Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. That is an astonishing amount of time. It is no wonder we are designing interiors that incorporate some exterior elements more and more these days. We are blending the outdoor environment inside, to make the indoor environment feel more like the outdoors. And visa-versa, we are bringing indoor elements outside to make outdoor entertaining and living more user-friendly, comfortable, and thereby encouraging the all of us to spend more time outdoors.
Natural light is extremely important for interior spaces and nothing adds light and views as much as windows. Glass walls, can further increase the sense of indoor is outdoor space and outdoor is indoor space and can give a sense of having the spaces continue. When materials from the outside are brought inside they can help blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. A brick walkway that continues indoors blurs the lines between spaces. Rusted metal on the inside, reclaimed wood beams, stone used on the exterior brought into the interior, an indoor atrium, a wood ceiling; these are all ways to make the outside come inside.
We are also making the outdoor spaces feel more like indoor spaces. Outdoor kitchens and dining areas. Outdoor seating areas with fireplaces and televisions. Outdoor entertainment areas with bars, sound systems, hot tubs and relaxation areas. Covered areas for shade. All these spaces encourage more outdoor time, more relaxation and more stress free entertaining. People are more likely to entertain and do so more frequently and with less stress with these outdoor spaces than they do indoors. The sense of durability and materials that can stand up to the elements means they need not be worried about spills and maintenance, as they would indoors. We find clients are much more likely to entertain larger numbers of people if they have these outdoor entertaining spaces.
