Remodeling? If you want your home to reflect more of the outdoors, you should read on to get ideas of how to achieve that…

Focal Point: Who said that the focal point of a room must be in it? Oftentimes the most attractive spot is outside. It could be a serene backyard or a stunning city skyline. The contact with that focal point would be made through windows and doors, but there are more “tricks” to bringing the outside in.

Light: More, bigger Doors and windows would provide more natural light, which is also an energy saver. However, reflective materials, such as mirror and glass or brass and chrome in fixtures, will also bounce light around the room. The kitchen window edge should be down on a countertop line and the window height taller than you might see, to open up the horizon line in your mind and make it feel wider than it really is.

Materials: Select your building materials, infrastructure design, and fixtures to complement nature, such that they’ll add to the aesthetics while maintaining a focus on the view. In a kitchen, for instance, consider having bigger windows and less cabinetry, keeping the style simple and the colors subtle and neutral.

Balance: You don’t want to have too many focal points, but at the same time, with too much openness you may feel exposed. Keep a smart balance of the elements. A lot of color or pattern, especially by the windows, can take the eye away from the view; you want to keep them basic. To address balancing between privacy and maintaining the view, you can use curtains, blinds, and roller shades. You can also tilt the windows or spray the frames around the windows.

Design: Colors play a big role in achieving the right sensation: ‘cool’ colors for bedrooms and bathrooms, and ‘warmer’ colors for your kitchen, by selecting the right stone, tiles and cabinetry wood. A sense of continuity and fluidity can be achieved by connecting rooms to each other and the outdoors, such as in a kitchen which is open to the living room that overlooks a backyard.