A modern home’s blueprint is not anymore limited to the four walls of the house. The space between the walls and the fence, and sometimes more, are all part of your new Calgary infill home. This includes the driveway, the front yard, the backyard, and anything in between. Combine practicality and aesthetics with the following ideas for all your extra space.

1. Outdoor Dining Area

One of the most common uses of outdoor space, a dining area in your backyard is perfect for family gatherings on special occasions. In designing outdoor dining, you must first decide the ambiance that you want to work with. Will it have a long table perfect for a large group or a space with small tables for more intimate conversations? Once you've answered this question, you can decide how to design the whole area.

The next step to consider is choosing the material for your dining set: wood, metal, or wicker. This is, again, dependent on the dining experience that you want for your space and the general climate in your area. Wooden dining sets fit well with a backyard that has a lot of vegetation, metal dining sets are suited for places that have a windy climate as the material will not easily tear down, and wicker chairs provide a comfortable setting in your backyard.

The third factor is sun exposure. As a host, you would want to make your guests as comfortable as possible and away from the harsh rays of the sun. Again, depending on your dining area’s form and function, there are a number of umbrellas and shades to choose from. You can select from dining umbrellas that come in various shapes, sizes, and colors; retractable awnings that are anchored on one side and can be rolled out as needed; and pergolas made of wood, wrought iron, and aluminum.

2. Outdoor Entertainment

Why not extend your living room, home theater, and media center to an outdoor room! With the right accessories, you can set up surround sound, outdoor couches, and a flat-panel television or projection screen in your backyard. You can use outdoor speakers that are customized to blend with ambient sound, lights hidden under fake rocks and plant life to create your own backyard theater. Be sure to consider, however, the protection of these appliances from weather conditions such as humidity, sun exposure, and frequent rains. You can also add darts, lawn games, and game tables in your outside entertainment space to make your infill home backyard the most popular room in your house.

3. Accent Your Poolside

Your house’s pool area can be as interesting and luxurious as any five-star resort. You can accent your backyard with a beach house, fountains, and lighting depending on the theme that you're going for in your backyard. Your landscaping can be complimented by a cascading mini-waterfall or pond.

Depending on your vision, you can transform any free outdoor space into an elegant extension of your home. Just put your creativity and imagination to work, and your infill home's outdoor area can look just as great as its interior. The experts at Sunset Homes can connect you with leading landscape designers so you can create the backyard of your dreams.