A Well-Designed Outdoor Space is All You Need for 2021

Project Details

Project Description

We are down to the last few months of what turned out to be the most unpredictable year this generation has seen. Though some parts of our lives have changed for good, one thing hasn’t shifted: our homes are still our safest haven, and it’s just wise to make it a sanctuary where we can live and function comfortably under any significant circumstance.

Right now, let’s talk about your outdoor space. If you have some extra square footage outside, maximize its use by making it an extension of your home. Whatever creative ideas you have, the key is always BALANCE.

Ask any interior designer, artist, or architect out there, and they will say the same thing: outdoor spaces should always be the right mix of comfort, function and fun. We see a ton of outdoor living solutions while we flick through design websites, but all trends in 2021 all point to one – PERGOLAS! They’re cool, they’re stylish, and they can definitely turn any space’s look around 360 degrees. While it looks like it’s totally uncomplicated to design your outdoor space, it’s actually more challenging than it looks. Remember, it’s an investment, and anything that comes out of your pocket should be worth every penny.

Ask yourself these questions: What can my property accommodate? What kind of space do I want/need? How much money am I willing to spend? How can I create a space that can be used year-round? Will the upgrades increase my property value? Site, function, and budget are all critical factors to consider when designing an outdoor space. The answers to all of those questions will help inform choices well beyond furniture selection, like whether to add fixed structures, water features, or built-in appliances.

When choosing pergolas, it all boils down to technicalities. An outdoor space – and any structure you put in there to protect your assets - must be designed to withstand the elements. Even the most well-curated outdoor lounge or kitchen will remain underutilized unless it can be protected from rain, sun, and extreme temperatures. StruXure pergolas, for example, offer protection and durability. The motorized pivoting louvers, which can be shifted at the touch of a button to let the warm sunshine through or to optimize shade, can be fully closed on rainy days. StruXure products are made from durable, powder-coated extruded aluminum, which makes them scratch-resistant, non-corrosive, and nearly maintenance-free. Pergolas can also serve as anchors, helping to define unique spaces within a larger, multi-purpose backyard design.

Treat your outdoor space as an extension of your interiors. Add a high-quality pergola that will stand the test of time—one that can be matched to your home’s architecture and color scheme—and then turning that protected space into any “room” your family desires: outdoor living room, theater, kitchen, spa. Wouldn’t 2021 be more exciting with all these wonderful things right at the comforts of your own home?

No one knows for certain what the coming year will be like. One thing’s for sure: we have our homes as our main sanctuary, a place where we stay fully connected to our element. Give your home the best design it deserves.

For this specific project, frustration had grown for the owners of this rural Ohio home. The protection they’d hoped for from a wooden pergola at the edge of their patio was not being delivered, not to mention the wood was hard to maintain and seemed to attract bees.

An advertisement led Rod and Marlene to check out the Pergola X, and the more they learned about the automated pivoting louvers, the low maintenance powder-coated aluminum, and special options, like cornices and colors, they were sold. In fact, they were so impressed by the functionality that instead of just replacing their existing wooden pergola, they expanded the project to cover a larger area of their patio.

StruXure Outdoor Ohio helped the couple choose a two-step cornice upper trim option that looked almost identical to the stacked molding in their patio-adjacent kitchen. Now they have a cozy outdoor space that provides shade and protection beyond expectations…and no more bees.