I Need More Space:
Needing more space is one of the most common motivations for a whole home remodel. Sometimes space needs to be added to your home with new construction, but often the space can be created within the existing structure. Working with an architect and a professional design team, you can achieve your goals for additional space with intelligence, efficiency and elegance.

We Don’t Do Anything Fun Anymore:
Is your home designed to enhance your lifestyle today? If you love to cook and entertain, an outdated kitchen holds you back from fully enjoying life in your home. Kitchen remodeling can bring new ease and joy to one of your favorite activities. If a serene and relaxing environment is an overarching desire for you, then a custom bathroom design to create a spa-like retreat can bring daily peace of mind. For some homeowners, a special focus on enhancing outdoor living is what’s needed to bring a sense of fun back to their home – an outdoor kitchen and artfully designed landscaping expand the possibilities for relaxation and socializing.

It’s Not You, It’s Me:
The most important aspect of a whole home remodel is to design your space according to what works best for you. Trends can be informative and inspiring, but you want a new environment that reflects your individual style and values. When you work with a unified team of San Diego architects, designers and construction professionals, your remodel will be an enjoyable and successful experience.

Renew your love for your home by giving it the attention it deserves! A whole home remodel enhances your overall lifestyle and everyday living.

1. Consider working with a Landscape Architect. A Registered Landscape Architect helps you achieve visual and functional unity between your home and its natural surroundings. Trained to consider both the artistic and technical aspects of landscape design, landscape architects bring a depth of knowledge and experience to your project that ensures consistency in quality with the rest of your property. If you have invested in your home’s interior, you want to be sure that the exterior does it justice. The quality and aesthetics of your landscaping should preview what a visitor will find upon entering your front door. Working with a professional, you will be able to develop a vision that can then be executed with careful planning.

2. Design for Your Lifestyle: Do you want your outdoor area to be a peaceful oasis where you will spend the majority of time alone or with a few intimate friends? Would you like an environment that is ideally suited to entertaining large parties? Do you plan to do a lot of outdoor cooking and entertaining? Is the level of maintenance important to you? These are good questions to ask yourself as you begin to visualize how you would like your landscaping designed. While your outdoor area is a critical element of your home’s value and appeal, it is ultimately a space where you and your visitors should feel comfortable and relaxed, so think about what really matters to you as you consider the design.

3. Sense and Sensibility: Landscaping requires a delicate balance of the practical and the ideal. Greenery must survive and thrive in your climate and the overall design should be planned to accommodate a  practical level of maintenance. The landscaping design should complement the exterior and interior of your home in structure and aesthetics. Optimum results will capture the essence of the relationship between you, your home and your natural surroundings.

Well-designed landscapes are living works of art that improve with age as they adapt to their environment. Be sure to give as much attention to the outdoor area of your home as you do to the interior, and consider working with a San Diego Landscape Architect to achieve your ideal vision.

The term “outdoor kitchen” used to mean Dad making hamburgers on the grill. Well, no more! Outdoor kitchens have become just as multi-functional and attractive as their indoor counterparts. Here are five ideas to consider when designing your outdoor kitchen:

1. The Hot Zone: A grill – gas, charcoal, wood, electric or a hybrid of these cooking methods – often remains central to an outdoor kitchen design. The current deluxe built-in or free-standing grills are remarkably versatile, with options for custom griddles, side burners, roasting spits and more, transforming the traditional concept of backyard barbecuing. Another option is a wood-fired pizza oven, a food-lover’s choice for baking bread or roasting meat in addition to making authentic gourmet pizzas. Of course, heat in the outdoor kitchen isn’t just for cooking. Fireplaces or fire pits keep the elements from sending you and guests indoors after the sun goes down.

2. Practical Considerations: Think about how your indoor kitchen and outdoor kitchen will work together when you plan your space. Do you want to keep some tasks indoors? If so, the placement of your outdoor kitchen in proximity to your home will make a big difference in how much you enjoy using it. If you plan for an outdoor kitchen that is completely self-sufficient, then placement matters less and the appliances you choose matter more. The materials for an outdoor kitchen are essential. They must be durable and safe and should be compatible with their surroundings. Natural stone is a popular choice. Also, keep in mind that outdoor kitchens are subject to specific city planning codes. Be sure your contractor researches and follows the codes for your area.

3. A Natural Fit: Your outdoor kitchen should seem like a natural extension of your home, with compatible scale, elements and design. When you plan an outdoor kitchen in harmony with your home’s natural surroundings – considering landscaping, views and privacy – the result will be considerably more appealing.

4. Details Matter: Despite the longer days of spring and summer, it will eventually get dark outside – remember to plan lighting to accommodate both tasks and mood. Consider a water feature, such as a fountain or waterfall, to add an element of cool serenity to your backyard space. A thoughtfully placed stone walkway or wall in the landscaping brings additional texture and harmony to your environment.

5. Pictures and Sound: Adding video and audio options to your outdoor living area can make the space more welcoming, flexible and livable. Watch the big game or a classic movie, or listen to your favorite songs from an iPod docking station – just remember that the design should be carefully planned so that cables and wires don’t detract from the natural aesthetics of your space. When deciding where to place a television, study where the sun hits during the day to make sure your screen will be visible.

However you choose to customize your space, adding an outdoor kitchen to your home expands your living space and inspires new ideas for entertaining and outdoor living.