As we begin to emerge outdoors again after a long winter, ongoing pandemic uncertainty is likely to continue to keep us close to home. That makes it the perfect opportunity to give more thought to our outdoor spaces, staycationing and making the most of our properties so we can get maximum enjoyment.
“Having outdoor spaces is important, and they don’t always need to be huge areas,” says Steve Ardington of Ardington + Associates Design. “If properly designed, sometimes all it takes is a small patio or screened room to feel like you have a refuge from the everyday chaos.”
He’s not the only one who’s seeing growing interest in our outdoor spaces since the pandemic began.
“People are looking at this space differently now and I think they really love the outdoors and the feeling of being surrounded and closer to nature,” says Cosimo Zacconi of Canterra Design + Build.
“We’re in uncertain times right now. More than ever, people are re-thinking this space and the experience they want to have, so more emphasis is going into the whole home and exterior design, integrating it with their lifestyles and how they can maximize the use of their property.”
Custom home builder Gord Weima agrees COVID has changed things. “People are spending more time in their backyard and creating more living spaces inside their backyard,” he says. “So many people are doing home projects and decks and all that kind of stuff because they’re spending more time at home than they ever did before.”
Besides, a sunroom or other enclosed indoor/outdoor space helps extend Ottawa’s short summer, says Kim Pijselman of Cedarstone Homes, who often adds a sunroom to the homes he builds. “A sunroom extends the usable season by a month in the spring and a month in the fall.”
And a screened-in area lets us enjoy the outdoors minus the bugs, notes Herb Lagois of Lagois Design-Build-Renovate. “We encourage our clients to think about not only their interior living but their exterior living as well.”
He also finds homeowners are optimizing their home as a cottage. “I’m a good example. We entertained (the idea of) getting a cottage (but) we love our home, love our outdoor space, and I’m too busy as it is. I can’t imagine taking care of another property.”
Whether you’re thinking of a sunroom, a lanai, an outdoor kitchen or even just a dedicated lounging area, you can expect to recoup at least half of the cost of updating an outdoor space. For instance, adding a deck will return about 65 per cent of the cost, according to the Cost vs. Value report prepared annually by Remodelling Magazine.
“Imagine a wonderful outdoor space that we can gravitate to and enjoy without just being trapped indoors,” says Lagois. “For me to simply watch the birds in our backyard allows me to let go of all the stresses for a while.”
Thinking of updating your outdoor spaces? Here are 13 others to inspire you:
A welcoming conservatory by OakWood blends into the existing home and meets the homeowners’ need for seating to enjoy their water views. With dining and lounging areas, as well as a cooking area, the space offers an indoor/outdoor connection for the homeowners.
This four-season sunroom addition is a multi-purpose space, offering a combined mudroom, dining room, sitting area and main-floor laundry. Designer Natalie Cox of CPI Interiors opted for a comfortable, texture-filled and family friendly look for a warm, relaxed, cottage-y feel.
A common feature of eQ Homes’ bungalow designs is to offer the option of a four-season sunroom, like the one in its award-winning Firestone model at Pathways at Findlay Creek.
If yard space is at a premium, consider going up. This backyard oasis by Amsted Design-Build creates both a sunroom and deck at the top of the home, offering plenty of indoor-outdoor space without compromising the yard.
Gardening By Design used a series of composite fence panels to allow for privacy and delineation of this corner lot. The fencing is complemented with ornamental grasses and thin cedars to make the space feel more open, but still intimate.
“Textured and unique plant varieties were used to juxtapose the hard lines of the stone patio,” says Gardening By Design’s Engelina Schmitz.
This suburban home by Canterra Design + Build was built for entertaining inside and out for a busy family with four children. One of two outdoor spaces, the covered lanai provides a relaxing shelter and contributes to the desire for a backyard oasis perfect for staycationing.
Get a cottage-like retreat with a flagstone patio set in a naturalized garden. This tiered backyard project is by Jason Smalley Landscape Design.
Custom builder Gord Weima gives a more permanent feel to this Weatherwall screened-in porch by adding a fireplace and trimming the metal frames in painted wood.
A river-side deck was renovated by Lagois Design-Build-Renovate to add a cedar roof supported by fir beams for shade and to maximize the view. A ceiling fan helps with air flow and the deck was designed so that roll-screens could be added later.
A fusion of Craftsman and rural farm esthetic carries through this home by Ardington + Associates and Maple Leaf Custom Homes, which includes an interior to exterior fireplace.
A main-floor master means there’s a separate access to this covered lanai, “making it feel like you are in a resort-like setting with your own private retreat area,” says custom home designer Cosimo Zacconi of Canterra Design + Build.
A modification to Cedarstone Homes’ Anderson model adds a screened-in porch trimmed in cedar to the backyard of this home. Accessed off the kitchen, it provides a comfortable transition between inside and outside. Photo: Gordon King Photography
“Outdoor spaces are very important,” says Mark Kranenburg of Greenmark Builders, which built this sunroom for rural clients who wanted a connection to their farmland.
Updated from an original post on Aug. 3, 2020
