The Aussie love affair with outdoor living has seen the home’s alfresco zone go from a bare, lacklustre space to a fully equipped entertaining area.

And a major home builder has some tips on how to make the most of a living space that can now
 offer everything from barbecues and kitchens to home cinemas.

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Burbank Homes managing director Jarrod Sanfilippo says it’s important for householders to get the right
 balance when kitting out their covered alfresco zone.
The latter is usually attached to the main internal communal living area and accessed through sliding doors.

“The first thing to consider is the function of the area and how to make that work within your space
 constraints,’’ Mr 
Sanfilippo says.

“Then decide how to integrate the indoors and outdoors together for a fluid feel.’’

He says homeowners should ask themselves whether the attached outdoor space has access to water and power.

The Burbank spokesman adds: “Has it been furnished in a way that
 protects it from different weather conditions?”

He says weather-proof UV-resistant furnishings are essential when creating an indoor-outdoor space.

“Multi-functional furniture that is flexible and can be moved around will appeal to changing family
 dynamics, while built-in furniture can double as clever storage space,’’ Mr Sanfilippo says.

The Burbank boss also points that householders can create warmth with different textures by adding
 an outdoor rug, patterned cushions or some greenery / foliage.

“Vertical wall planters or ceramic hanging pots are both low maintenance ways to add pops of greenery,
 while also being used to separate an alfresco area from the rest of the back yard,’’ he says.

“For those
 without green thumbs, a similar effect can be achieved using natural colours such as greens and browns 
to heighten the impression of the outdoors.’’

Mr Sanfilippo explains that bifold doors and levelled flooring help create an integrated indoor-outdoor 
area.

“Purpose-built flooring, such as slip-resistant tiling, has an indoor look but with high durability
for the outdoors,” he says.

Another nice touch is the installation of indoor-style items such as wall hangings or mirrors in the open space environment.

Mr Sanfilippo says the use of these pieces will “help blur the lines between the indoors and outdoors’’.

This story was brought to you by The New Daily using data and other information from its real estate content partner, realestateVIEW.com.au. To download the new free realestateVIEW.com.au app click here!