You’ll always use this outdoor space

There’s no time like the present to think about how to make the most of every inch of outdoor space at the new home. And there’s no better source of inspiration than newhome builders, who are adapting their designs to today’s families’ needs with outdoor living features structurally attached to the homes.

We’ve changed the way we live. So let’s find good in the fact that the obligation and need for change have provoked creativity and positive change.

From new-home builders and their buyers to current homeowners and renters around the Bay Area, 2020 has been a year to discover ways to stretch outdoor living spaces across both areas and seasons of the year.

Let’s look at the ways that the so-called California Room and other attached outdoor living areas can bring new life to life at home.

The California Room

Technically, a California Room isn’t a room at all; it is only enclosed on two or three sides, with the third and/or fourth open to a garden, yard or uncovered patio space. In fact, the California Room is the open-air version of the Florida Room or the Arizona Room, which are often enclosed by screens or glass.

Because the California Room isn’t enclosed, it’s not even factored into the square footage of a new home. Think of it as extra space at a time when we can all benefit from more good in our lives.

A defining feature of a California Room is that it sits under the roofline of the home itself. Also a distinguishing factor is the California Room’s smooth transition in flooring, with no step down from the inside of the home to the California Room on the outside. The threshold between indoors and outdoors may only be noticeable by the type of flooring installed on each side of the door.

Some builders enhance this seamless transition by installing full walls of glass doors, either by way of stacking doors, bifolding retractable glass doors or side-by-side 12-foot sliders.

Alternatives to the California Room

Many builders offer other variations of the covered, contiguous outdoor area. These serve the same general purposes as the California Room.

Call it whatever you want. Maybe, for your household, it’s the Outdoor Retreat or the Bay Area Room. There’s no need to get hung up on semantics. Flexible outdoor living space, in fact, has become so highly desired by buyers that a majority of builders offer some version of it within their plans.

Ask your builder what is included and what features can be added to the covered outdoor living space to make it as livable and long-lasting as possible.

The floor plan and elevation of each home’s plan dictate where access points to the outdoor living space are situated and whether certain options, such as a fireplace, are possible.

Before construction, consider the following:

Outdoor electronics

Your builder is already planning to prewire your new home for all kinds of lighting, appliances and technology needs. Make sure they know you want the outside space wired, if it’s not already included.

Before outdoor wiring begins, consider the direction your space faces. The electrician can position wiring for mounted TVS and speakers in places that won’t reflect glare from the sun, streetlights or other objects. After that, decide what custom light fixtures, including ceiling fans, you want installed and where.

Fire pit or fireplace

Space allowing, do you want a built-in fireplace or fire pit at the center of your outdoor living area or along a wall? If you’re not sure, ask your builder what plumbing, electric or gas lines should be preinstalled to give you the flexibility to add a fireplace or fire pit later.

In the meantime, you can shop for free-standing or tabletop patio heaters.

Outdoor furniture

Once you’ve determined the living areas of your outdoor space, decide how much seating and table space you want in the area you’ve carved out for relaxing or entertaining.

Should you consider smaller love seats and more chairs so that people can sit either independently or as couples while maintaining safe distance from one another? Order and purchase within three months of move in so you can enjoy outdoor living on day one.

Outdoor flooring

Every space feels warmer with custom flooring. While you can choose traditional wood or composite decking, your space may feel more like an extension of the inside if you choose a durable laminate flooring or porcelain or ceramic tile in colors or patterns similar to the room(s) leading outside. Stamped, stained or textured concrete is a durable, stylish alternative.

For more hominess in the space, choose lowpile outdoor carpet in a color that complements your furnishings. Have it cut to fit and bound on the edges. Want to mix it up? Choose a few pieces of carpet cut to fit different parts of your space or multiple pieces to change seasonally.