In the field of home decorating, the boundaries between inside and outside have gotten more permeable. Tables reminiscent of sidewalk cafes are now found inside, and cushions and rugs from the den now decorate patios and decks. This also means that outdoor furniture looks less like something picked up at the hardware store and more like it came from a furniture showroom.

The increased attention to outdoor living means that homeowners now have options for every style and every arrangement, whether your property features a deck, a porch, a sunroom, a pool, or a garden.

Please Don’t Stay Off the Grass
In today’s discussions of outdoor living, most talk is about creating “rooms” out of doors. Homeowners are seeing their outside property as an extension of the home and are making it more, well, livable.

According to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, the right landscaping can increase the value of your home by 15 percent. Furthermore, there are few home improvements that will actually increase in value over time. Kitchen and bath trends come and go, but investments made outside the home with landscaping, decks and patios will actually appreciate versus depreciate. But how should one go about transforming a dull and drab backyard eyesore into a backyard destination?

“Lawns as flat as putting greens are being transformed into living spaces, often with multilevel areas dedicated to entertaining or meditating. Yards in which the swing set was the most interesting feature are being renovated into retreats. Even entryways are being reclaimed as reading nooks,” said Kevin James of Kevin James Landscape.

How does one create “rooms” out of doors? “It isn’t as difficult as it sounds, “ added James. “Vary elevation with a raised stone patio or a sunken spa. Create an illusion of walls with a pergola and wisteria, or allow a wandering path to direct visitors to nooks bordered by ornamental grasses and ferns. Using planters and potted trees, designate a private breakfast nook off the master bedroom.”

Entertaining or Escaping
Outdoor dining is increasingly popular. Whereas the house in which you grew up may have had a weathered patio table and chairs, the house in which you live today may have an attractive dining set, a poolside bar with fiber optic lighting, and a grill alongside kitchen appliances that rival those found inside.

In response to the often frenetic pace of American life, many homeowners are setting aside places for peaceful reflection in their yards where they can retreat daily, instead of waiting for that once-a-year vacation. In even a small yard, a welcoming space can be carved out with hedges, a bamboo screen, or a trellis. If space allows, introduce a fabric-walled pavilion where you can practice your yoga. Or set a bench under a shade tree where you can watch birds or enjoy a frosty beverage.

Think Outside the Box
“Another design theme that has made its way from inside the house to outside is the eclectic look,” added Kelly Cruz of Kelly Cruz Interiors. Mixed materials are preferable to uniformity, and fluid lines are replacing more sterile layouts. “Instead of buying a matching set of furniture and distributing the many pieces around the poolside, the gazebo, and a sitting area, consider giving each area its own style or bringing in some unusual pieces to complement the matching ones. A teak outdoor dining set could be set off by a vintage wrought-iron cart near the grill and a colorful Adirondack bench in the garden.”

A forked path, a flagstone walkway intentionally interrupted by mounds of creeping thyme, and walls of unmortared brick are now found even in suburban spaces. The adventurous homeowner might even go so far as to trade a lawn with clearly delineated boundaries for a meadow of wildflowers with a mowed path. If you cannot change the general layout of your yard, consider using less tame plants to extend over concrete borders, bringing a variable edge to the otherwise uninteresting lines.

Those who enjoy modern furniture and clean lines can vary things by resisting predictable symmetry. If you want two trees to flank the doorway, choose two different trees. If you want a grouping of matching chairs on the patio, set them off-center. Another popular approach is to implement a sloping, aslant design. In this way, you can opt for straight walkways and manicured beds but still have an element of whimsy with a walkway that runs diagonally from the patio.

Fashionable Features
Bold colors are no longer found only in the flowerbed. Tile work around the spa can be playful, giving visual relief to large areas of concrete or stonework. Furniture in citrus colors can add flavor to a classic white sunroom. Homeowners with more conservative tastes can introduce colors via easily varied chair cushions with feisty fabrics and colorful table settings.

Water features—from koi ponds, to spas with spillovers, to decorative fountains—once associated with public spaces are common in today’s home gardens. The sound of falling water is soothing and relaxing, and it has the added benefit of buffering unwanted neighborhood sounds.

“Many homeowners are also recreating a sense of hearthside by adding a fire pit or fireplace to the property, said Matt Ward of Stoneworks Design Group. “While often found near a dining spot, a fireplace also works alongside the pool or spa, where it adds warmth and light for nighttime entertainment and relaxation.”

Put Your Feet Up
As mentioned above, homogeneous, uninspired designs are out.

”New outdoor chairs can be found to work with a variety of themes, whether you choose English garden, tropical Tiki, Tuscan villa, or Japanese contemplative,” said Debs Pedigo of the Firehouse Casual Living store. “These pieces are not only stylish and versatile, but also more comfortable. Gone are the days of chairs that leave painful waffle marks on the backs of your legs.”

If you find that you get bored easily with your outdoor living spaces, buy some classic pieces and accent them with smaller, versatile pieces that can be adapted to new layouts and color schemes. Cushions on a teak steamer chair can vary with the foliage, and flowers in classical stoneware can be replanted in contemporary containers and rearranged.

Some patio furniture will need to be stored in the winter. Keep this in mind when choosing furniture with large cushions or heavy pieces that are difficult to move. Lightweight cast aluminum furniture can be stored easily, and it is also a good choice if your furniture gets moved around often. If you need not store or rearrange furniture, you may choose to invest in teak pieces, which are beautiful even when weathered and will serve you for many years.

Overcoming Limitations With books, magazines, and even cable channels dedicated to home design, no design conundrum has gone unaddressed. Is your yard uninteresting? Add a focal point such as a fountain or a trellis. Do you have an unattractive safety fence around your pool? Break up the harsh impression created by the fence by training flowering vines along the pickets, or plant lavender to draw the eye away from the fence.

Don’t let any unattractive feature or size constraint worry you. A creative approach can bring you the space you want no matter the obstacle, whether you take a do-it-yourself approach or hire a professional.

Larger design decisions, such as adding a spa, a deck, or an outbuilding, need to be considered in light of local building codes. You can make small-scale alterations to your outdoor living areas, whereas a designer can help you with re-imagining the space and introducing things like stonework, fountains, or pergolas.

“Enlisting a professional is also wise when you are relandscaping,” added Rony Telor of Top Gardens. “They will know which plants will survive a frost or a drought. And most helpful is their ability to project how the plants will look in a year or so and how they will look in various seasons.”

Breaking Ground
This rule of thumb applies both inside and out: your living area should serve practical uses even as it pleases the senses. Imagine using the property in new ways and make your plans accordingly. Add a wide lip to the planters for additional seating, and then host your book group at poolside. Introduce a fountain to a garden, and then have your morning coffee under the Crepe Myrtle tree to the sound of rushing water. Build a countertop to house the grill, and then serve family dinners in your outdoor dining room.

Enjoy every inch of your property, not just what is found under the roof. Find more square footage in the rooms outside, and bring your original style to the great outdoors.

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Article provided by and reprinted with permission from Urban Home Magazine (Issue: April/May/June 2006).

For an archive of this and other magazine articles, visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com