Taking in the Great Outdoors in Style

Step in to the Great Outdoors

One of the many benefits of living in a beautiful location like Park City, Sun Valley, or Bend, Oregon is the opportunity to enjoy vistas and the surroundings outside the home. Indeed, everyone enjoys a warm evening on the patio that serves as an anchor to encourage outdoor pleasures of all types year-round.

Patios are probably the most beneficial outdoor space, as they usually offer overhead shelter from the elements and are typically steps from the kitchen. Common patio accouterments include gas- or wood-burning fireplaces or firepits, water features, dining and lounge seating areas, a grill, and sometimes a partial or full outdoor kitchen. Enjoy the perfect patio in Naples with the warm sun shining down or cuddled up by the firepit as the snow falls in Okanagan. Whether an extension of the home’s interior via sliding or French doors or more compartmentalized as outdoor destinations, patios provide excellent morning coffee solitude, out-of-the-office teleworking atmospheres, and entertainment venues. Weather-resistant televisions, sound systems, overhead fans, and heating systems broaden the potential for activities to undertake comfortably year-round.

The out-of-doors experience typically extends beyond the patio, both visually and in usage. Your home’s exterior and landscaping present the first impression to your guests. Using natural landscaping materials, such as boulders in Big Sky and trees in Hawaii, in concert with manufactured stone staircases, water features, and hidden or decorative lighting, creates an inviting and cohesive design.

A well-lit, pruned walking path, which perhaps winds through a garden or to a nearby stream, is an invitation to step a little further outdoors and enjoy the local flora and fauna. It encourages movement, alone or with others. Place some comfortable chairs and a firepit at the end of the path for a stargazing destination after dinner or a quiet place to read. Homeowners who live near ski-worthy slopes in Jackson Hole or surrounding areas may relish a ski-in-ski-out transition space right on their own property.

Strategically executed landscaping can seamlessly blur the line between the wild environment and the constructed one and mindfully provide an eco-friendly and safe atmosphere for native plants and animals. Architectural, landscape, and design professionals can help expand the interactive spaces surrounding a home and plan them for prime use in more than one season. Outdoor living is a fantastic way to decompress and engage with and appreciate nature’s beauty.