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20 outdoor room ideas
Beach house patio
"I was driving by a store in L.A., saw this 1960s patio furniture and screeched to a stop," designer Kristen Ewart says. "It's modern without being stark, and petite — there's not a lot of room out here." See more photos of this California beach house.
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Earthy colors and decor
Designer Sandy Koepke chose earthy ochers and greens to make this outdoor kitchen feel more natural, even with stainless-steel appliances.
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A relaxing sun porch
A comfy living room set in a sun porch is the best of both worlds: the feeling of being outside with the comfort of being indoors. The sun porch walls, ceilings and floors are painted with Benjamin Moore's Atrium White.
Slide show: 10 homes with magnificent warm-weather porches
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An oceanside escape
A view of the ocean is all you need to relax, but a beautiful terrace like this one doesn't hurt. Dark furniture — Janus et Cie's Veneto — grounds the expansive oceanside terrace.
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The ultimate covered porch
This covered porch has a mix of antique wicker. The fabric is "lemonade- and sangria-proof," designer Robin Bell says, because who wants to clean up a mess after a relaxing afternoon?
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Sunroom
The sunroom, part of the original 1952 house, is also the entrance. Photographer and owner Amy Neunsinger installed two pairs of double glass doors to create an indoor-outdoor flow. "The room really feels more like a patio," she says.
The photographs include several taken by Neunsinger and her assistants.
Antique Chinese chairs are paired with a vintage Eero Saarinen table. The coffee table is by Eric Troop; the chandelier is from Ochre. The walls are painted Van de Cane by Dunn-Edwards.
Slide show: 10 homes with magnificent warm-weather porches
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A colorful cabana
To connect the inside with the outside, Moises Esquenazi created a series of living areas in his Los Angeles backyard, including this cabana with a daybed that echoes the colors he used inside his bungalow. The natural fiber pillows and the blue squares are from RL Home; the striped and print pillows are by Trina Turk.
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A living room outdoors
Invite guests over or enjoy this casual outdoor space by yourself with a glass of iced tea. It's just like bringing your living room outdoors. The vintage metal glider and chairs are from Zonal; the pillows are from Pottery Barn.
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Outdoor room
In this outdoor room, "everything is meant to be a backdrop for the view," says the designer, Fern Santini. "You can see the entire Austin skyline and a chain of lakes." The classic iron furniture is from Janus et Cie.
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A classic cottage porch
Walters Wicker Seagrass sofa and armchairs are covered in a Brunschwig & Fils cornflower-blue and white plaid, which makes the screened porch an inviting spot for family gatherings. The ceiling color is Morning Glory by Benjamin Moore.
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Cozy outdoor fireplace
The sitting area in this outdoor kitchen designed by Sandy Koepke blends into the surrounding natural environment. This is an ideal setting for entertaining, complete with beer on tap.
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Porch
The screened-in porch is "the perfect spot for a gin and tonic," designer Kim Coleman says.
Green cushions — Suncloth from Sonia's Place — blend with the dune grass.
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Porch with draperies
In one of four outdoor seating areas, draperies and a ceiling fan provide a cool respite from the sun.
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Rustic gazebo
A stone faux-bois dining table from France and an iron gazebo from Anthropologie sit at the end of designer Jill Sharp Brinson's gravel driveway.
"The gazebo was a display at a mall store in Atlanta, and I lusted after it for years. One day I was there shopping, and I saw a 'for sale' tag on it. I bought it on the spot," she says.
With the help of Dan Cleveland of Boxwoods Gardens and Gifts, Brinson planted waves of clipped boxwood, magnolia, hydrangea, anise and holly to screen out the 20-story building 15 feet away.
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Outdoor living room
This outdoor room designed by Vicente Wolf features white furniture from Usona Home, long white curtains from Janus et Cie to filter sunlight, and a fireplace. See more photos of this Southampton home.
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Camp style: porches
Architect Gil Schafer converted an open porch to a screened porch and, next to it, a dining room. Color expert Eve Ashcraft chose Narragansett Green for the porch floor and Stonington Gray for the ceiling, both from Benjamin Moore.
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Chaise recliner in a rustic setting
A Brown Jordan chaise stretches out near a limestone fountain. Joe Nye designed this space overlooking the rustic steps that climb the lushly planted hillside on the Pacific Ocean.
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Bright-blue cushioned chairs
Cathy Kincaid designed this patio with McKinnon and Harris furniture, upholstered in Perennials fabric from David Sutherland.
"It's durable and so pretty you could use it in a living room," she says. Terra-cotta pavers are from Ann Sacks.
See more photos of this sophisticated French country designed home.
- Video: Best beach getaways
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The loggia
Gary McBournie designed this loggia using elegant but casual elements. See more photos of this European-style home in Palm Beach, Fla.
- MSN Living: Ideas for decorating in white
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20 outdoor room ideas
Covered outdoor dining
This beach-house deck is a low-key island paradise. Designers Harriet Maxwell Macdonald and Andrew Corrie chose a clean-lined dining table and bench made of cedar from old Manhattan water towers, weathered to a soft gray.
Homeowner Corrie rigged a bamboo framework to support his homemade roof of lashed bamboo poles.
- Video: Best beach getaways
- On our blog, 'Listed': Can’t move? Maybe you should remodel
- Bing: Shop for patio furniture



