Outside space was a big part of our family in our old home and we intend to keep that up in the new home. The main obstacle we had at this home was that there was no direct access to the new fenced in yard from inside the house. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but imagine being in the middle of your favorite show at 9:30 at night and the dog begins to fuss....he has to go outside. Ok, let's go get a leash, and walk him outside, around the house, and then stand there until he finishes. Keep in mind he's still young so he may run around for the fun of it for several minutes. No use going back inside because by the time you get back in he'll bark to come back in and you have to go back outside again and walk around the house again. NOT COOL. Or imagine two little boys who just want to go outside and shoot their new wooden "crossbow" (don't worry, not building a militia, the crossbow is powered by a rubber band and the tip of the "arrow" is a pencil eraser). Either way, I don't want wooden dowels with erasers flying through the air in the living room while I'm holding an infant.
So, here we are, feeling like Chip and JoAnna and we're adding some french doors!! These doors will actually be in our dining room, directly next to the kitchen leading outside to the side yard. Here is a view from the outside of the window we're tearing out. This was a picture from the first few days we moved in back in December. We had to move this gas meter to accommodate the door, as well as get it outside of our new fence, so that is gone. But this gives you a good idea of the window we're taking out.
Thankfully, the window was wide enough and it's standard size across for a double door. However, we do have to break apart the brick below the window for the door, and the window opening goes a good bit higher than the standard door. We decided to add a transom window to the door which will work perfect in this space, and will look great in this historic home. It also wasn't much more expensive so it was a great call.
Additionally, since we put in this door, we had to have steps that go outside. As much fun as my kids would have jumping 18-inches in and out everyday, I could see this getting old real quick, and maybe breaking a bone or two. We decided to add a small deck the would lead outside. We decided to go with a small one as we're not 100% sure what we are doing on this side. We're planning to add a courtyard of some sort on this side yard to be more of an adult space. Not sure if we are going to go for an outdoor dining vibe or a casual lounging/firepit type scene. Either way, our grill will live over here. The side yard will be a huuuuge project on it's own, but to give you an idea of what we're doing and our rationale for putting the doors here. Our side yard is about 15-20 feet so it's a good size for door to open to. Great long flat area, perfect for kids playing catch or passing a soccer ball right outside the door.
When you're standing outside on the future cool patio area you'll look directly inside through the dining room and into the kitchen.
We think this will be great in the fall and spring on nice days and we can keep doors open and really have an indoor/outdoor living area feel. This will be great for entertaining.
