Add a Garden Room

If you've been thinking about adding a room to your existing home, I have great news for you. You have a room right outside that can become the extra living space you need without the headaches of expensive construction.

With a little imagination and ingenuity, outdoor space can be transformed into living space that can be used five to seven months out of the year in Ohio. If you add the visual impact of the outdoor space as you look at it from within your home, the area provides pleasure year 'round.

Creating a "room" outdoors is not as expensive as you might think. Planning the room begins much like remodeling indoors: start with the walls, ceiling and floor. Consider for your walls lovely hemlocks, majestic spruce trees or the narrower juniper and arborvitae. Or you can choose large flowering shrubs such as viburnum or lilacs. The ceiling can be made of magnificent large tree limbs with their leafy canopy that enclose and define the space overhead, making you feel more comfortable. The floor, in the sunny areas, is the lush green lawn or ground cover, such as pachysandra, myrtle or euonymus, in shady areas. A well-placed bench under a tree away from the house can make a perfect spot to relax and get away from the telephone or your child's stereo. Accent the edges of your outdoor "room" with flower beds containing annuals, perennials, bulbs, and amenities such as bird feeders or sculpture.

Like any living space, your outdoor room takes some planning and care. Sitting areas should be positioned for easy access and comfort. Notice the directions your eyes naturally follow and place flower beds in your line of sight for maximum enjoyment from indoors and outdoors. You can even redirect the eye away from an undesirable view through use of plants or color combinations. Plant flowers that attract butterfly species. And, don't forget our feathered friends: include a bird feeder, house or bath to add more enjoyment to your new room. These features are attractive by themselves, but I also appreciate the "guests" that they attract: bright red cardinals, and lovely yellow finches as well as hummingbirds frequent my own outdoor living room.

One of the best features of an outdoor room is that it provides a multi-purpose space. I like to spend relaxing hours in my hammock and you can do the same. You can also use the room to practice your golf swing, or throw a party in the largest, best ventilated part of your home. Feeding a crowd is made easy by ample space and cleaning up afterwards is a breeze.

So remember, before you build that you have an entire living room beyond the glass in your window…a room to use and enjoy in some way all year 'round.