London residents seem to have a constant battle with space, whether it’s indoor or outdoor. Adding an extension is a brilliant way to add space and value to your home and, contrary to popular belief; extending out doesn’t have to reduce your from your outdoor space. Bring the outside in by creating a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living. By merging the two together you can create one indoor outdoor living area.
Bi-fold doors allow you to completely open up the room and connect the inside and outside space. If you combine this with a level threshold, when you fold back the bi-fold doors there is nothing distracting the outside from the in. Seamless floor finishes can create a flawless finish and really disguise the divide between inside and out.
Merging the boundaries can also make your garden appear larger, suggests London garden designer Pamela Johnson. Covering fences with climbers such as honeysuckle, ceanothus, pyracantha and euonymus will hide fences and walls that enclose the garden, making it appear far bigger than it is. Pamela also advises that most London gardens get a lot of shade; she recommends using single flowered fuchsias, camellias, golden-leaved philadelphus, variegated holly and fatsia.
Adding outdoor lighting is another way to merge the boundaries between inside and outside. Even if your doors are closed, lighting up outside means you won’t lose your garden to darkness at in the evening and during the night.
Take a look through our gallery for ideas and inspiration for your own Side Return Extension.
