Live the Indoor-Outdoor Lifestyle with a Fantastic Kitchen Extension

When you're planning a kitchen extension, it is the perfect time to look at how you use the space and create a fantastic outdoor space that flows from the kitchen - making dining outside and entertaining much easier. Even if you don't have the budget for a full extension, simply redesigning the existing space can give the room more of an inside-outside feel.

Here we've put together some inspirational ideas to help you use your kitchen space better, both indoors and outdoors.

The Classical Contemporary Look

Living in a period property doesn't mean that you have to stick with a classical design, and there are ways you can incorporate a contemporary kitchen without it looking out of place.

For instance, if you're adding on a kitchen extension to the original house, this could feature a fusion of design, with both modern and traditional features, such as stainless steel combined with classical oak floors.

To create the indoor-outdoor finish, you could install traditional French doors that lead out on to a modern outside dining area.

Accommodating Different Layouts

Not all properties benefit from a traditional layout with living space on the ground floors, but you can still give your kitchen an outdoor feel even if it doesn't lead directly on to the garden.

Often houses will have living rooms and kitchens on the first floor to make better use of the space or benefit from fantastic views. If this is the case, consider adding a balcony that can be accessed from the kitchen and create a cosy space for dining. To make the most of the views and light, you can use glass balcony railings to open up the space.

A Free -Flowing Space

Often the problem with outdoor dining areas is that they can feel disjointed and cut off from the rest of the property. However, by treating the space as part of the house, you can use similar design hues to give it a more seamless appearance.

For instance, you can use wood-effect tiles that are suitable for indoors and outdoors so that the flooring runs throughout the whole space and makes it feel like one single room.

Another way to achieve this type of finish is to bring matching design schemes into both spaces, such as an industrial metallic finish or contrasting materials, like using timber fencing that blends in with the fronts of your kitchen units.