With the prices of land rising and the sizes of lots shrinking, backyards and gardens are becoming premium living spaces. And who can afford to have one if you aren't going to use it? In HGTV's special Outdoor Rooms with Kitty Bartholomew, the host visits homeowners in their fabulous outdoor rooms to see how they've made the most of their land.
Bartholomew found four common elements in the outdoor rooms she visited:
- water
- comfort
- natural materials
- intimate spaces
Water
The trickling sounds of water provide a peaceful feeling for your outdoor room, and the reflective quality of still water serves as a mirror, effectively doubling even the smallest outdoor space. And though not every outdoor space lends itself to an in-ground pond, the pleasures of running water are still a possibility.
Bob Hohen and his wife placed their 19th-century European fountain in the courtyard of their California home. The glass pocket doors that surround their courtyard slide completely out of sight, bringing the courtyard and fountain into the rest of the house. "From any room in the house you can hear the fountain going," Hohen says. "It's hard to tell where the house ends and the courtyard begins."
Comfort
The Hohens might be onto something with blurring the boundaries between indoors and out. After all, the only thing an outdoor room can't have that an indoor room has is walls!
Jane Smith didn't skimp on indoor comforts when she designed her southwestern covered patio. It's furnished with lots of inviting cushioned spaces for napping or reading, but the most dramatic feature is the most unexpected: an entire bed, complete with mattress and box springs, is suspended from the ceiling by gauze-wrapped cords and simply overflowing with pillows, blankets and throws. Who wouldn't have pleasant dreams afloat on a bed-swing?
Perhaps the most inviting of all of the outdoor rooms is Jennifer Garrigues' Palm Beach backyard paradise, with winding garden paths that lead from one "room" to the next. Garrigues says there's never a shortage of guests who ask to sleep on her patio hammock or the daybed draped in linens in the garden.
Garrigues encourages using comfortable items outdoors that weren't necessarily intended for such use. "You've got to have textures out here that you have inside of your house. Some things probably are a little impractical, but don't worry about it too much." Her outside daybed is metal that won't rust, upholstered with umbrella fabric and washable linens, so why not enjoy it outdoors?
Natural Materials
Architect Marc Whitman respects the importance of comfortably furnishing an outdoor space. But more than just fluffy cushions and rugs underfoot, Whitman believes a mix of natural materials and thoughtful furniture placement are necessary to create a cozy ambience in an outdoor space. "I think color, materials, the way things are laid out...all those things are important in creating a space that you want to go out to and be a part of. You want to really focus on what the feeling is overall and pick the materials that are going to create that feeling," Whitman says.
Lori Naritoku, homeowner and architect of a vast West Coast rooftop garden on Laguna Beach, California, also recommends blending a variety of materials to enhance outdoor spaces. The wire gazebo surrounding her outdoor dining table is covered in a light mesh netting, enclosing the space with a feeling of intimacy while providing shade for guests and plants alike. This metal and fabric "room" with a stone floor is one example of how she combines natural materials like teak and slate, which she says weather better over time. "There's an inherent beauty in wood, in metal, in stone, and the imperfections create their own beauty. And by putting many of these together, you get a juxtaposition of textures and colors, and this creates, so to speak, a symphony, when you put them together."
Intimate Spaces
Using a variety of natural materials is also an excellent way to define space, providing several smaller "rooms" within the whole of your courtyard or garden.
The Duvalls East Coast rooftop garden has a wonderful view of Manhattan, making it an ideal spot for entertaining. The Duvalls created a whole house full of rooftop rooms by using a variety of flooring materials: concrete pavers throughout the herb garden, wooden decking around the dining table, and pebbles around the fountain.
Enjoy!
While none of these four elements are absolutely necessary to create a successful outdoor room, one element is sure to make your outdoor space more pleasant: guests!
Ann Dorr loves the old-fashioned idea of receiving company on her all-American porch in Los Angeles. "The interesting thing about being out on the front porch is that it says we're home and we're open to company," Dorr says. With a tea table set for two and a parlor full of weather-resistant painted white wicker furniture, Dorr has gone the extra mile to make her Queen Anne Victorian porch an inviting place for friends. "I've never had so much fun with people feeling comfortable to come to the house."
So whether you have a deck or a rooftop garden, a courtyard or a patio, make it comfortable with a few unexpected indoor luxuries, invite some friends over, and enjoy it as often as you can!
Guests
Jennifer Garrigues
Designer, Jennifer Garrigues Inc.
308 Peruvian Avenue
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone: 561-659-7085
Fax: 561-659-7090
Marc Whitman
Architect, Whitman Architectural Design
Whitman was the architect for the Blue Iguana Inn.
111 W. Topa Topa St.
Ojai, CA 93023
Phone: 805-646-8485
Fax: 805-646-5815
URL:
www.blueiguanainn.com
Pamela Volante
Designer, Pamela Volante Interior Design
269 S. Beverly Dr., Suite 437
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: 310-968-6505
John Fremdling
Interior Desinger, John Fremdling Interior Design
589 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-449-0656
Fax: 626-449-6849
Lori Naritoku
Architect
1021 Mariners
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-722-1205
Fax: 949-642-1210
Melinda Perez
Designer, John Fremdling Inc.
589 E. Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: 626-449-0656
Fax: 626-449-6849
Frank Pennino
Designer, Frank K. Pennino & Assoc.
8654 Holloway Plaza Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone: 310-657-8847
Fax: 310-657-0227
Dan P. Gregory
Senior Editor,
Sunset magazine
80 Willow Rd.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Phone: 650-324-5439
Fax: 650-327-7537
URL:
www.sunset.com
Rick Bokal
Architect, Bokal & Sneed Architects
244 9th St.
Del Mar, CA 92014
Phone: 858-481-8244
Fax: 858-481-8364
David Adams
Architect, R. David Adams Assoc. Inc.
2200 Eastlake Ave. East
Seattle, WA 98102
Phone: 206-324-9492
Fax: 206-324-5589
Resources
The Garden Room: How to Design & Decorate Your Outside Living Space
by Tessa Evelegh (ISBN: 1842151479)
Order this
title.
Outdoor Decor: Decorative Projects for the Porch, Patio & Yard
by the editors of Creative Publishing International (ISBN: 0865733856)
This title is out of print.
ornamental arches and gates - Marks Garden Art
Made to order, hand forged with Italian iron components.
Garden Rooms
by Catriona Tudor Erlee (ISBN: 0737006013)
Order this
title.
Garden Retreats: Creating an Outdoor Sanctuary
by Barbara Blossom Ashmun (ISBN: 0811825000)
Order this
title.
Garden & Patio Living Spaces
by Sunset Books (ISBN: 0376015977)
Order this
title.
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