Call it what you will:
A gazebo. Pavilion. Pergola. Grotto. Backyard. It’s all the same — a cozy, welcoming area in which to entertain or, perhaps, just sit alone and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. In essence, it’s your personal space — to share or not to share, depending upon your mood.
hese days, people are bringing the indoors out by creating outdoor rooms. Yet the “rooms” aren’t necessarily enclosed. Most have no more than one stationary wall. Some are almost full kitchens, with built-in barbecues and refrigerators. Others might have simply a fireplace or fire pit. Through thoughtful planning and imagination, all of them provide a graceful transition from indoor living to the outdoors. And the Vail Valley’s magnificent summers allow homeowners to create inviting spaces — some of which can even be enjoyed on a mild winter’s day. “The top request we get, when designing a
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new home, is to integrate outdoor living into the design,” says Hans Berglund, of Berglund Architects. “People are looking for a combination outdoor room and then some patio space. “We get the same request when doing a remodel, particularly in the old homes where, initially, there wasn’t any particular outdoor or covered space.” Kyle Webb, of KH Webb Architects of Vail, agrees. “It’s becoming the norm to have an outdoor space,” he says. “It becomes another ‘room’ in which to entertain in the summer.”