Ideas For Outdoor Living Spaces In Wisconsin

Today creating an outdoor living space is an increasingly popular project for homeowners seeking to add a stylish and functional area to their home. The trend towards indoor/outdoor living has taken off, and an elegant outdoor living room or kitchen gives everyone more room to spread out. It's a great space for entertaining on warm summer nights and can give your home a feeling of spaciousness that can't be beaten.

How the space ultimately looks is entirely up to you. Whether it's a simple seating area under a beautiful pergola or a complete outdoor kitchen and living room under a covered stone patio with a fire pit and dining area, it all depends on your creative vision and your budget. However, no matter what you choose, there are a few features that the majority of outdoor living spaces share.

If you're considering an outdoor living space here are some ideas to get you started.

Consider Form and Function When Planning Your Outdoor Living Space

Designing the perfect deck outdoor living space for madison wi home — this 2000’s home in Middleton had no back yard connection before the deck addition and screened porch refurbishment. an andersen 10’ wide 4-panel patio door was installed to connected to the kitchen area, and provide backyard access.

When designing your outdoor living space, take aesthetic cues from your existing home. Consider the indoor-outdoor flow of your space. Bringing elements of the outdoors in and using textures borrowed from indoors can create a natural transition between the spaces.

For example, if your home's fireplace is made of marble, using a similar or complementary colored marble or travertine floor tile can draw the eye outdoors. If the outdoor patio is off of the main living area of your home, opening up the wall with floor to ceiling windows and beautiful French doors can create a natural transition from indoors to out.

If you include an outdoor kitchen, consider the amenities you'll need. If it's a simple grilling station, will you be bringing food from your indoor kitchen? This will dictate where you will place your outdoor elements.

Adding The Right Features For Comfort and Style

Luxury Patio and Outdoor Kitchen Design Madison WI-21.jpg — This patio includes options for lounging in a chaise, seating at the grilling station, a bar by the hot tub, and Adirondack chairs by the fire pit.

Ultimately, your outdoor space will be a gathering spot for family and friends. One of the best investments you can make is plush, comfortable seating. Comfy seating will ensure that your outdoor space gets plenty of use.

When designing your space remember comfort, quantity, and size matters. Outdoor furniture can be an investment so make sure that you purchase pieces that fit your need and reflect your style. Read reviews, check out pieces in your local big box store and sit in them before you commit.

When you've got your outdoor furniture home, it becomes all about placement. Seating works best in small groups that allow family and friends to gather and chat. If it's strictly for family, a single grouping may work. If you love to entertain consider creating multiple gathering areas.

If your home doesn’t have a great connection with ample windows and patio doors looking out to your backyard, then this can be the perfect time to make that change. There is no better way to make your indoor space feel bigger, and to make your outdoor space more usable, than to ensure they are fully connected to each other. A large patio door such as an Andersen 4-panel sliding patio door will make your home truly impressive - while at the same time making your outdoor living space more inviting and more attractive. It’s how you bring the outdoors, in!

Consider Adding A Heat Source

Firepit patio stamped concrete design madison wi — A fire pit and patio can be the perfect way to unite the family on a summer eve.

Summertime in Wisconsin can be pretty fantastic, but it's also pretty short! Adding a heat source can give you an extended outdoor season. Whether it's a small fire pit or a larger built-in fireplace adding heat increases the amount of time you can spend enjoying your outdoor space. If you have smaller children, an open fire pit can be a risk. Adding a propane heat lamp can often provide enough heat to keep you outdoors on those chilly Wisconsin evenings.

They're readily available at most big box home improvement stores and are a very functional and affordable option.

Protect Yourself From The Elements

deck and screened porch madison wi — Protect yourself from sun, rain, and bugs with a screened porch - the ultimate way be sheltered but feel like being outdoors!

Along with adding a heat source, including a covered area in your outdoor space can enhance your enjoyment. It too can extend your outdoor season, and you'll be glad you added a covered area in less-than-ideal weather. This design element will come in handy when facing everything from heavy winds and rain, to scorching summer heat.

When considering a covering, you have plenty of options. Permanent pergolas are becoming increasingly popular. They not only offer functionality, keeping you dry in the rain but can also add a dramatic focal point to your outdoor space. However, large umbrellas, awnings, or even indoor-outdoor sunrooms are affordable options.

If you're considering a covered area, your best bet it to work with your designer or design-build-remodeling contractor to incorporate one into your design. Let them know how you envision using the space as well as any budget considerations. They can help you to determine the best option to meet your needs and budget.

Add Design Elements That Reflect Your Style

Designing the perfect outdoor living space stamped concrete and pergola — this home received a stylish stamped concrete patio and pergola. the owner’s choice of bright green chairs and umbrella fit perfectly with the design.

Once you have all of your features in place, the next step is to focus on your design. For the most part, interior design rules apply to any space indoors or out. While this is true, outdoor living rooms have a few unique considerations you need to be aware of.

Outdoor seating is typically sold as a group and can be a little monotonous if used by itself. You'll need to add other design elements to create visual interest. Combining a variety of patterns, colors, and textures can create visual interest.

Adding outdoor textiles like pillows or an outdoor rug are good places to start. They can bring in visual interest but are easily swapped out if trends change, or you're creating a new look. Another great choice is adding greenery like potted flowers or smaller shrubbery in interesting planters. Even structural elements like pathways, decks, patios, gazebos, water features and retaining walls can play a role in your design if you work with complementary materials and finishes.

An outdoor living space can be designed to reflect your style, and compliment the architecture of your home. Some features are simple and cozy, while others like pergolas or patio coverings will require professional planning and construction. The bottom line is that you have so many choices that it can be difficult to get started. The best solution is to speak with a design-build-remodel firm that offers outdoor hardscaping and design services. They can work with you to develop a design that can meet your needs, fit your budget, and be expanded over time as your needs change.

If you're considering adding an outdoor living space to your home, give the experts at Degnan Design Build Remodel a call. Our team is ready to help you create an outdoor space that will complement the exterior of your home, meet all of your needs, add value to your home and provide you and your family with years of outdoor enjoyment.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 11/2/2022.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.