Need inspiration for dead outside space
Awal
5 years ago
Hi. We are looking to do something with this outside space to the right of our conservatory. Initially we were going to just build an open lean in/shelter like our neighbours have (please see 2nd picture) but are now wondering if we could do something different that could make that space more useable. Currently it’s dead space that we use for laundry. When it’s warm we sit in the garden (in front of the conservatory and when it’s cold we sit in the conservatory (which we use a lot due to the lovely natural light). Has anyone been able to make use of this kind of space? Any inspiration much appreciated!
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rinked
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Need inspiration to cover outside oil tank!
Comments (1)How big is the oil tank, and how much space do you have? Can you create a structure like this surrounded by large leaf plants, like hosta? But if you have enough space I would use it to my advantage by placing an appropriately sized storage shed in front of it. [houzz=]...See MoreCalling all inspired architects and designers. Help needed!!!
Comments (15)Good morning!, Well i've been at this one now for nearly 2 1/2 hours! One of the main problems is the entrance. I didn't want to incorporate the garage, as with a full house, outside storage is all important, I know just how much stuff we have in ours. I also kept in mind the your requirement for front to back access. Thus, i moved the entrance to the other side of the house ( garage side ), Hopefully when postie arrives he will naturally presume the entrance is on that side, ( i think you would! ) I split the kitchen / downstairs cloakroom to give you a much bigger cloakroom / downstairs shower room - don't know if you have dogs, but very handy for washing them and mucky kids without trapsing upstairs! This split area also gives you your Utility Room. ( However, you could have a smaller cloakroom and a bigger Utility dependant on your own requirements. ) Also, I extended slightly across the front to the left to make downstairs slightly bigger ( filling in the gap on the original plan ) - and give way to two reception rooms, so the front will be continuous with no set back. ( That part could be dependant on budget, as you could make do with a slightly smaller 2nd reception. ) So, some more planting in the front garden will ensure that you know there is no entrance on the left. Bearing in mind that a house full of kids / teenagers can be very noisy and that zoning would also be my preference, I put the two main reception rooms at the front, seperated them by a nice hallway and gave you a study / music / teenage den in the middle of the house, off the kitchen diner. The extension ( preferably full height to allow amendments to the upstairs ) gives the noisey heart of the home to the rear. If you do the full height extension it gives way further to a much larger Master bedroom suite, a family bathroom, and a seperate toilet / shower room ( All of that will be dependant on your budget. ) The build itself in my lowly opinion is infinitely do'able on your budget, where a lot of people go wrong, is that they just don't realise how much of the budget goes on refurbishing the internals, ( New Kitchen, bathroom fitting, flooring etc ) So keep a good chunk for that! Always get at least 3 quotations for the build, and try and get a fixed price one if you can. I hope that covers it, and that you can imagine what it looks like walking around the new layout. It's easy for the experts, but no so easy for the homeowner, as quite often you can get stuck on what things look like at the moment. Try and blank that out, and imagine a completely different house. Good luck x...See MoreInspiration desperately needed!! Need serious outside the box thinking
Comments (21)How about open book shelves at the front with a sliding ladder for access and a hidden storage space behind. We’re always happy to help if you need any further advice. If you’d like one of our floor plan design experts to help you optimise your space - visit our website: www.betterspace.co We offer a low, a fixed-price package that include tailored design, furniture layout recommendations and a professional floor-plan drawing as well as a 3D package which includes a 3D floor-plan and photo-realistic images that will help you visualise your new design. You can use promo code ‘houzz’ for a further 15% discount!...See Moredesign ideas for my outside space!
Comments (9)Hi there, you're project got me interested and I had a bit of spare time this morning so I've done a little design sketch. Had a look at the thread on the gardeners world forum and I can see that you'd like something quite modern. First things first I agree with painting the garage a dark grey and black, think it will create a dramatic backdrop for planting etc. I've put a pergola by the side of the garage which extends slightly in front to obscure it a bit. Since this area is likely to have a fair bit of shade I thought it would be best to keep it as such so you'll have a cool place to sit on hot days. On the left I've put in raised beds which could be rendered in white (see inspo pics), the one at the back could be raised a little higher and used for shade loving plants, the one by the patio could be lower down and possibly have a built in seat. Where the patio curves round at the moment I think would be much better squared off and either another raised bed or possibly a pond with small water fountain. I wouldn't extend the back raised bed the full length of the wall since the tree is well established and raising the soil level around it will most likely kill it. Where I've marked feature, this could be anything, water feature, sculpture, anything interesting really. The driveway is the difficult part as I wouldn't want to make anything too permanent. The only suggestion I can think of is to have some large plants like palms, ferns, grasses or cordyline (lots of options) which will thrive in a pot and possibly have them on wheel bases so you can move them easily if you needed to drive a car to the garage. Or you could just invest in a barrow for moving heavy pots:) Throughout I've tried to maintain something of interest to look at from each window of the house. Anyway hope this helps and I'll post a comment on gardeners world as well but I find Houzz much better for showing images. You have some great suggestions for planting so couldn't really top that;)... here's the plan:...See More- PRO
User
5 years agoDifficult to cover as you'll block the light to the conservatory, kitchen and the room with the casement doors. I'd have a big tidy up, paint the doors and the conservatory to add colour, put in a deck and make it a lovely patio / bbq area.
You could also put up a non-covered pergola with plants and lights, perfect for summer without blocking too much light .
E D
5 years agorinked
5 years agoGreat idea ED, such as decorative exterior tiles! Or deck tiles. (preferably the same height as the conservatory steps)
- PRO
Awal
5 years agoOh wow - thank you for the comments so far. I have to admit I was expecting recommendations to extend the conservatory, which is my husband’s top idea at the moment (please see photo - though in our case, the extension would be to the right rather than to the left as in the photo). This is simply because since moving in we spend a huge amount of time in the conservatory as it is open planned to our kitchen.
Love the idea of patterned tiles - never thought to use patterns for outside space.
Awal
5 years agontenwick
5 years agoI have a similar space and it’s nice to pop out for a cup of tea and some fresh air I painted a love seat and filled some planters for a cheap solution.
Awal
5 years agontenwick
5 years agoI would really love one of these pizza ovens or outside kitchen space but it’s so expensive!
Jonathan
5 years ago- PRO
User
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoDare i say it....................probably.......................conservatories have had their day. They will add space, but you have to keep closing the doors and going in and out as they're not the warmest of places unless you splash out on glass roofs, or dismiss the roof design and go for a solid plastered ceiling etc.
I don't think it's dead space, it could be a really nice patio right outside the conservatory, after all, you wouldn't constantly want to sit on the grass, you have a patio. It's also directly off the lounge or dining area.........perfect.
I know that extensions are more expensive, however, they add room and light because you can take the internal doors away. If you need more space, i'd get rid of the the conservatories and have an extension across the back taking in both spaces. Putting up another conservatory is just adding another box, and it will darken the room to the right and hide the lovely casement doors.
So, an extension right across the back taking the two areas in is far preferable. It adds permanent space usable all year round with no internal doors getting in the way.
rachelmidlands
5 years agoAgree with above comments. If you build any kind of structure unless it had a proper glass roof then you risk decreasing the amount of light you get in the house. The wooden doors are beautiful and look original so it would be a shame to get rid if you went down the full extension route. For now all I would do is freshen things up with a lick of paint and patio ideas as suggested above and generally make the area an inviting area to sit. Bring in lots of colourful items such as planters, seats and seat cushions, plants etc. This may sound like sacrilege to others but I reckon the wooden doors and the conservatory would look good painted in black or anthracite, although I do like MATHs mock-up with the sage green:) (there are professionals that can spray paint upvc windows). Some inspiration:
Awal
5 years agoThank you for all the photos - very inspirational and exactly we needed to get some ideas ticking. We really like the wall decking - would never have thought of those.
As for the overall project, to give some context we have 3 boys who constantly bring mud into the house so a patio with some shelter would be practical. As mentioned, since moving in, the conservatory is prob one of the top spaces that we use because so much light comes in plus it is open plan to the kitchen. However, while the conservatory is ideal adult sanctuary space, it has inevitably become haven for leaving football boots and wellies so would be great to create practical usage out of the outside side space so mud and shows are left outside (not to mention toys).
What are your views on something like a canopy extension like these in the photo - would be much cheaper than an extension and means we keep the original French casement doors
- PRO
User
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoI'd go for something slightly more upmarket and in keeping with the age of the house, so a covered pergola would work well, plus you can grown clematis up it and make it look pretty. The UPVC one whilst practical, is a little cheap looking.
Along the fence side you could also include an outside storage cupboard / unit, so many to choose from. You can also buy patio furniture that includes storage so no need for a wellie in sight! Have a look on Keter.com, so much to choose from.
Plus as it's under cover, there's no need to keep getting cushions in at the first sight of rain. Awal
5 years agoAwal
5 years agorachelmidlands
5 years agoI hear what you’re saying:) I have a love hate relationship with my conservatory. Too hot, too cold, dog keeps dragging in sticks to chew on, but yet it’s one of my favorurite places to sit because of the light. If you like the canopy idea then go for it but I would recommend that the roof of it is clear glass, not the corrugated plastic stuff, we have that on our carport and it does decrease the light in the house not to mention ugly. Another idea is a retractable awning. Then you could have shelter, light as you need it.
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User
5 years ago Emily O'Byrne
5 years ago
E D