Southern Home Design: Bringing the Outdoors In and the Indoors Out

In Hilton Head, outdoor living is more than a feature of the home—it’s part of the lifestyle.

The coast’s natural beauty, mild climate, and relaxed pace make it possible to enjoy the outdoors throughout most of the year. For homeowners designing a custom home, that creates an opportunity to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living.

First, The View

Indoor-outdoor living begins with the architecture. Large windows and expansive glass doors can frame views of the pool, landscaping, marsh, golf course, or the ocean waves. Rather than simply providing natural light, windows can become a way to make the landscape part of the interior experience. A living room that opens directly onto a thoughtfully designed outdoor space can change the whole experience of the home!

Seamless Transitions

Large sliding glass doors can open an entire wall of a great room that would have been closed off, to a covered porch or patio. When open, the interior and exterior become one connected living space. When closed, the glass still keeps that visual connection. Complementary materials and colors inside and outside can create a sense that the living space continues beyond the walls of the home.

Design Outdoor Spaces Like Interior Rooms

If you want to bring indoor living outside, think about how you would design a room inside your home:

• Comfortable sofas and lounge chairs

• Outdoor rugs

• Ceiling fans and lighting

• Built-in cabinetry

• Televisions and entertainment systems

• Fireplaces or fire features

• Dedicated dining and entertaining areas

Instead of a patio with a few chairs, think of it as a full outdoor living room. An outdoor kitchen can be designed with the same functionality and attention to detail as the kitchen inside. Pretty much anything can be designed the same as the indoor living spaces, just with weather proof materials or with a shelter / screened in space.

Extend the Kitchen and Dining Spaces Outdoors

The kitchen can become the heart of an indoor-outdoor entertaining space when it connects directly to an outdoor kitchen or dining area.

An outdoor kitchen might include a grill, refrigerator, sink, storage, and spacious countertop. Add a dining table or bar seating nearby, and the space becomes another gathering area rather than simply a place to cook.

A covered outdoor dining room can be just as inviting. Comfortable seating, lighting, a ceiling fan, and perhaps an outdoor fireplace can transform an ordinary patio into a space you'll want to use throughout the year.

Bring the Outdoors In

The connection works in both directions. Natural wood, stone, woven textures, and earthy toned fabrics can bring the character of the Low-country into interior spaces.

A coastal home doesn't always need to rely on obvious beach-themed décor. Sometimes the most sophisticated approach is simply to let the natural environment inspire the interior in subtle ways. Filling your home with indoor plants can also blend the environments, making your home feel more connected with the outdoors.

Let the Pool Become Part of the Home

A pool can be more than a backyard feature. With thoughtful planning, it can become part of the home's overall design. Consider direct views from the kitchen, great room, or primary suite out to the pool. A pool that is visible from the interior becomes part of the home's entire experience. Covered patios, outdoor kitchens, lounge areas, and convenient access to the pool are another way to connect your home from indoors to outdoors.

Design the Whole Experience

If you love to entertain, the kitchen, dining area, outdoor kitchen, and covered porch can work together as one connected space. If relaxing by the pool is a priority, the great room and outdoor living room can be designed around a strong visual and physical connection to the water. The most successful coastal homes don't draw a hard line between where indoor living ends and outdoor living begins.

A custom home gives you the opportunity to create these connections from the beginning and in every way you could imagine.

When you're building a custom home in Hilton Head, make the most of both your home and the incredible coastal setting that surrounds it.