If you live in Sydney and you’re struggling to decide what material to use for the floor of your outside area, draw inspiration from inside your home. With the flow between inside and outside an important design trend, if you have timber floors leading to the outside it makes sense to build a Sydney timber deck.
Once you decide that a Sydney timber deck is the way to go, you then should carefully consider the timber you will use. Due to exposure to the elements, you’re unlikely to be able to use the same timber decking material outside as the timber floors on the inside. You’ll also need to maintain the normal 2 to 3mm gap between outside boards to allow for expansion and contraction. But by choosing an outside decking board that is similar in width and colour, the flow between the inside and outside will be blurred.
With both the interior floor and the timber deck laid in the same direction and the use of low-profile sliding door tracks, you’ll barely notice where the inside stops and the outside starts.
To continue the outdoor/indoor flow that you’ve started with your Sydney timber deck, also consider the following:
- Don’t just look down at your Sydney timber deck, look up. Match the style of your inside ceiling and lighting to give it a similar feel.
- Your outdoor furniture doesn’t need to match your inside furniture, but having similar styles, materials and colours adds to the design you’re trying to create.
- If you’re considering replacing your doors, go for ones with a low profile sill. They not only reduce a tripping hazard but also add to the inside/outside flow. While more expensive, also consider floor to ceiling doors that stack or accordion when opened.