Top tips for creating indoor outdoor flow

Creating indoor outdoor flow at home is great for resale value plus it’s a modern way of living that creates cohesiveness between inside and outside. 

Many families now enjoy the benefits of visually opening up their home and simultaneously keeping an eye on the kids playing outside.  An added benefit is  allowing more air into the house to create a healthy, well ventilated home.

Perfect for those who love outdoor entertaining, opening up interior spaces is a great way to extend your living space whether you do french doors, bifold doors, or even a server's window. 

In this blog, we’re breaking down our top tips for creating indoor outdoor flow for an easy breezy space that’s functional and inviting. 

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What is indoor outdoor flow

Indoor outdoor flow is about opening up your home so you can extend your living space and visually add cohesiveness between inside and outside. 

Generally done with the use of doors or bifolding windows, it encourages air flow into the home and works well with connecting entertaining areas such as decks or patio areas. 

Commonly added by kitchen areas, these open-plan designs make flexible living easier with the ability to take prepared food to outdoor areas for easy dining. 

Popular options include bifold windows, french doors, bifold doors, ranch sliders, or if the budget stretches, extra-large bifold doors that can open up the whole side of a house!

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Top tips for creating indoor outdoor flow

Don’t rush the decision

Before you cut a hole in the side of the house, it’s a good idea to live in your house for a while before deciding whether it’s worth doing, and where the best position might be for it. 

Think about what you want to achieve with creating your indoor outdoor flow, e.g. is it more about circulating fresh air or are you looking to improve an entertaining area. 

It’s also worth thinking about what work you might need to do on the outdoor area for the door or window to make sense. That might include building a deck, laying pavers or doing a bit of garden landscaping. This should all be included in your budget. 

Be sure to check if you will need consent before starting, and get an expert in to find out their advice on your proposed aproject. 

Pick the right spot

Picking the wrong spot for a new door or window can actually cause more harm than good, so be sure to think through the finer details when it comes to picking the right install spot. 

• The direction of wind and sunlight
  
  Opening up the house to an area with a lot of wind can not only be unappealing to use, but it can also cause havoc blowing all sorts of debris into the home.
  
  Equally, you want to pick an area that has the right amount of sunlight for you, whether you prefer a space that is in direct hot sunlight or a spot with a bit of shelter. 

• Privacy
  
  Privacy tends to be quite important for outdoor entertaining areas and is also a great selling point for a home.
  
  Check out the position of nearby neighbouring yards, houses that might be looking into your space, and even foot or car traffic. 

• Consider outdoor odours or noise
  
  Quite often there is very little you can do to take away outdoor odours and noise, so be sure to think about how the new door or window might affect your living.
  
  If you live in a rural or industrial area, you might find odours to be off-putting, and homeowners near busy roads or city centres should consider noise pollution. 

• Structural considerations
  
  Before you go cutting into walls, you will also need to find out if the wall is load bearing, or if you need building consent to undertake alterations. You can use a handy canibuildit tool to check if you need building consent. However you decide to alter your home, it’s a good idea to consult with those in the know, such as a registered architect, engineer, licenced building practitioner or building consent authorities (eg. city councils).

Choose the right door or window option for your home

French doors

Typically fitted as a pair, they give an open feel whilst still being well priced, and easy to install. 

You also have the flexibility to open just one door if you want to air out the house, which can help with minimising debris coming into the home. 

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Bifold doors

Bifold doors are a modern take on opening up the home, with this style of door folding back on itself in a wonderfully compact style.

Bifold doors are great for larger areas where a simple double door option isn’t big enough, but you will need a large enough outside area to allow for the doors to fold without getting in the way

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Bifold window

Bifold windows, otherwise known as servers windows, fold back on themselves much like a bifolding door. They are a great option for increasing airflow in the kitchen and are ideal for those that like to entertain outdoors. 

Pass food and drink straight from the kitchen to outdoor entertaining areas, or pass BBQ food inside! 

If you have little ones or pets that you don’t want running in and out, a bifolding window gives you indoor outdoor flow, minus any worry. 

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Ranchslider

Ranch sliders are a sliding door usually consisting of a metal frame and a large glass panel. They are ideal for homes that don’t have a large space outdoors, as they slide open into a cavity rather than opening inwards or outwards.

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Stacking doors

Stacking doors are almost a hybrid between a bifolding door and a ranch slider, in that the panels stack onto each other like a bifolding door but instead of stacking outward, they stack into a cavity. 

This type of door is a great space-saving option that opens widely to allow maximum indoor outdoor flow. 

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Installing a window or door

You can install a door or window yourself, or get a professional. 

Self-installation is often more cost-effective when it comes to buying the materials and completing the work.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you decide to self-install:

• Building consents
  
  Although building consents are not needed in every instance of door or window installation, there are some exceptions, so it’s worth reading up before you start.

• Hiring gear
  
  Hiring gear is a great way to keep costs down rather than investing in expensive power tools you will need for the job such as concrete saws, sabre saws, a nail gun, drill and ladder.  

Though installation can be somewhat simple, you will still need to cut through a wall, so it’s worth having the right gear, and a plan of attack before you begin. You can quickly get into trouble if you don’t think about plumbing, wiring or studs, so practice caution and have a clear plan before you hire gear and start cutting. 

Consider installing a deck or patio

Installing a deck or creating a patio area to go with your new open-plan space makes everything look cohesive and not just thrown in without planning. 

Decks and patio areas are great for extending the entertaining space between indoors and outdoors, helping to reduce dirt coming in from mucky lawns and adding resale value to your home.

Installing a deck is something you can do yourself and the right tools will help you to get the job done smarter:

• Use a compound sliding saw to cut timber decking to size
  
  
• Use a drill to pre-drill holes
  
  
• Use a nailing gun to secure decking
  
  
• Finish off the deck with a nice stain or paint using an airless spray painting unit

Creating a patio area is another simple way to improve your outdoor area, and landscaping tools make quick work of it:

• Keep it simple and pour a smooth concrete slab with the use of a concrete mixer
  
  
• Lay pavers onto an even surface by using a plate compactor

Lay down decorative stones or pebbles for an easy install option - hire a trailer to get your supplies to site.

Remember to also think about updating your indoor flooring to suit your new indoor outdoor flow. 

A great way to do this is giving wooden floors a sand, or choosing flooring colours that work well with what you have installed outdoors so the areas flow nicely together. 

Use outdoor furniture to improve your outdoor living space

Once you go to the effort of creating some indoor outdoor flow, adding some furniture outside will go a long way in making your entertaining area appealing to use, plus it shows off the lifestyle potential buyers could have. 

Outdoor furniture options that help with indoor outdoor flow include:

• Outdoor couches for lounging on sunny days
  
  
• Cafe style table settings for your morning coffee or evening wine
  
  
• A hanging chair for relaxing or reading
  
  
• Outdoor table and outdoor chairs for al fresco meals
  
  

Keep your outdoor area looking great by staying on top of the below:

• Trimming back trees that obstruct or create dark corners of the property 
  
  
• Keep patios and decks clean and free of grime by water blasting regularly 
  
  
• Staying on top of lawn care to keep your outlook lush and green

Add complementary décor

To get a cohesive look between outside and inside, add complementary decor to tie the two areas together. 

• Use plants
  
  If you have palms outside, you might want to add a tropical plant inside

• Use soft furnishing in outdoor areas
  
  Add throws and cushions on seats for a cozy feel.

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Use the right blinds or curtains

Curtains or blinds are a functional addition to help keep privacy in the home and keep you warm in the cooler months. Install them yourself easily with a drill and ladder.

Things to keep in mind when choosing the right blinds or curtains: 

• Functionality
  
  Every time you go outside you don’t want to be battling an annoying curtain! Make sure to pick something that can easily be tied back or pulled out of the way

• Easy clean option
  
  The curtain or blinds will likely get dirty with the door/window being open so be sure to pick something that can be wiped down or easily washed

• Minimalistic design
  
  Once you have a lovely view and sunlight you don’t want it obstructed by a huge curtain or blind - try to pick something discreet 

Use complementary colours inside

If you have lots of greenery outside you might want to pick something that matches well for wall paint inside. 

• Neutral wall colours can help draw your eye outside
  
  
• Natural colours like green can help merge the two spaces visually 
  
  
• Too much contrast or pattern can be too busy and distracting 
  
  
• Paint areas faster with an airless sprayer

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Ensure good furniture placement inside

Try to keep large furniture away from doors so you can get the best flow between the spaces. 

• Pick smaller seats that you can enjoy near the open door or window - lightweight options are ideal 
  
  
• Keep breakables away from the door or window as they could blow over in the wind or get knocked with people coming in and out 

Add some modern tech

A bit of tech will really enhance the indoor outdoor flow of both spaces, and there are plenty of great self install options.

• Outdoor speakers for creating atmosphere
  
  
• Outdoor TV for entertaining 
  
  
• Electric blinds for doors
  
  
• Lighting to create a mood outdoors such as fairy lights or LED lights

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Hire the equipment you need for your indoor outdoor flow project with Hirepool

Find more great outdoor living ideas on the Hirepool website on our Inspiration page. If you are ready to get on with your project, visit your local Hirepool  branch or easily hire tools online.