Fresh-Air Living
How to create the perfect outdoor room.
David Sutherland Collection
The buzz on the national design scene is about taking your inside lifestyle outside—that is, creating outside spaces that function just like interior rooms do. What better place to create these spaces than New Mexico: the climate is temperate, the sun shines about 325 days a year, rainfall and aggravation from the bug world are minimal, and there are breathtaking mountain and sunset views are all around us.
A home’s outdoor space need no longer be a concrete slab with a collection of mismatched folding chairs and a stand-alone grill. Thanks to the recent introduction of visually interesting and weather-resistant furnishings, it can be a place of true beauty and solitude.
The boundaries of an outdoor room can be defined in a variety of ways—through furniture arrangements, for example, or with low walls made of brick, stone, or stucco. Plants can both add definition and introduce mystery, motion, and softness. Pergolas, portals, and ramadas provide shelter from wind, rain, and sun while adding structural interest.
Creating a seamless physical and visual flow between indoor and outdoor rooms will unify the spaces and appear to expand your living space. Consider using the same flooring material as well as the same or complementary colors and furnishing styles in both rooms. Replacing standard wooden doors and windows with glass or French doors also connects the two spaces.
Here are some other important things to consider when planning a space for indoor/outdoor living:
Exterior lighting. Warm, welcoming lighting can help define the boundaries of an outdoor space. My favorite outdoor light source, the hurricane lamp, produces a gentle, flattering glow for dining and entertaining. The glass protects the candle flame from wind and magnifies illumination. Strings of small white “holiday” lights, used at any time of the year, can be beautiful too; when strung in the tree canopy, they create magical ambient illumination. And solar-generated light fixtures also look lovely when placed in flower beds, under trees, and along winding garden footpaths.
Water features. The sound of water creates a mesmerizing backdrop for entertaining and relaxing, and decorative water fountains come in many forms and sizes (from 12-inch stone spheres to 12-foot-wide water walls). Recirculating fountains are the water-wise choice and can be freestanding, wall-mounted, or designed to look like a stream or pond that blends into the landscape.
Fire features. Whether built into a wall or freestanding, fire features add physical and emotional warmth to any outdoor environment. Stone Forest, a design company based in Santa Fe, has some lovely new products, including a large granite bowl with a gas fire insert that is simple to turn on and off.
Furniture. Since it will be used for relaxation and entertaining, choose outdoor furniture that is welcoming and comfortable. You’ll be amazed at the range of attractive, weather-resistant fabrics and designs now available, from 17th-century French reproduction furniture to ultra-contemporary powder-coated metal creations.
Cooking areas. Nothing is more pleasant than dining under the stars—and experiencing the sights and smells of outdoor cooking—on a beautiful New Mexico evening. You’ll need to consider things like wind and rain when deciding where to place outdoor cooking equipment, but your “kitchen” can be as simple as a top-quality freestanding grill or as complex as a grouping of gas burners, a refrigerator, a sink, and storage cabinets, all connected by work surfaces made of materials that can withstand inclement weather.
The key to creating a harmonious and balanced exterior living environment is to develop a plan before construction and enlist qualified professionals in the planning process. The experts’ knowledge of the myriad products available, with their ability to pull everything together in a cohesive manner, will contribute immeasurably to the project’s success. When done right, an aesthetically pleasing outdoor environment that engages our senses can magnify our connection with nature and enhance our quality of life.
Licensed interior designer Barbara Templeman, ASID, co-owns insideOUT with Cheryl Alters Jamison.
