Making the most of your property’s views

Perhaps your living room looks onto the side of a mountain. Maybe you have an ocean view, or maybe you look onto the lights of a stunning cityscape. Whatever the outlook is, you owe it to yourself and your family to maximise your property views and to let the beauty of the great outdoors flow into your home as much as possible.

While many people focus on paintings or photographs to bring beauty into their living spaces, some people, such as the owners of this breathtaking Hout Bay home, have the ability to throw open the curtains or blinds and allow nature to paint the picture. A beautiful view has the potential to inspire your entire living room, providing a focal point and a stunning backdrop for a life well lived. If your home doesn’t yet boast a gorgeous view, look at ways to create one by planting a beautifully landscaped garden or installing a water feature that turns heads. After all, a nice view can increase a property’s value.

Your property inspiration

Both the living room and bedroom in this eye-turning property have adopted a relatively monochromatic colour scheme, with the only exception being touches of brown furniture in the living room. These muted palettes allow the eye to be naturally drawn to the window; the focal point through which the beautiful views have to be seen to be believed. The greenery of the shrubs and trees in the foreground melts into the distant mountains to create an unforgettable vista. A view is important in a house, and your decor can help you notice and appreciate the view.

In the living room, the fact that the doors, with their wooden panes, can be slid back to allow an unobstructed view creates an Instagram-worthy image for the homeowner to enjoy. The positioning of the bedroom allows its occupants to wake up in glorious sunshine with views of the seemingly never-ending garden and mountains in the distance.

Make views of the great outdoors a feature in your home

If your property boasts great views, wanting to make the most of them is as natural as breathing. Here are some practical ways to bring the outside in.

Make the views the centre of attention: If your living room faces a gorgeous mountain vista or stunning cityscape, arrange your furniture so that everyone sitting in the living room gets to enjoy the view. Make the view – rather than the TV or entertainment centre – the main talking point of the room. Another way to direct the focus outdoors is to keep the colour scheme and furnishings relatively simple – don’t allow anything to distract the eye from the beauty that awaits.

Select your window treatments smartly: If you’ve got postcard-worthy views, you don’t want curtains or blinds coming between you and them. If you’re opting for blinds, choose ones in a light colour that can be stacked or folded above where the window starts. If curtains are your preference, choose a light colour and invest in tie-backs to keep your curtains away from the window when you want to let the view in.

Make use of mirrors: If you have a master bedroom that faces a masterpiece of a view, you can double its impact by strategically placing a mirror to reflect the image. Make the mirror as large as the available space allows and let the impact of your beautiful views compound.

Your home should inspire you

Allowing the breathtaking views from your home to pervade your living spaces does more than make your home beautiful: it transforms it into a peaceful sanctuary for you and your family. If you’re interested in finding a home that boasts views worth focusing on, get in touch with Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty’s team of property practitioners today.