A California room is one of the most trendy home design ideas that has grabbed the attention of architects and homebuyers across many regions.
This outdoor space that is protected from the elements poses a lot of opportunities for homeowners, their family members, and guests to enjoy the outdoors.
Here are a few design ideas for California rooms to help you build the ultimate modern addition to your home.
What is found in a California room?
A California room typically features two or more walls and a ceiling that connect the space to the main house. The ceiling can be fitted with a fan to ensure that the space remains cool during hotter seasons.
In larger floor plans, any homeowners also opt for a fireplace so that they can still enjoy the California room during cold evenings and nights.
A fire feature is ideal because it brings people together, whether it is roasting marshmallows or huddling around to listen to music or to tell stories. This will help you create lasting memories with loved ones, and it will encourage you to enjoy the space even more.
You can furnish a California room as if it were indoors to create an effortless transition between core areas inside and outside the home.
A California room ought to feature a seating area with comfortable seating options where you can gather with a group of friends to relax.
You can consider a large dining table or a more compact pub-style table that you can savor both meals and drinks in while enjoying the surrounding nature.
If your California room is heated or cooled, it technically turns into a room and can be considered as a part of the square footage of a house when it is time to sell.
However, even without heating or cooling, many people with a California room consider it an extra room in the house.
California room décor
While California rooms play into people’s embracing of the outdoors, they also allow homeowners to bring some traditional indoor comforts to outdoor activities.
You can add a full bar, a television, and even carpeting to a California room, transforming them into something resembling a living room with the addition of fresh air and spectacular surrounding views.
There have been significant advances in materials, lighting, and rugs that allow stylish and luxurious outdoors to be achieved similarly to indoor spaces.
These advances include all-weather finishes for materials, outdoor rugs, and intricate outdoor lighting. So, take your time to identify items that complement what you have indoors, remembering to prioritize weather-proof materials.
Try to test drive some sofas to make sure they are comfortable for lounging, and you can splurge to ensure quality.
Designers recommend incorporating outdoor lighting, preferably on a dimmer switch. This will help you set the mood for any activity you enjoy in a California room.
In terms of accessories, try to match whatever you have adorning your indoor spaces. These may be artsy frames, bookshelves, mirrors, table lamps, sculptures, and even plants or indoor trees.
Incorporating the same theme you have indoors into the California room with further ease the transition between these spaces, making your home feel like a bigger and more cohesive unit.
Adding these elements of décor and furnishings creates intimate spaces where people can gather for special occasions or just enjoy a nightcap after a long day at work.
Tips for getting started with a California room
Just like with any other part of the home, you need to plan the space in a California room for your intended function.
When thinking about how you want to use it, consider what furniture you would like to incorporate, visualize their sizes and how they will be laid out.
Designers recommend using a scaled model or drawing to see how much space you will need. Remember to plan for adequate traffic flow and clearances.
Something else you will have to think about is your desired focal points. Does your home offer great views? Can you catch the sunset, or do you prefer to cuddle up in front of a fire to enjoy some TV?
The space should be designed to invite people to lounge outdoors and encourage them to linger on any spectacular view.
Therefore, it is a good idea to situate your California room near that part of the home that is exposed to a good view of the outdoors.
You may also want to consider how you want to open up your home to the outdoors. Designers recommend expansive openings that blur the boundaries between the indoors and the outdoors.
These allow for full open views of the surrounding environment and cool breezes flowing into the California room.
Many doors and window manufacturers offer to stack, sliding, and folding features that can span across entire walls. These doors and windows effectively double the living spaces and allow plenty of light to flood into the home all year round.
It is important to create a decent flow between a California room and the rest of the home. Designers recommend leveling out the floor of the California room to the height of the adjacent indoor space.
This way of maintaining consistency in flooring in addition to color scheme and furnishings effortlessly creates the illusion of one large open plan space, forming a smooth transition.
Conclusion
A California room is often referred to as the ideal embodiment of indoor-outdoor living, merging the comforts and design of the indoors with the views and fresh air of the outdoor setting.
An ideally executed design for a California room is a good way to add some value to your home while creating the perfect space for entertaining and enjoying your home all year round.
Do some research on the internet and enlist the services of an experienced designer and builder to ensure you get the best possible California room for your home.
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