Wouldn’t you love to double the size of your house for the holidays, or when you’re entertaining for large groups of friends? And when the party is over and all the guests have gone home have your nice, cozy house back just like that?

It doesn’t make sense to maintain a large entertaining space that gets used only a couple of times a year. That’s why it’s so practical to have a functional and efficient indoor-outdoor space.

Having a well-designed outdoor area adjacent to your main entertaining rooms is a great way to get more space when needed and to add value to your home. The indoor-outdoor concept is not a new idea, but when you combine it with an open floor plan, you can create a large entertaining area that your guests will savor.

Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of your indoor-outdoor design.

Dawna Jones Design – All rights reserved to them.

Create a big opening. Don’t be afraid to invest in big openings between your indoor and outdoor spaces. Large pocket or accordion doors are a great way to blur the visual barriers between the two areas. When weather permits, you can open up the exterior wall and instantly double the floor space.

Outdoor Living Environment in Deerfield IL

Keep it covered. It’s always best to have a combination of covered and uncovered outdoor spaces — but be sure to provide a covered entertaining area if at all possible. Essentially, you’ll be creating a series of outdoor rooms that will give you a sense of place without taking away from the fact that you’re outdoors.

Giulietti Schouten Architects – All rights reserved to them.

Make it level. The goal is to remove any visual or physical barriers between the two spaces — including any changes in floor level. Making sure your indoor and outdoor spaces are on the same plane assures they’ll function as one space when needed.

Outdoor Living Environment Deerfield IL

Create floor flow. Choosing a flooring material that works well inside and out is another great way to make the two spaces feel connected.

Take advantage of the view. There is nothing more impressive than a large, open space that takes advantage of an incredible view. Make sure you orient your interior to look at the vista through the adjacent outdoor space. This way you’ll get to enjoy the view from both inside and outside the house.

Weber Design Group, Inc. all rights reserved to them.

The truth is, great design is less about the way your house looks (although it should look remarkable), and more about how it functions. A well-designed house will work better, cost less to build, be more efficient to run and maintain, and get you more for less.

Great design doesn’t cost more to build than good design, but it sure feels a million times better to live in.

Tell us: What do you love about your indoor-outdoor space? Drop me a quick note and I’ll collect them and try to use them in my next indoor/outdoor space.

Thanks Dylan Chappell a California architect I admire for his seamless designs of entertaining spaces.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post Entertaining Spaces appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

When we first met clients “Sue” and “Jim”, they had good reason to be nervous — they had already met with a few non-architect contractors and were disappointed with their proposals. They wanted to talk vision, but the contractors only wanted to talk price. They wanted to see know-how, but the contractors only gave them unrealistic budgets and promises to deliver things they really didn’t want.

It was clear that these contractors did not have the expertise to discuss anything other than price. By contrast, our design-build firm is staffed with architects who eat, breathe and sleep design. Even more important, these contractors did not have the smarts to listen.

That’s why we immediately focused on listening to what Sue and Jim wanted. We heard they live for spending time with their family, and wanted a Kitchen they could enjoy when their children and grandchildren visited. Sue wanted to be the “Queen of the Kitchen” and take the lead role in preparing meals, but at the same time she wanted to be involved in the conversations in the Dining Room. She felt an island would solve the problem and told us this was her main “gotta have.”

However, unlike the contractors, we didn’t simply quote a price for an island. Using our best architectural judgment, we determined we could open the Kitchen to the Dining Area and Four-Season Room — but that an island would not work as well as a peninsula. We presented Sue and Jim with several design schemes, and chose a solution that was well within their budget parameters.

Our design situated the peninsula to form a “cockpit” for Sue to manage the cooking. We opened up the entire wall behind the Kitchen and Dining area, and built a new half-height 8” wide ledge to provide a visual barrier so people sitting at the Dining Room table would not see the Kitchen activity. People could also set their drinks on the ledge, stand and talk to Sue while she cooks. We also extended the wood flooring currently in the Living and Dining rooms into the Kitchen for a seamless transition.

So what have we learned?

expertise – listening ≠ success

listening – expertise ≠ success

expertise + listening = success

Plus the corollary that only an architect-led design-build firm like Michael Menn Ltd. can demonstrate why architecture + construction = excellence.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post e + l = s is our very own success formula fit for a Queen appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

When we first met clients “Sue” and “Jim”, they had good reason to be nervous — they had already met with a few non-architect contractors and were disappointed with their proposals. They wanted to talk vision, but the contractors only wanted to talk price. They wanted to see know-how, but the contractors only gave them unrealistic budgets and promises to deliver things they really didn’t want.

It was clear that these contractors did not have the expertise to discuss anything other than price. By contrast, our design-build firm is staffed with architects who eat, breathe and sleep design. Even more important, these contractors did not have the smarts to listen.

That’s why we immediately focused on listening to what Sue and Jim wanted. We heard they live for spending time with their family, and wanted a Kitchen they could enjoy when their children and grandchildren visited. Sue wanted to be the “Queen of the Kitchen” and take the lead role in preparing meals, but at the same time she wanted to be involved in the conversations in the Dining Room. She felt an island would solve the problem and told us this was her main “gotta have.”

However, unlike the contractors, we didn’t simply quote a price for an island. Using our best architectural judgment, we determined we could open the Kitchen to the Dining Area and Four-Season Room — but that an island would not work as well as a peninsula. We presented Sue and Jim with several design schemes, and chose a solution that was well within their budget parameters.

Our design situated the peninsula to form a “cockpit” for Sue to manage the cooking. We opened up the entire wall behind the Kitchen and Dining area, and built a new half-height 8” wide ledge to provide a visual barrier so people sitting at the Dining Room table would not see the Kitchen activity. People could also set their drinks on the ledge, stand and talk to Sue while she cooks. We also extended the wood flooring currently in the Living and Dining rooms into the Kitchen for a seamless transition.

So what have we learned?

expertise – listening ≠ success

listening – expertise ≠ success

expertise + listening = success

Plus the corollary that only an architect-led design-build firm like Michael Menn Ltd. can demonstrate why architecture + construction = excellence.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post e + l = s is our very own success formula fit for a Queen appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.