Open bi-fold doors opening into large living room with dining area

How to create an indoor/outdoor living space/alfresco

alfresco living

Australians love alfresco dining and with its idyllic climate, there’s no better place for it than in Queensland. Creating the perfect indoor/outdoor living and Entertainment space in the comfort of your own home can be easily achieved through some simple renovations. Sliding, stacker, hinged and bifold doors provide scope for design projects that create a seamless transition from your homes interior through to the outdoors, opening up your existing space to become the ultimate alfresco area for dining and relaxing all year round.

Here are our top tips on how to create a seamless indoor/outdoor living area, along with helpful design examples for great looking alfresco spaces that blend in with your existing indoor living rooms.

Pergolas

Pergolas create the feel of an outdoor room, blending all the fresh air and heat or cool breezes of the outdoors with stylish and comfortable furniture. Pergolas are an easy way to create an indoor/outdoor flow in your house, with its framework simply built as an extension to your home. Pergolas can either stand alone as a signature feature, or connect your indoor entertainment area with your outdoor space. Pergolas are popular for providing a shady spot for summer dining and have the potential to add great value to your home.

Bi-fold Doors

One of the most popular and striking methods of linking indoor and outdoor entertaining areas is to install bi-fold doors. These days, bi-fold doors are smooth and effortless operating systems that provide a stylish, reliable and functional statement for your home. Bi-fold doors with large windows frame the view of your outdoor surroundings and let in beautiful natural light when closed. They provide the flexibility to transform the flow of your entire house. Aluminium bi-fold doors can be specifically coated to integrate with timber decking outdoors or your home’s interior.

Stacker Doors

Similar to bi-fold doors, stacker doors are a great way to create an easy extension from your indoor kitchen or living space to an outdoor entertainment area. Stacker doors also provide maximum daylight with minimal vertical distraction. With stacker doors, you can either open just one portion of the glass door for day-to-day access, or all portions, to create a seamless flow from the inside, out.

Bi-fold Windows

Create a moving glass wall and open the interior of your home to the outdoors with aluminium bi-fold windows. Both functional and attractive, bi-fold windows provide unobstructed views of your surroundings, as well as natural light and ventilation. Their innovative design makes them a unique and ideal feature for use as a counter window from your kitchen to your outdoor entertaining and dining areas. Aluminium bi-fold windows can also be coated in a range of colours to perfectly suit the look of your home.

Expert Design Advice

Need help deciding on the right way to create an indoor/outdoor space in your home? Speak to an expert at Southern Cross Windows today for more design advice.

open bi-fold windows

Selecting Windows and Doors for your Home Renovation

3 Simple Solutions To Help You Decide on the right Window or Door for your Home!

It can be so frustrating and time consuming!

You know when you think you know what is right for your home renovation but then you see something spectacular and YOU JUST WANT IT!!

So what should you do when that happens?

You need to see what’s going to work for your home as windows and doors are a key part of a home’s character and atmosphere – they provide views, daylight, ventilation and a sense of spaciousness.

There are a range of factors to consider when choosing the right windows and doors…

1 – Function

Windows and doors by definition are expected to provide uninterrupted views and control airflow, whilst operating effortlessly. You need to ensure the window suits the area so for example you wouldn’t put a bifold in a toilet. But being on the Gold Coast and you love to entertain a bifold window would be great addition to your kitchen. A lot of homes now have the bifold window with no bottom sill if the kitchen bench top runs from the inside to the outside and you don’t want a break in the stone top (as seen below).

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Bi-fold Window Design

2 – Design

You may have your heart set on a certain product mainly because you see them on TV or at a prize home. Now this is fantastic but these homes have been built to have this design incorporated and the structure is designed to suit the free flowing bifold doors onto a deck etc. Now if you are doing a full renovation to your home to have this than fantastic and we can offer free advise and the best time to have your new bifold doors installed so there minimal disruption to your renovation.

Our Last tip….

bifold doors

3 – Affordable Quality and Value

Windows and doors are expected to perform at peak levels for an extended period of time. Selection based solely on cost may be regretted over time. Consider factors such as maintenance and resale value. Your aim should be to get the quality you want and the options you desire, at a price you can afford.

We use Stainless steel components and heavy duty rollers and hardware on all doors giving our customers peace of mind that our doors are here to stay.

We work with you on your selection so you don’t have an off the shelf product; it’s precision cut to be 100% accurate each and every time and we have specifically trained a bifold door specialist to ensure your product is correct to meet your requirements.

If you are still interested in a bifold door or window or any other glass window or door for your home renovation contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you

Open bi-fold doors opening into large living room with dining area

Bifold Doors for Home Extensions on the Gold Coast

You live on the Gold Coast so you want to create the feeling of the inside to outside free flow. You may even want to extend your entertainment area but don’t want to be restricted in the capabilities and the free flow from your new deck from the alfresco are to the newly laid timber floor boards. Then our bifolds are exactly what you need to achieve this wonderful feeling.

Our Bifold doors have the ability to stack to one side, or multiple to both sides and can be top hung or bottom rolling depending on what suits your home and what you want to achieve.

Our bifold doors are strong and durable and built to last; we are based on the Gold Coast and know all to well the environmental factors you need to consider. We have done this for you and use only the highest componentry so it will outlast the competitors and be working for years to come.

Southern Cross Glass Windows and Doors allow you to combine your living areas with your entertaining areas on those warm summer days when we supply and install your new bifold door.

alfresco living