The ‘Quad Sunset Life’ Is On The Rise
Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash
You’re sitting at home outside. Your backyard is perfect. Nature is perfect. You’re looking at the sun slowly setting. Getting orange. Getting red. You just close your eyes, and you know you’re happy.
Maybe it’s the sunshine. Or maybe it’s the fact that the design is all about looks.
If you walk through almost any neighborhood around the Quad Cities, you’ll notice that the homes aren’t just built to be lived in – they’re built to be experienced, to be noticed.
Terraces flow into living rooms. Patios feel like extensions of the interior. Pools aren’t just recreational features. All these things are the centerpieces of a much grander part. Once you’ve not just seen pictures/videos, but ACTUALLY experienced this type of outdoors, it’s hard not to think about your own home and your own backyard and just imagine what it would look like.
There’s this type of magic that comes with the outdoors you see in Mississippi homes, and how that same magic comes to life during the warmer summer months.
Outdoor Living as a Way of Life
The outdoors you see in homes in the Quad (usually) aren’t just for decoration. It’s more. Much more.
They’re basically mandatory for the way of life.
During the evenings, people often gather outside as they share drinks at sunset, host gatherings for friends, or simply relax by the poolside after a long day. The climate, for most of the year, is welcoming. It makes it possible.
But it’s not only about the climate, but it’s about the mindset, it’s about the mentality that sets these communities apart from other cities and places. Design in the Quads prioritizes openness. There are clean lines, seamless transitions between the inside and the outside, and the materials that are used feel modern, but also welcoming.
And it’s amazing how conversation is almost encouraged in these types of environments. It’s like it’s easier to just be there. They make everything seem closer and more friendly.
That philosophy didn’t only take root in one place, but in other places, like in the homeowners far beyond the Quad Cities – further down the Mississippi and beyond.
All across the country, homeowners, inspired by the design we see in the Quads (modern outdoor living design), have begun seeing their backyards differently.
They’ve begun seeing their lawns and patios as not just extensions of their home, but as a blueprint to create personal retreats that affect the way they live, the way they are perceived, and the way they welcome guests.
The Power Behind the Design
Great outdoor living spaces don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of careful and thoughtful planning and even more planning.
Everything is factored in: the layout, lighting, the combinations of structural elements, and how they work with each other, etc., etc. If it is done right, then everything, including the backyard, can feel like an extension of your home rather than simply a separate space.
Pools, in particular, are important in that transformation.
Along the Mississippi, if a house has a pool, the pool is often designed as a visual focal point. They reflect the sky during the day and glow softly at night. They create an atmosphere without overpowering the rest of the property.
That type design spread well beyond this area. Now you see homeowners in many regions invest in custom outdoor pools specifically tailored toward their own lifestyles. Sometimes the designs are minimalistic, while others want a bit more luxury. Not all pool designs are the same across the U.S. In comparison, a square pool builder in Mechanicsburg PA will usually look for ways to combine various elements of elegance, functionality, and all that into their backyards.
And it’s not just the pool. It’s things like patios, screened-in porches, decks, outdoor kitchens, etc. It’s all of that combined and how it works as one.
So yeah, we can always take a look at other regions of the country and draw inspiration from there.
Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash
The Feeling in the Air
There’s an interesting thing about the Quads; something about experiencing them that inspires you. You really have to be there to know it. It’s nature calming you and comforting you.
Spending enough time in that unique environment changes you; it makes you notice things more, things you didn’t notice so much before. Across the bank views, poolside gatherings, boutique hotels/overnight stays, and many more. You notice how those open-spaced elements with the added element of outdoor living work. It’s like a new worldview that seems to scream openness and a newly formed camaraderie.
It’s a feeling. A good feeling.
It’s no wonder that many homeowners get bitten by that bug and, in turn, try to recreate the same sensation they felt there in their own homes.
Why wouldn’t they? It is a good feeling, and it looks nice.
It’s not only about trying to replicate, but also trying to capture that same ‘spirit’ of how communities live outdoors.
If it works, it works. And it DOES work across the Quad Cities.
So why not replicate it?
Conclusion
The Quads are going for the Sunset (outdoors) Life more and more. And it’s not hard to see why.
It’s a type of environment and the type of atmosphere that stays with you once you experience it. It changes you with a change that stays with you.
Not everyone lives near the ocean, not everyone has palm trees outside their windows, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t emulate the spirit of such an open and relaxing place. And you can see that in communities like those in the Quads, where more and more families are turning to patios, to yards, screened-in porches, to pools, and beautiful/inviting gardens.
It doesn’t mean that we can’t endeavor to live a life inside a welcoming and open atmosphere and lifestyle that mirrors that. Sometimes that’s more than enough. It’s about the little things that help us along the way.
It’s really about the energy, regardless of how quirky it sounds. It just is.
It’s about that magic that makes us smile. And it’s about ourselves.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.