Spring is coming and the outdoors rules. We begin to look with different eyes at those spaces that nature gives us. And here it's not about meters, it's about ingenuity, design and well-being.

Studio apartments that integrate their balconies to gain space and comfort. Apartments that pay tribute to their semi-covered spaces through the use of resources that visually generate visual continuity between inside and outside and at the same time reflect the benefits of nature. Wood + plants + lighting are the winning combo.

Gardens that receive new uses. Exterior living rooms, stoves, kitchens that leave the 4 walls to become outdoors; Refreshing outdoor showers, benches that serve as allies for storing pool or gardening items, greenhouses and much more, are now housed in the outdoor spaces of homes. The garden is definitely going through a metamorphosis.

And in all cases a leading material appears: wood. Her qualities make her the chosen one to be the one who reigns there.

On balconies it appears in floors, in the format of built-in or roll-up decks. Their choice focuses on two main reasons: the visual continuity with the interior floor (which is multiplied when we seek to “match” the tones of one and the other) and the undeniable connection of the material with nature. It also takes over the side walls to create privacy and, in many cases, house climbing plants. And of course, it can be an ally for camouflage, by hiding those elements that we do not want to see such as air conditioning equipment.

The garden, for its part, receives armchairs, tables, benches, bars, greenhouses and storage elements in different types of wood, which are distinguished by their grain, their hardness and their “visual weight” and their choice of spaces and uses.

In all cases, what is essential is protection, to guarantee that the wood looks like the first day. To do this, it is recommended to select products that guarantee durability and offer easy maintenance work.

"There is no nobler material. Warm, unique, versatile and authentic. Wood never goes out of style. It adapts, reinvents itself and gives us what we need so much: calm and disconnection from the daily routine. In gardens and balconies its demands are high, so to ensure that it is always cared for, we must protect it from the heart, with the Cetol that best suits the need." highlights Architect Viviana Insaurralde, Marketing specialist for the Woodcare AkzoNobel line in South America.

For their part, Dana Lanfranco and Laureano Grodsinsky from Beija Flor declare: "We believe that this new concept of integrating the balcony into the apartment brings multiple advantages, since in this way a space that is often wasted is gained, and at the same time a visual continuity with the interior is achieved that generates a feeling of greater spaciousness. With our deck floors, both in roll-up format and in tiles, we manage to match the tones with the interior floor. With the slatted panels We manage to give an aesthetic frame to the balcony and at the same time generate privacy. Many times we also add covers to hide air conditioning equipment along the same lines, and flower pots or vertical gardens that complement the set, always seeking to transform this space into another home environment.

Cetol, the leading brand in wood care and protection from the AkzoNobel group, offers a series of tips to achieve the goal.

First of all, the 3 keys to choosing the right protection son:

1. he use of that wood,
2. the demand (how exposed it is to climatic agents),
3. and the taste (colors: wood as it is, tones that enhance the original color or translucent white finish and finishes: matte, glossy, satin).

Here's a little guide:

Para Decks: Cetols that are suitable for transit: Cetol Deck Balance (comes in Natural and Teak and two finishes Satin and Glossy), Cetol Deck Vintage Balance (translucent white finish that does not cover the grain and offers greater visual breadth) or Natural Beauty if we want the color of the wood to be respected as it is (matte and colorless).

For vertical surfaces and furniture: Cetol Extreme Duration, for mega exposed surfaces or Cetol Classic Balance. Both come in 6 colors (Natural, Cedar, Oak, Walnut, Mahogany and Crystal) and two finishes: Satin and Glossy.

In all cases, the Balance Line is suggested, which is the technology presented by the brand that combines the best benefits of water-based solutions (resistance, easy application, quick drying and low odor) and solvent-based products (durability).