Indoor-Outdoor Flooring Ideas

In anticipation of the days becoming longer and (we can but hope) a long, hot summer to come, many people are looking to blur the lines between their indoor and outdoor space, making less of a transition between the home and garden.

Image Credit

This can be achieved in several different ways, including installing sliding patio or bi-folding doors or by building a conservatory or orangery, which takes your living space into the garden area.

One easier way of making the inside and outside more alike, however, is to invest in flooring which creates less of a contrast between the two. Here are just a few ideas to help you do just that:

Outside In

One popular way to make the inside of your home feel connected to the outside is to choose a flooring material usually used in the garden, such as stone flags.

This works well in rooms close to the outside space such as conservatories, making them feel closer to the outside.

You can make any space feel closer to the outside with clever thinking and design. If you don’t have many areas with space to create this feeling an upstairs room can be made to feel relaxing and calm. This will give you the option without the need to move from your current home and create more living space

perhaps businesses such as http://www.caineslofts.co.uk/ can help with a Loft conversion Bristol to help you with that extra space needed.

Inside Out

Alternatively, take the inside out by placing garden furniture, plants and other accessories close to your entrance, creating the illusion of an outside room.

According to HGTV, you could even place a rug on top of a flagged garden floor (although remember to bring it inside if it looks like rain)!

Get Blurry

A common trick is to blur the lines between the outside and inside by making the switch in flooring material a few feet before the actual boundary.

This will create a trompe l’oeil, fooling your mind into thinking the two spaces are linked. Effectual pairings include wooden flooring with stone tiles, or brick with parquet flooring.

Another way of achieving the same effect is by using the same or similar colour of flooring material for both the inside and outside space. For instance, you could install a vinyl interior floor which has a similar colour to your outside tiles.

Wood is Good

One material which works well both indoors and outdoors is solid wood flooring.

Long-lasting and beautiful, solid wood flooring can be used both inside and out – but make sure the type you are using outdoors is weather-proof.

You may have to use two different types, but choose similar colours and ensure the planks run in the same direction and you will ensure you successfully complete the illusion.