As our surrounds thaw, we plan for the days when segueing between indoors and out does not require muck boots, but instead allows for bare-footed traipsing. In every project we design, we extend the conviviality we create inside to the adjacent outdoor areas. As such, we imbue each exterior element with care and beauty, allowing for graceful transitions between en suite and en plein air. When approaching your own outdoor extensions, we encourage identifying several through lines that can tie together your room and your roaming, whether it be a particular palette or a favorite textile. The following considerations further enhance the communion between indoors and out.

Green Screens

Landscape design is an integral part of making your personal patch of land livable and private. Incorporating or augmenting local flora in specific zones allows for areas to feel at once intimate and natural. 

Dedicated Play

Play outside: the chorus of summer can be complicated if sightlines don’t allow for supervision by adults inside. As designers, we always advise that play be given prominence on properties, with areas dedicated to kids within view of the rooms where adults work. For instance, plant the play zone outside the kitchen, so that smiles can be shared across the sink during meal prep. 

Looking Glass

Expanses of glass allow for seamless living between indoors and out. Sliding glass doors in master suites and great rooms, opening onto decks or patios, while simultaneously allowing for unobstructed views to be enjoyed from under the covers or under a portico.

Al Fresco Dining

Grills aren’t the only way to make all summer meals an outdoor affair. When space allows, complete outdoor kitchens are excellent additions, and yet, even the introduction of an outdoor dining table makes for memorable meals al fresco.