Beautiful Outdoor Living Areas

Beautiful Outdoor Living Areas

Douglas Friedman

Outdoor rooms are the most rejuvenating spaces in a home—especially those that are well-designed. The ability to drink morning coffee while breathing in crisp, fresh air, as well mixing evening cocktails on a back patio as the sun sets, makes moments of rest all the more restorative. And while it's impossible to compete with the magic and beauty Mother Nature bestows upon our gorgeous gardens, outdoor living designs have made great strides in the past few years to catch up to her wonder.

For example, patio furniture, from outdoor seating ideas to patio umbrellas to outdoor rugs, along with fabric designs for outdoor living are more beautiful and varied in style and material than ever—and they're specially produced to withstand the elements unique to life outdoors. Colors are long-lasting, and rust is no more. Furthermore, now its possible to design an outdoor room that can be used all year long.

Once you have furnished your outdoor room, from porches and patios to gazebos and even garden follies, it's time to consider landscaping ideas that will truly make it feel like an escape. After all, when it comes to creating atmosphere outside, what could be better that fragrant flowering vines and shrubs or outdoor fountains with a soothing sound?

For design-lovers who won't settle for anything less than outdoor rooms as luxurious as indoor spaces, look no further than our collection of the 30 of the very best outdoor rooms. They represent outdoor living at its finest.

LISA ROMEREIN

1 of 30

Bamboo-Shaded Outdoor Dining

At this home in Santa Monica, California, the family room opens to the ultimate outdoor dining room. Landscape designer Scott Shrader installed a 25-foot steel trellis topped with bamboo fencing and shaded with espaliered fig trees. Overhead lighting inset in the structure illuminates a 12-seat dining table, pizza oven, and bar.

LISA ROMEREIN

2 of 30

SoCal Chic Courtyard

In this Santa Monica courtyard, Forest Pansy trees, known for pink blossoms that bloom in early spring, square a 13th-century well reclaimed as a firepit.

LISA ROMEREIN

3 of 30

Morocco-Inspired Poolside Perch

In the pool garden of this Santa Monica retreat, mature kumquat trees bookend a fireside sitting room anchored by a Morocco-inspired fireplace and chimney. The loungers are from RH.

John Sutton

4 of 30

Bay Area Tucked In Lounging

At this cottage garden in Ross, California, landscape designer Erica Timbrell devised a program of rooms around the pool that are equally welcoming to children and adults. Here, a teak sectional commands a stone-wrapped alcove.

NEIL LANDINO

5 of 30

Designed by landscape designer Kathryn Herman, this Greenwich, Connecticut, garden features a series of outdoor rooms, including this shaded dining area reached by terraced limestone steps that cut through the sloping meadow.

Douglas Friedman

6 of 30

Dreamy Dallas Poolside Porch

At this Dallas home designed by Meredith McBrearty and architect Ryan Street, the line between indoors and out is beautifully blurred. On the porch, native dry-stack limestone from Leuders, Texas, cloaks the house in sculptural, organic beauty. Douglas fir ceiling paneling extends from indoors out, stretching across the home's deep overhangs. Lounge chairs, Sutherland. Cushion fabric, Perennials

Max Kim-Bee

7 of 30

Crowd-Pleasing Patio in Nashville

At this Nashville home designed by Richard Hallberg, southern hospitality meets luxurious style on the patio, where intimate dinners by the fire are served at a French limestone table with a shapely urn base. Furniture, Formations.

MANOLO LANGIS

8 of 30

All-Natural West Hollywood Pergola

Tucked in the backyard of this West Hollywood home is a lush oasis designed by landscape architect Anna Hoffman, who shaded a poolside living room is shaded with an alderwood pergola. The pool decking is French limestone.

MELANIE ACEVEDO

9 of 30

Abacos Escape

In the Bahamas, the weather is just right for every meal to be enjoyed outdoors. "Though they lean modern, these teak director's chairs are classic, comfortable, and easy to move around," says interior designer Miles Redd. Colonial-style columns made of classic stucco frame the stunning views. The table is by Serena & Lily; chairs, Michael Taylor Designs.

TOUR THIS HOME

Thomas Loof

10 of 30

M.K. SADLER

11 of 30

Annie Schlechter

12 of 30

Dreamy Deck

The third-floor deck of this 18th-century cottage on the coast of Nova Scotia is the perfect spot for evening nibbles and cocktails. "We're our there all the time," says homeowner, designer, and architect Philip Mitchell, of the simply furnished deck. "It's great for cocktails in the summer…With Chester Front Harbor below and the wooden sailboats racing past, it's perfect. We just add drinks."

Francesco Lagnese

13 of 30

FRANCESCO LAGNESE

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J. SAVAGE GIBSON

15 of 30

THOMAS LOOF

16 of 30

Colorful Columns

Antiques dealer and interior designer Lars Bolander painted the terrace columns and beams of his West Palm Beach home an eye-catching fiery red after returning from a trip to India. "I decided to really go for it," he said. A large mirror over the sofa reflects the lush Florida landscape.

BJORN WALLANDER

17 of 30

Green Goddess

Deep green shutters, doors, and roof tiles on this master suite terrace complement the Palm Beach garden's lush tropical foliage like the bougainvillea climbing on the iron railing. Homeowner and interior designer Betsy Shiverick's arrangement of chairs and stools creates a relaxing spot to enjoy a book and a refreshing drink.

JACK GARDNER

18 of 30

Exotic Atrium

In the central atrium of this Alys Beach, Florida, beach house, side niches are finished in linen-hued stucco. "The idea [of an atrium] draws from ancient Roman architecture; with a shallow pool forming the floor, it catches the rainwater and facilitates air circulation. So it essentially becomes the lungs of the house, along with a really beautiful social center for the family," says architect Marieanne Khoury-Vogt of Khoury & Vogt Architects.

The mosaic of dancing fish can be enjoyed from overhead. The curtains are beaded steel.

Flooring is made of Dominican shellstone; onyx and teak tables, Blaxsand. Interior design by Shirlene Brooks.

J. SAVAGE GIBSON

19 of 30

THOMAS LOOF

20 of 30

Quiet Hideaway

A Balinese-style daybed draped with Indian textiles tucked beneath the master bedroom terrace at the West Palm Beach home of antiques dealer and interior designer Lars Bolander is a quiet spot to while away the afternoon.

Max Kim-Bee

21 of 30

A Sophisticated Outdoor Dining Area

A Louisiana couple settled into this home in Montecito, California estate (once owned by industrialist George Owen Knapp) to be closer to their family. They subtly enhanced the stunning yard by adding a stylish dining set and modern decor for a serene atmosphere filled with splendor — perfect for outdoor entertaining.

Andreas Von Einsiedel

22 of 30

A Garden Sanctuary

Create your own paradise, like designer Peter Nolden did here at his charming weekend farmhouse in rural northern Germany, where friends and family can come together in a soothing environment filled with a diverse plant life such as rhododendrons, strawberries and climbing roses.

Max Kim-Bee

23 of 30

Max Kim-Bee

24 of 30

A Stylish Haven

A spectacular California backyard, located in Santa Barbara, serves as the ultimate getaway for those wanting to relax at home — but not inside. Crisp white cushions on the cast iron furniture lend the space that oh-so-coastal vibe.

Max Kim-Bee

25 of 30

A Beautiful Patio With A View

This dreamy private terrace, belonging to Dedar fabric founders Nicola Fabrizio and his wife Elda, overlooks the Tyrrhenian sea. It is the ideal space for celebrating big (and little) events with family and friends, with hanging grape vines above and beautiful flowers with cement and Sicilian tiles underfoot.

Courtesy of Shed; En Plein Air; Bjorn Wallander

26 of 30

An Entertaining Gazebo

This charming blue gazebo-turned-dining-area provides a pop of color in a Palm Beach backyard. The wicker chairs lend a casual air when paired with china and bamboo flatware.

Max Kim-Bee

27 of 30

A Rustic Lake Nook

When designer Colette van den Thillart inherited her uncle's cabin, she was determined to convert it into a charming kitchen and build a six-bedroom house around it. The backyard dock has a serene view where friends and family can relax, and is decorated with dining chairs in a custom fabric by Restoration Hardware. The canoe is from Langford.

Max Kim-Bee

28 of 30

A Mediterranean Terrace

With a stunning terrace like this, you could spend every summer afternoon in the pool, sipping on an ice-cold drink and relaxing on the chaise longues, which are in a Maria Flora outdoor fabric. The umbrellas are by RH and the scones are by Reborn Antiques.

Roger Davies

29 of 30

A Cactus Garden

Nestled in the mountains, this Santa Barbara, California home was designed in 1992 by local architect Bob Easton. Reflecting the Southwestern aesthetic, traditional flowers have been replaced with a unique cactus garden where residents and their guests can escape from the sun and unwind on the chaise lounge.

David Schilling

30 of 30

A Green Oasis

Create your own hidden gem, like the late Atlanta-based landscape designer Ryan Gainey did in this outdoor space. Gainey constructed his classic green oasis (and many others), by filling the yard with chairs, statues, intricate stonework and beautiful pots and plants.

Beautiful Outdoor Living Areas

Source: https://www.veranda.com/outdoor-garden/g844/outdoor-rooms/

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