If you’re like many homeowners, you have a blossoming desire to bring the outdoors in-and to expand your living spaces onto porches, decks and courtyards. Carefully planning the style of windows and doors in your home is an important step in creating a seamless transition from the inside comfort of your home to the natural beauty of its surroundings.
“Transitional spaces between the home and garden invite residents to spend more quality time outdoors,” says award-winning garden designer and host of the television show “P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home,” P. Allen Smith.
He says regardless of your neighbourhood or the type of house you have, you can use the windows and doors in your home to take full advantage of what nature has to offer.
Smith suggests planning your home in a way that maximizes your views, increases natural light and provides easy access to outdoor entertaining. When he recently built his own garden home retreat, he focused on these areas and used windows and doors. Here’s a closer look:
- Bi-fold doors, which open up accordion-style, provide a vast opening that maximizes the amount of warm, natural sunlight in a room and perfectly complements outdoor entertaining.
- Frame stunning views of landscapes with large picture windows. A picture window will provide the unique combination of unobstructed views and cross-ventilation to bring in the fresh air.
- Sliding patio doors are a traditional option when planning a backyard deck or courtyard. Choose a four-panel door for a greater expanse of glass and a larger opening. Also look for top-hung panels for smooth operation and dual-point locks for security.
“For several years now I have been touting the idea of the garden home, a place that blurs the lines between indoors and out, expanding our living space into the garden and our garden into our homes. My garden home retreat is my expression of this concept,” said Smith.
You can find a wide range of house plants and indoor and outdoor garden accessories in our Garden collection
Stephen Watson is the co-founder of Shades4Seasons and manages the day to day operations of the store. As a professional copywriter Stephen manages the store's social media marketing and content creation. Stephen has published long-form articles and blogs extensively on LinkedIn on topics ranging from technology to self-improvement and commercial matters. He is also a published author with his collection of poetry "The Milling Street Tales". You can find out more about Shades4Seasons founders here.
