The look of outdoor and indoor spaces can be tied together with bamboo shades

Bamboo shades, available in many sizes, can tie together outdoor spaces with interior rooms when they are used over large windows or sliding doors.

For a ground-level basement with sliding doors, for instance, they are an attractive window treatment that provides privacy and can be adjusted to allow different amounts of light inside. The varieated color and texture of bamboo shades also reflect the natural look of greenery and plants on a patio or deck on the other side of a sliding door or basement window.

A casual design style often goes well with such window treatments, particularly when the indoor and outdoor spaces are used for different functions. To make the best use of a multi-faceted space, designer Candace Olson told HGTV that homeowners need to consider differents ways in which it will be used.

On one of her projects, she told the website she leveled out uneven floors with vinyl tiles that had the look of wood.

"Next, I divided the room into three zones: a relaxation zone, a music zone and a wet bar zone," she told HGTV. "By creating different zones for different needs, and adding hardwearing furniture and flooring, this basement got an injection of style the whole family can enjoy."