From fabric selection to furniture placement, 10 top interior designers share their advice for creating a welcoming outdoor space.
Matthew Yee, of Matthew Yee Interiors:
“Make an outdoor area feel like an extension of the house by using the same color palette and style of furniture that are featured in the interiors. Here, light colored curtains further draw the eye out and create a distinct contrast from the natural surroundings in a soft way.”
Linda Ruderman, of Linda Ruderman Interiors Inc:
“Select monochromatic furniture and fabrics to blend the exterior landscaping with interior comfort. Embrace nature and play off of the natural surroundings with greenery, flowers, and stone.”
Meredith Ellis, of Meredith Ellis Design:
“For outdoor spaces, make sure that the seating is comfortable and laid out well for conversation. I also always add plenty of throws to cover up with on a cold evening! This Los Angeles home, designed in collaboration with my friend interior designer Leslie Hunt, embodies indoor/outdoor living.”
Pamela Hughes, of Hughes Design Associates:
“For easy entertaining and outdoor enjoyment, add amenities and conveniences found in indoor spaces. This home in Sarasota takes advantage of the year-round sunshine with a spacious two-level loggia, an outdoor kitchen and easy access to the beach and pool.”
Ken Gemes, of Ken Gemes Interiors:
“In narrower outdoor spaces like this one above, use smaller scale furniture and choose pieces that can be used for multiple purposes. Here, ottomans double as a coffee table and provide additional seats depending on the crowd. With any outdoor space, it’s also important to pay attention to durability of fabrics. The cozy ivory chenille upholstery here is easy to clean, and the pillows can be freshened in new colors if things start to look tired.”
Christopher Stevens, of Christopher Stevens:
“Cushions are a great look, but if you aren’t the type to bring them in at the first sign of rain, consider going with furniture that doesn’t need cushions at all. For this terrace that we recently furnished in Manhattan, we chose a mix of seating with webbing, cording and mesh that stands ready for use regardless of weather.”
Ryan Brown and Diego Monchamp, of Brown Design Group:
“Avoid matched sets of furniture. A balance of wood, metal, stone, glass or all weather wicker will provide more textural interest.”
Eva Quateman, of Eva Quateman:
“An outdoor space should continuously flow as a natural extension of the interior with furniture and fabrics that harmoniously intertwine the two spaces. The elegant patio seating area of this lush Coral Gables home lends a seamless transition from the indoors to the outside with Summer Classics outdoor furniture featuring a Sunbrella fabric.”
Ginger Barber, of Ginger Barber Design:
“To make a space perfect for entertaining, focus on creating comfortable seating that is welcoming to guests. This relaxing terrace overlooking downtown Houston was designed for watching the sunset with friends and family.”
Susan Bozeman, of Susan B. Bozeman Designs:
“Choose furniture that blends well with the architecture and design of nearby spaces. For this outdoor work area, we used furniture from Janus et Cie and turned this space into one of the favorite meeting spots for the employees of the company.”
