It’s time to get outside! We’ve rounded up 12 of our favorite porches, terraces, decks, rooftop gardens, and fireside retreats from Flower magazine. Relax and take in these inspiring outdoor spaces for dining with friends, chilling poolside, or simply enjoying a priceless view.
Photo by Francesco Lagnese
At a family getaway house in the Bahamas, designer Marshall Watson chose a bold stripe for the outdoor chaises with a playful bright blue for the pillows. Photo by Francesco Lagnese. ©The Art of Elegance by Marshall Watson (Rizzoli New York, 2017).
See more of this home (and others) in “Marshall Watson, Master of Elegance.”
Photo by Julia Lynn
“At home we keep it cozy, but usually alfresco, with lots of bubbly, and ending with s’mores by the fire,” says Charleston wedding and events designer Calder Clark.
See More of Clark’s Champagne and Oysters Party.
Photo by Tria Giovan
A covered porch designed by Meg Braff offers a comfortable grouping of rattan furniture in vibrant blue. From Meg’s book, The Decorated Home: Living with Style and Joy (Rizzoli New York, 2017).
See more Meg Braff rooms in “Meg Braff Lives with Style and Joy.”
Photo by Thomas Hart Shelby
Garden designer Jon Carloftis designed this rooftop garden retreat for the 21c Museum Hotel. It takes full advantage of the downtown Louisville, Kentucky river views.
See more of Carloftis’s rooftop gardens (including work for Google’s New York HQ and actor Edward Norton) and more pastoral landscapes in “Jon Carloftis: City Roofs & Country Roots.”
Photo by Laura Resen
The walled garden of a Houston home presented an opportunity for architect Ray Booth to layer the living space into the exterior.
See more of Booth’s designs.
Photo by David Tsay at Kate Ryan, Inc, courtesy of Rizzoli
An existing broken concrete wall was the starting point for developing this inviting seating area. Walls make great backdrops for staging big seating pieces and when combined with tall plants, help create a room-like feeling. From Judy Kameon’s book, Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces, Rizzoli New York, 2014.
Landscape designer and author Judy Kameon shares tips for stretching the outdoor living season in an excerpt from Gardens Are for Living, in “Extend the Garden Season.”
Photo © Andrew and Gemma Ingalls
Let’s spend a weekend hanging out on this porch designed by architect, Keith Summerour. In his book, Creating Home, Summerour writes, “The porch represents the middle zone between the conditioned and the uncovered and permits us the exquisite pleasure of keeping one foot in comfort and the other in the wild.” From Keith’s book, Creating Home: Design for Living, Rizzoli New York, 2017.
Read the Q&A and see more of Summerour’s designs in “Architect Keith Summerour.”
Photo by Amy Neunsinger
California designer Mark D. Sikes extols the virtues of creating a natural connection between house and garden with color, motifs, and plant materials. At Sikes’ own home, a terrace becomes a natural extension of indoor spaces with its blue-and-white furnishings and accessories, and ficus-covered walls.
Enjoy an excerpt from Sykes book, Beautiful: All-American Decorating and Timeless Style (Rizzoli New York, 2016), in “Decorating with Greens.”
Photo by Lisa Romerein | Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith
A desire to be closer to nature lured Brooke and Steve Giannetti to Ojai, California, where they’ve built a house and gardens that appear to have been there for ages. One of Steve’s favorite places to relax is on the L-shaped sofa around a fire pit that looks like a campfire. From Patina Farm by Brooke Giannetti and Steve Giannetti.
See more of the Giannetti’s beautiful home and garden in “A Natural Patina.”
Photo by Jessica Loren
Nap-ready! Deep purple and pretty prints cover the cushions on this Palm Beach, Florida porch swing surrounded by tropical vegetation. “Growing up under my mother’s roof meant color was just a part of life. Right now I’m loving purple. It’s rich but almost comes off as a neutral.”—Liza Pulitzer Calhoun.
See more of Liza’s breezy, beach-chic style and get her tips for laid back entertaining in “Living Color.”
Photo by Tria Giovan
A removable canvas cover shades the pergola at this East Hampton home. The bee cutout appears on two of the house’s three gates. Richard Keith Langham designed the settee, chairs, and ottoman.
See more of Frances Schultz’s Bee Cottage.
Produced by Jason Burnett
