What Is a California Room?
What if you could be outside, but… not. Smelling fresh air and sweet flowers, listening to birds chirping and fountains bubbling, admiring the way the sunlight filters through the leaves of tall trees.
But also, staying cool thanks to a ceiling fan, watching the Real Housewives of Wherever, and drinking icy-cold beverages straight from the fridge.
This, friends, is the California room: it’s an open-air structure with a roof, electricity, and running water, allowing you to enjoy all the beauty of nature combined with all the comforts of inside. They’re both increasingly trendy and part of a grand tradition of indoor-outdoor spaces like the folly, a Gothic ruin-inspired structure you might see set back on the grounds of a large estate, or a loggia, a place from which to post Instagram pictures of your Mediterranean vacation. Adding an outdoor room to your property is both a commitment and an investment (more on that in a bit), but it can be a game-changer for outdoor hangs, whether you’re in the southern U.S. and looking for protection from heat and rain, or in coastal New England and hoping to push outdoor dining into the late fall months.
Whether or not it’s a better choice than a more temporary outdoor living area depends on how much time you think you’ll actually spend in it. "An outdoor structure feels like it is a permanent addition rather than a mere cover for the sun," says interior designer Fiona Klerekoper of FDK Designs. You can really ‘live’ in it, and installing heating, fans and permanent lighting allow it to be used all year round in many climates." If that sounds appealing, it may be worth opting for a true outdoor room instead of a simpler gazebo or pergola-covered patio.
Read on, my fellow indoor cats, for everything you need to know about the joys of doing outside time better.
What is an outdoor room, anyway?
A California room isn’t a gazebo or a patio covered by a pergola—it’s sturdier than either of those things, and also more permanent. It’s essentially a transitional space between inside and outside, usually within easy walking distance of a home’s dining room or kitchen and also within easy walking distance of the true backyard or pool area.
Other kinds of outdoor rooms, like pool houses, follies, or permanent cabanas serve a number of purposes, ranging from "space to change out of a bathing suit" to "I want to dine outdoors without having to worry about too much rain or too much sun." An outdoor room is also different from a true guest house or studio in that it is at least partially open to the elements, and while they might include kitchen appliances and space to cook, they usually don’t have their own bathrooms. As opposed to screened-in porches or sunrooms, which are part of a house and generally count when adding up a home’s square footage, outdoor rooms are usually not considered true living space in the way, say, a converted garage might be.
How much do they cost and should I get one?
If you’re looking to add a true California room to your property, get ready to invest a not-insignificant amount of money. While cost varies depending on your location, the materials you want to work with, and the number of bells and whistles involved, a California room will, at the bare minimum, run you about $15,000, with that number ticking up as you think about adding things like an outdoor kitchen setup, a fireplace, and running water. You can have a permanent outdoor structure for less, though—some prefab pool houses can be had for less than $10,000. If you’re especially ambitious and handy, it’s also an option to buy just the plans for a structure and do the building part yourself.
What can you put in them? What should you put in them?
Unlike traditional outdoor spaces, a California room, pool house, or folly gives you room to play with furniture and decor not strictly designed for the outdoors. "Having a permanent structure allows you to use furniture and accessories that would be considered more suitable to indoor which ups luxury factor," says Klerekoper—think layering rugs, oversized throw pillows, and warm wood side tables to create a cozy lounge vibe in a California room with a fireplace, or sleek mid-century dining table to make a Classical Revival-inspired folly or covered patio feel more contemporary. In a pool house, wallpaper—I would choose the Beverly Hills Hotel print, if I had a pool or a house to build next to it—in bold prints and colors can elevate an otherwise bare space.
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