Modern Outdoor Spaces: Blurring the Lines Between Indoors and Outdoors
Becky Harris
April 28, 2009
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
These are some of my favorite modern outdoor spaces. I took all of them in metro Atlanta, mostly on the Modern Atlanta 2008 House Tour (only the top photo is not from said tour).
While I can't stand that old "Bring the Outdoors In!" ubiquitous exclaimation, all of these spaces have completely blurred the lines between indoors and outdoors, whether it's with Saarinen rockers on a front porch, or a 2 story garage door that opens between a living room and a patio.
By the way, this year the Modern Atlanta Tour is on May 16th and 17th; I highly recommend going both days!
While I can't stand that old "Bring the Outdoors In!" ubiquitous exclaimation, all of these spaces have completely blurred the lines between indoors and outdoors, whether it's with Saarinen rockers on a front porch, or a 2 story garage door that opens between a living room and a patio.
By the way, this year the Modern Atlanta Tour is on May 16th and 17th; I highly recommend going both days!
This is my neighbor Lily's house. I blogged about her Sambo-designed addition, pining about seeing the inside, and she saw the post and invited me over. This is the original dairy barn part of the house, with a new tin roof added to it.
This house had a two-story garage door that opened betwen the living room and the yard. The next few pictures are all from that yard. This house was on the Modern Atlanta 2008 House Tour.
I love the line of the pavers between the indoor concrete floor and the outdoor hardwood floor. It's a fun flip-flop of floors; the inside has a patio floor and the outside has a living room floor.
I love that the designer paid such good attention to small details and transitions in this yard.
The water appears to be traveling from indoors to out as well. This yard was so well-thought out. The sound of the water also helped to drown out the sounds of the 'hood...
This is a KILLER roof deck in the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta. This house was also on the Modern Atlanta 2008 House Tour.
This is a small detail on a roof deck in Atlanta. I just love that the thought to add the small round pebbles to this geometric and textural mix.
You know, I don't know exactly what was going on in this backyard, all I know is I dug it. It was a little oasis in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta.
I am a sucker for a trough. This yard was a work in progress, but it had good bones.
Not only was this a great entry when I experienced the walk up to the front door, it looked spectacular in plan when looking down on it from the roof deck. I also lucked out that the man was leaving when I took my shot; he's a great scale figure!
This is a genius container idea - such containers cost next to nothing at big box home stores - they are paint troughs. Check Home Depot or Lowe's for a variety of great shaped buckets - I use them to stash all kinds of things around the house. As long as they are on a shelf above eye level, they look neat and modern, and your mess is hidden! But I digress...poke some holes in the bottom and fill the bottom layer with gravel if you want to copy this planter idea.
Love the way this outdoor space uses crisp geometry with outdoor textures like grass. It's got an Alice In Wonderland vibe going on.
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Even though this article is 8 years old, the trend has proven true. More and more, there is an effort to seamlessly blend the transition from indoor to outdoor living. Modern interior design considers the flow of the architecture, natural environment and functional aspects of inside rooms, patios, decks and in between rooms. High end furniture that has the durability to survive the elements, without sacrificing style, provides great flexibility for home or commercial property owners. A number of luxury brands, such as Sifas, Brown Jordan, Mamagreen and Gloster are great examples of patio furniture that can weather the elements and create an elegant entertainment setting.
Love the idea of outdoor spaces and would definitely love if it's complete with an outdoor tv or any kind of entertainment to watch movies or play games with.