfect place to start. Think art and accessories, too, anything from pretty lights to interesting curtains or throw pillows. And since this space is also an extension of your garden, you’ll want to incorporate plants too.

Check out this gallery from HouseBeautiful for some inspiration. Nothing limits you but your imagination!