The weather has finally turned and it won’t be long before it is winter on the Gold Coast – well our tropical version of winter at least! Even though the evenings have a chill in the air, a well designed outdoor room or alfresco areas can be used all year round. The temperature or weather shouldn’t determine how or when you can entertain or enjoy all the features and benefits of your new home!
There are a few important things to consider when planning your outdoor room.
The weather obviously has the single greatest impact on how and when you use any outdoor space in your home. Considering elements such as shade, wind, rain, light and prevailing weather can all help you maximise the functionality and use of your new outdoor room.
These elements will affect your decision-making and selections in a number of areas. For example your roofing material will have an impact on several of these – shade, rain and light. You also want the selected material to suit the overall design of your new home, whilst being functional at the same time.
You may want flexibility depending on the weather conditions, and there are roofing and wall solutions that enable light and breeze through – such as a variety of louvres, blinds and other retractable options. Alternatively fixed solutions like timber lined ceilings and permanent walls with windows may better suit your needs and desired look.
The key point here is to consider the elements and plan accordingly for your lifestyle and intended use of the space.
Further to considering the weather, is being realistic about how you intend to use the space. Is it a food preparation and cooking space, or predominantly a dining space that flows off your kitchen? Is it for entertaining or primarily an additional living space for the family, with items like a wall-mounted television?
These decisions will help determine how you design and use the available space.
And last but not least, is how you accessorise and decorate your new alfresco space. Considerations here are lighting, entertainment, temperature control (cooling and heating!), furniture, landscaping…. and more.
Once again, considering your most likely use of the space at the outset, will greatly assist in selecting the right accessories. For our tropical lifestyle – a well planned outdoor room is likely to be the most popular and most used space in your home.
The Spectrum Homes Difference
Spectrum Homes is an Award Winning, locally owned and operated home building company in South East Queensland. We pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced staff, best trades and most innovative designs.
At Spectrum Homes we firmly believe that your lifestyle is unique and so should be your home. It doesn’t cost more to build a customised new home. You don’t have to settle for a ‘rubber-stamped’ home and you have the freedom to make changes to our standard designs, or bring your own.