The very concept of housing is predicated upon the fundamental human need for shelter, for protection from the elements. And this predicate holds you true the world over, regardless of region, climate, et cetera. But what about those regions where the climate is actually quite favorable year-round? Those regions where afternoon and evening temperatures are endlessly inviting.
For such places, Las Vegas being among them, the blending of indoor and outdoor living spaces is highly desired. It is also a growing trend and has come to characterize many new luxury homes and the larger communities of which they are a part.
In any given year, the Las Vegas, Nevada metropolitan area enjoys just under 300 days of sunshine. Placing that into context, homeowners can expect an average of 25 sunny days each month. Is it any wonder that homeowners and the builders working to accommodate them are so committed to capitalizing upon this notoriously attractive climate? After all, it would be a shame to lay eyes upon the sun beaming high above while lacking a suitable space in which to enjoy its warmth.
Here are a few ways that seamless indoor-outdoor living is achieved in Las Vegas luxury homes:
1. Courtyard Spaces
The courtyard home is one of humanity’s most ancient of architectural concepts, and with good reason. What homeowner would not be attracted to the idea of an enclosed space with an unimpeded view of the sky above? And this is the basic idea behind any courtyard—wall enclosure surrounded by a larger building and generally devoid of a roof. Variants do exist, with glass ceilings providing a “best of both” compromise, as the courtyard remains insulated from the elements but still allows for daylight to pour in generously. Regardless of how it is your luxury home’s courtyard takes shape, the benefits and uses are many.
Las Vegas luxury homes have been rightly trending towards seamless indoor-outdoor living spaces such as courtyards in recent years, precisely because the region is so uniquely suited to the feature’s various applications. It may come as some surprise, but courtyards throughout history have been designed with a plurality of purposes in mind. And many (if not all) of those listed here are of similar application here and now.
For one, courtyards make ideal semi-outdoor cooking areas on account of the open air and natural lighting they offer, to say nothing for the wind protection provided by the surrounding walls. A second courtyard use, and one of which many Las Vegas home designers have taken note, is that of gardening and various forms of plant cultivation, which ties in well with the modern indoor/outdoor trend. When dissolving the line between indoor and outdoor spaces, a heavy dose of plant life within an enclosed area is enough to keep each feeling convincingly like the other.
A final courtyard function is that of open fireplaces. As noted, Las Vegas enjoys a particularly brilliant ratio of sunshine days to their overcast counterparts, and taking advantage of the climate is but one of many reasons your luxury home should include suitable outdoor accommodations. But while Las Vegas’ daylight hours lean towards the warmer side of the temperature spectrum, evenings can be a bit on the chilly side. Open fireplaces in courtyard settings make for a comfortable setting in which to embrace the cooler desert nights.
2. Outdoor Patios
Patios vary widely in size, shape, style, and intended purpose, with homeowner taste and other design factors largely accounting for differences from one to the next. At their simplest, a patio is little more than a cement slab that extends off forth from a larger structure of some sort.
But luxury homes do not deal in the simple. Instead, sizable, elaborate patios of beautiful design and multi-faceted functionality are to be found in premier housing communities, particularly in areas characterized by good weather, as these yield the seamless indoor-outdoor living-spaces which have been steadily trending. A key to maximizing that seamlessness is the inclusion of larger windowed doors adjacent to the patio space, thereby creating the feel of one, large unrestricted space.
Choice of construction materials contributes greatly to the appearance and overall stylisticidentity of a given patio. While paving flags consisting of stone or cement are standard for many home or restaurant patios, many alternatives are used by home builders to invoke a sense of sophistication, to capture a regional theme, or to comport with artistic vision of the homeowner.
Cobbled patios, for instance, lend a historical feel to a patio setting, while colorful tiles can be set in visually appealing ways. There are many options available where crafting a stunning patio is concerned. Savvy Real Estate Agents are doing their part in showcasing homes that employ these options creatively and in the express interest of degrading the border between indoor and outdoor living spaces.
3. Decks and Balconies
Central to the seamless indoor-outdoor living-spaces trend is the idea of traditionally outdoor features being reimagined and constructed as direct extensions of strictly indoor rooms. Decks and balconies are a uniquely relevant feature in this regard, as they invariably adhere directly to the larger housing structures of which they are a part.
In many two-story houses, an adjoining wooden deck might extend forth from one or both levels, with the latter option including a staircase connecting one level with the next. Las Vegas luxury homes exist in a particularly ideal climate for year-round balcony enjoyment, whether reading by oneself or socializing into the late evening hours.
An attractive balcony aspect is that they can be built to yield privacy, with each bedroom or office possessing its own direct extension to the outdoors. Alternatively, a balcony design might run the full length or width of a home as an effectively uninterrupted open-air room. Larger sliding glass doors are of pivotal importance in allowing for the concept to breathe. Visibility and a sense of pervasive accessibility are vital to ultimately generating the seamlessness, which this growing trend encourages.
4. Porticos
Often mistaken for traditional porches, the portico possesses its own unique architectural identity. The feature also ties in nicely with our seamless indoor-outdoor living-spaces trend, and is finding itself increasingly employed across the luxury home community landscape. Essentially a roofed porch that leads into a home or structure of some sort, porticos are suitably dynamic in their concept to allow for considerable creativity in their realization.
Like a standard porch or loggia, the portico extends directly off of the house itself, which is to say that windows built in to either the entryway or into the neighboring walls will contribute to a feeling of openness and outdoor continuation.
If sufficient square footage is devoted to the portico, the adorning of its confines with tasteful furnishings and potted plants will contribute mightily to a sense of its being a livable space and a true extension of the house within. Ensuring that both home occupants and visitors have the same sense of being both inside and outside at once; the portico is an age-old means of achieving that end.
5. Pocket Doors
The pocket door is a broadly applicable measure that can be used to enhance the seamless indoor-outdoor living-space concept at every turn. By sliding into a wall pocket (hence the name), these doors yield a sense of continuity between whichever spaces they are otherwise intended to compartmentalize. By allowing the door to simply vanish rather than take up space in a conventionally hinged state, its functionality does not impinge upon that indoor-outdoor relationship which modern trends have dictated. Instead, the transition feels more organic, less prone to impediment or disruption.
A common and hugely attractive pocket door placement option is within the wall separating a great room or kitchen from a patio or balcony space. Using double-doors makes perfect sense in those instances, as wall space is generally not in short supply and the need for a broader access point is to be expected. Guests moving to and from throughout the house tend to do so where space and thresholds allow for as much.
Double-wide pocketed doorways encourage easy and intuitive motion from one area of your luxury home to the next. And even in the absence of guests, the additional doorway width ensures a healthy and generous helping of the outdoors will visit itself upon your otherwise indoor living areas. No matter the specific purpose at any given moment, pocketed doorways are an ideal means of doing away with unnecessary (and unpopular) barriers between the inside and the out.
Finding Las Vegas Luxury Homes
When you’re ready to find a Las Vegas luxury home that blends the inside with the outside, I can help. With years of experience in the Las Vegas luxury market, it would be my pleasure to assist you in the search for your dream home. Contact Today to get started!
