Floors Blur the Line Between Inside and Out
Feel the Magic of a Floor That Seems to Flow Right Outside
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As long as I live, I will never forget the first time I experienced the total blurring of the line between indoor and outdoor space. I was vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. When I walked in to this amazing condo, I could see that the whole back wall was open to the outside. As I walked forward, the side walls stopped, and the roof stopped, but the floor just kept going — no threshold, no barrier, no back wall. Next thing I knew, I was on a high terrace overlooking the ocean. Pure magic!
I can tell you that being in this space gave me a feeling of total freedom. I wanted to be barefoot 24/7. In fact, the inside-outside thing was so blurred that I caught myself looking around once in awhile just to check whether I was in or out at the moment. The only way I could really tell was by looking straight up to see if I was under the roof.
Alas, back here in the Pacific Northwest, the buildings seem to all have walls all the way around. And I generally am pretty clear on whether I am inside or outside at any given moment — generally. People often talk about merging the inside with the outside to visually expand their space, and maybe capture a bit of that feeling of freedom. I never forgot the lesson of the floor that just kept on going.
I hope you enjoy these spaces that use their flooring and outside ground covers to successfully minimize the transition point from inside to outside.
I can tell you that being in this space gave me a feeling of total freedom. I wanted to be barefoot 24/7. In fact, the inside-outside thing was so blurred that I caught myself looking around once in awhile just to check whether I was in or out at the moment. The only way I could really tell was by looking straight up to see if I was under the roof.
Alas, back here in the Pacific Northwest, the buildings seem to all have walls all the way around. And I generally am pretty clear on whether I am inside or outside at any given moment — generally. People often talk about merging the inside with the outside to visually expand their space, and maybe capture a bit of that feeling of freedom. I never forgot the lesson of the floor that just kept on going.
I hope you enjoy these spaces that use their flooring and outside ground covers to successfully minimize the transition point from inside to outside.
In this spectacular room, the opening from wall to wall and floor to ceiling is the biggest element that removes any feeling of barriers between the indoor and outdoor area. Here's how the flooring contributes to the feel of a continuous flow to the outdoors. The gray rock in the garden area repeats the color of the concrete flooring and is at almost exactly the same level, so you barely notice the change as you look outside. Having the flooring and the ground cover matching and level goes one step further in merging the exterior and interior.
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| This is what I'm talking about when I say that the floor just keeps going. The flooring material continues with no elevation change or lumpy threshold to step over. A nearly seamless flow to the outdoors! |
Same thing here. The flooring material just continues right on out the door with no interruption.
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| Here there is a track line for the sliding doors, but the flooring material in a smooth pale gray makes the interior of the home feel completely merged with the pool area. |
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by Tervola Designs
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| You can either use the exact same flooring material inside and outside as in the previous photos, or you can use materials so similar that they minimize the change and have the same feel.
In this home, the interior hardwood and the decking material are the same color, but the hardwood has more shine. They are both laid the same direction and the tracks for the sliding doors blend right in. It's still barely noticeable where the inside stops and the outside starts. |
Concrete is used both inside and outside here, but the interior floor is polished. Lining up the joint lines inside and outside gives it a seamless flow despite the change in sheen.
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| In this home, the flooring from the outside is the same as in the dining area, but not in the rest of the interior. The transition from hardwood to concrete seems to reinforce the feel that the dining area and the exterior are a single space. |
Even though the exterior flooring is in smaller sections, it is still gray concrete inside and out, so it feels like the space is continuous.
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| In this example, the flooring and the ceiling material both continue past the sliding door tracks. They both help to reduce the clear line between indoors and outdoors. |
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| Even when there are track lines, as there are for these custom folding doors, keeping the flooring tile the same creates a strong feeling of one continuous space. |
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| The tile here extends from the inside, out both ends of this space. Having walls that completely open is a huge bonus when trying to merge indoor and outdoor spaces. But it wouldn't have quite as much impact if the flooring were different inside and out. |
Not everyone wants to use the same flooring indoors as they do outside. Here they have hardwood inside and stone outside. I am not sure what material is used as a transition line between the two, but the threshold space is absolutely flat, and that also helps to increase that feeling of the indoors flowing on outside.
More:
20 Great Examples of Transitions in Flooring
How to Shop for Ceramic Tile
How to Find the Right Stone Tile
More Flooring Guides
More:
20 Great Examples of Transitions in Flooring
How to Shop for Ceramic Tile
How to Find the Right Stone Tile
More Flooring Guides
Ideabook updated on Aug. 20, 2011.
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If I keep reading all these great Houzz ideabooks, I'll be living in a new house on the same lot before long. ;)
If you live in an area that actually has WEATHER!! -- like snowy places or the Pacific Northwest where it likes to rain sideways -- first of all, you should vacation in Puerto Vallarta -- and second, there are two wise moves for you to make if you want an opening that has a completely flat threshold.
1. Extend that roof way out over the exterior wall, by many feet -- how many depends on your weather.
2. Make sure that your exterior flooring slopes away from your house so any melting snow or run-off from rain goes away from your door -- not toward it.
Consult an architect or the door manufacturer for specifics, then mix a margarita, plunk a little paper umbrella in it and start picking out your flooring. ;0)
adens26 -- being in the Pacific Northwest we do want to take advantage of our beautiful outdoors as much as we possibly can, don't we?!
woodruj -- So glad these ideas came soon enough in your remodel. I hope you can put some of these ideas into practice. They really expand the feeling of space.