Outdoor Living Trends On The Rise With Fire Pits, Porches & Pools
Tuesday, March 31st, 2020
Staying at home—while very much the safe and smart thing to do for the time being—has many of us dreaming about expanding our living spaces outdoors. The spring blooms, warmer temperatures, and longer evenings are coaxing us outside, at least to our decks and yards, as we seek a safe change of scenery from inside our homes.
Even our local Knoxville area news stations like WBIR are relating to the pull of the outdoors, describing daily weather forecasts with commentary about afternoons that will be just right for kids to take homework outside or about nights that are ideal for grilling out or gathering around a firepit. As a result, many homeowners are now envisioning adding a screened-in porch, or a cozy outdoor entertaining space complete with fireplaces, or maybe even a new pool and cabana with a bar and grill. The possibilities are endless. If you, too, are spending time during these difficult days dreaming about how you might create a new outdoor living area at your home, here are some of our favorite projects that might inspire you:Outdoor Fireplaces For Entertaining & Family Play
When a young couple were trying to watch a football game in their small living room while taking turns to check on their two young daughters who were playing outside, they began to pose questions about what a better scenario would look like for the whole family.
They thought, “What about an outdoor living area with a TV and plenty of room to entertain friends? And how about adding a year-round fireplace, plus plenty of room nearby for their daughters to play within view?” The dream took shape, and the result turned out to be even better than they imagined.
Check out the fireplace entertainment oasis here: An Outdoor Fireplace Addition Just In Time For Football (And Fairies)
For more fresh-air-entertaining inspiration, check out the outdoor living space that we designed for this home in Sherwood Oaks, complete with a circular stone fireplace with custom seating and an outdoor grilling station.
Screened-in Porches To Extend Living Space
A West Knoxville couple found their almost-dream home four years ago, with the “almost” being that it didn’t have a screened-in back porch. A screened-in porch was high on their wish list, but the home did have a large patio that was somewhat awkwardly placed.
Their initial idea was to put a shed roof over the patio, they soon realized this would require moving retaining walls and cutting down trees—both of which were prohibitively expensive endeavors.
An out-of-the-box idea turned out to be the perfect solution. By building an L-shaped screened porch that incorporated the back patio and extended to the side of the house, the structure could be tied together with architecturally pleasing gables—all within budget.
Check out the newly transformed living space here: Thinking Outside-The-Box Creates Outdoor Renovation Solution
For more porch-style inspiration, check out a screened-in porch living area built from the ground up for a home in Whittington Creek. This screened-in porch design included a custom-built fireplace, a grilling kitchen, and a beautiful wood-paneled ceiling.
Pools & Cabanas For Backyard Mini-Resorts
A homeowner in Sequoyah loved his view of the Tennessee river, except that the backyard between the home and the dock was less than inspiring. For years he thought a pool would be perfect in the backyard, just above the dock and river, but he wasn’t exactly sure how he wanted it to look. Once the design was in place, however, he knew that the finished pool would be the missing link that his home and property had needed. The finished pool area quickly became a gathering place for his family and friends to swim, relax, watch television, and play games. Check out how the open backyard with a river-view was transformed into a spectacular river-view pool and entertainment area here: A River-View Pool Provides Missing Link For Sequoyah Home.
For more pool-side inspiration, check out this Sequoyah cabana with a fireplace, grill, and hanging vintage porch swing.
Also check out a sweet River Bend pool house that was designed to be the perfect “mini-me” of the owners’ home. The pool house has the same stone, cedar siding, and roofing that’s on the current home, as well as saved materials from the property’s original home that had been torn down.
River Bend Pool House
Outdoor Living Possibilities
Are you wondering about how you might transform a particular area of your property into an outdoor living space? Here are just a few possibilities:- An infrequently used patio or carport can become an outdoor dining area, or a cozy sun porch.
- Add a roof and screens or glass to an existing open patio or deck for a living space that’s protected year-round from bugs and weather.
- A portion of your yard could become a stone patio with a firepit gathering space, complete with lighting and comfy seating.
- If it’s a bigger change you’re envisioning, perhaps a backyard pool with an outdoor grill and bar is in order.
With endless possibilities—such as hanging bed swing or a covered patio with a stone fire pit and rustic beams, you’ll be ready for outdoor entertaining or relaxing at a moment’s notice. Whatever your dream may be for your outdoor space, we can build it. If you’d like to see other inspiring projects we’re working on, you can find examples of the McCamy quality on our Facebook page, Instagram, or Houzz.
