
A backyard isn’t the same as it used to be – a place to grill, where kids play ball, or just an extra spot to mow. Now the trend is to make the backyard an outdoor retreat or an extension to the house. The Home Remodelers Group® can help transform your outdoors into a beautiful year round sunroom, a deck for entertaining or even an outdoor kitchen.
As reported in the May 2006 Consumer Reports, designing and furnishing an outdoor room is the second most likely home-remodeling project to do. Specifically, approximately 1.2 million U.S. households will install a fully functional outdoor kitchen, according to a study by the industry research company inquiry.
In 2004, Better Homes and Gardens magazine received survey responses from nearly 60,000 Americans describing home improvement projects and future home-building aspirations. Better Homes and Gardens found that people want indoor/outdoor livability, technological innovations, flexibility for family needs and a kitchen-centric focus. (REMODELING Magazine, September 1, 2005)
Homeowners are seeking ways to make the outdoors a functional part of the living area. To accomplish that, the barriers between outdoors and indoors, such as walls and solid doors, are going away. As cited in “A Simple Way to Increase Outdoor Living Space” at HGPgal.com, for homeowners looking to add to their living space, improve their lifestyle and increase the resale value of their home, the perfect solution is to extend living areas outdoors through the addition of decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas.
“The line between the house and the outdoor space continues to disintegrate,” says Julie D. Taylor, author of Outdoor Rooms. “Many designers are using the same, or similar, materials both on the interior and exterior to extend the house to the outdoors. It breaks down the barrier and gives a feeling of a larger house.”
Alternatively, instead of thinking of the barriers disintegrating, another solution is effective indoor-outdoor connections. These connections can include French doors opening up onto a porch, or the addition of a window to expose a lovely view. Indoor-outdoor connections can be as simple as adding a mudroom between the garage and the home, or more complex, such as an outdoor entertainment area placed just outside the doors of a home’s main gathering space. Adding visual connections to the outdoors, such as through the addition of glass doors or enlarging a window, adds value to your home by making its interior space appear larger than it actually is. (“Connect Inside of Your House with the Beauty Outdoors,” Ann Robinson, Deseret News, April 2005)
To create the outdoor living space that you want, start by determining your budget and your desires.
Consumer Reports provides some tips about what to consider for building room extensions or outdoor entertainment areas:
* Determine how you will use your space
* Consider location
* Be sure to weatherproof
* Incorporate lighting and heat
* Consider safety
No matter what extension you decide to make, it will undoubtedly add value to your home. As cited by Ann Robinson in Deseret News, “Exterior living space adds usable square footage to your home without costing you the 0-plus per square foot you’d spend for the construction of an addition.”
The Home Remodelers Group® can work with you to determine your indoor-outdoor remodeling desires. We have many gorgous sunroom plans and other renovating features available on our website at www.homeremodelersgroup.com. So, if you need a new area to relax and enjoy reading your favorite book, a place to create a new home gym, a place to add a spa to create your own special oasis, or an area for entertaining family and friends, a new sunroom, deck, or outdoor kitchen may be the perfect solution. We can help bring the outdoors in or take your family out in a comfortable and relaxing setting.
For more information visit: http://www.homeremodelersgroup.com/?source=articles
Tags: Home, Including, Outdoors, Remodeling

July 30th, 2010 at 10:41 am
The kitchen is the hardest working room in the house, so I believe its essential that the right materials are selected so as to create a kitchen that not only looks good but is practical too
July 30th, 2010 at 10:50 am
I was just stating my personal taste. I posted that the job was good at the bottom… It has nothing to do with the craftsmanship of the work…just did not like the design. I hope everyone looks at my video and leaves an honest comment as I want to know what people think…honestly good or bad feedback is a great thing ( at least for me )
July 30th, 2010 at 11:44 am
I didn’t do the job in this video. It was a friend’s kitchen. He was kind enough to let us follow his project. Thanks for your comment. My guess is that my friend would have all sorts of negative comments about the kitchen in your flipped home. That’s why you see enormous variety in clothes, cars, and any consumer product. Just because you like something, doesn’t mean others will agree with you.
July 30th, 2010 at 11:53 am
The tray ceiling with the rope lighting is a nice effect. But the Kitchen in my opinion looks cold and dull. The flooring does not go with the kitchen’s modern design ( should have been set in a diamond pattern) and white walls need to be dressed up with some kind of a back splash. Also, in my opinion, white appliances, faucet and fan are outdated. Stainless steel appliances and brushed nickle or rubbed bronze are in even in modern kitchens… the job was good, but the design/feel was lacking…
July 30th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
kool vid
July 30th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
The audio is hard to hear but I like the content from what I can hear.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Many Americans like traditional anyway, modern can be cold and hard looking.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
It seems to be out of style.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
I noticed that they no longer have the drawers under the counter for linens, doillies and silver. Do people still use linens or is that out of date as well?
July 30th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
This is an amazing transformation. The corner sink is a great idea and the kitchen looks so much bigger and lighter than before. Great job!
July 30th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
I agree
July 30th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Well, the Victorian one we have is splendid. With the 9-foot ceilings, you really don’t see it. On summer days, it is really pleasant as it keeps you cool as you work.
July 30th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
im sorry but ceiling fan in the kitchen is tacky, had to remove the one in my kitchen when I bought this house I am in right now.
July 30th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
totally agree
July 30th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Well, not just that, its the general “look”. What you call modern now is what we in the UK were doing in the mid 90s really :/
July 30th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I tend to agree. We have yet to figure out how to do the most with the least amount of space.
July 30th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Americans are still a bit behind when it comes to modern it seems.