We’ve got another edition for you, this time how to get the lanai you want in your new custom Florida home — because you can.
By now you likely know the definition of a lanai, but just in case, it’s an outdoor living space common in coastal and tropical locales, that’s covered and paved with a hard surface.
Every ICI Homes floor plan comes with a lanai proportionate to its square footage. So, you don’t have to negotiate add-ons to get a finished outdoor living space for your new custom Florida home.
Imagine lounging under shade and a ceiling fan, perched in your favorite lounge chair atop a smooth concrete or stone tile floor. That’s one way to enjoy a lanai. Another way is jumping in the swimming pool just beyond the lanai.
We have several other suggestions, especially for those of you who don’t have to stick so tightly to a construction budget. Here are three more out-of-the-box ways to splurge on your new lanai.
The outdoor gourmet
Dig grilled anything? Smoked meats and vegetables? Enjoying it year-round instead of only in warmer months? You can cook outdoors almost any time in Florida, even in the northern part of the state where you’ll have a few cool winter days.
Trick out your new lanai with that other staple of Florida living — the summer kitchen. It’s a covered outdoor cooking and serving area that can include a sink, cabinets, cooktops, refrigerator and many more options, if you like.
Our tip: site it near the indoor kitchen for ease in transferring supplies and grabbing that forgotten bottle of Worcestershire sauce. Also plan for a covered outdoor dining area that’s well-lighted after dark.
The outdoor man cave
Or, family sports cave. Whatever you call it, this is sports-or-hobby headquarters with an outdoor twist.
Outfit this version of your new lanai in favorite team colors — seating pieces painted in alma-mater hues with cushions to match. Talk to your ICI Homes designer about including sheltered wall space for that giant flat-screen TV — for game days, of course — and spots for moisture-resistance pieces of memorabilia, fun signs (“we interrupt this marriage to bring you football season”), plaques or flags.
Or, all three!
Personal amusement park
Recruit your teenagers, grandkids or besties to help you go crazy on this one.
Turn your new lanai into Party Central with, yes, a swimming pool, but also a nearby miniature putting green that can host countless games of goofy golf. Incorporate a fountain whose relaxing spray serves both as a water hazard and soothing background noise once the golfers have retired.
Always wanted a backyard tiki hut? Do it!
Your lanai also can serve as the prime viewing spot for lawn games — croquet, dodge ball and badminton, to name a few.
