17 Outstanding Outdoor Rooms
Homes that bring the inside outside in exceptional ways
Dominic Bagnato
20 April 2015
Houzz Australia Contributor. Director at Bagnato Architects. I have a passion for architecture and building, and I love creating spaces that are well planned and simple, using natural materials to create warmth and luxury.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Director at Bagnato Architects. I have a passion for... More
We have no doubt come a long way on how we treat our outdoor garden spaces as extensions to our homes, fulfilling a long need in Australian culture to sit outside and enjoy the sun in a cool and comfortable space. However, sitting outside under a polycarbonate roof devoid of any sense of space and comfort is no longer the go. In the past, traditional outdoor rooms were nothing more than a covered area at the back of the house with no visible connection to the spaces within the house; they were not very inviting; and were more or less an empty space lacking character and real function.
In the last 15 years there has been a noticeable shift in how designers treat these outdoor garden spaces, providing the most amazing outdoor rooms to sit in, reflect and enjoy the great Australian climate. In essence, creating an outdoor room is now no different to creating a room within the house. All aspects of interior design are merely translated to the outside, exploring alternative materials to withstand the climatic elements with style. Here are some to get your creativity flowing.
In the last 15 years there has been a noticeable shift in how designers treat these outdoor garden spaces, providing the most amazing outdoor rooms to sit in, reflect and enjoy the great Australian climate. In essence, creating an outdoor room is now no different to creating a room within the house. All aspects of interior design are merely translated to the outside, exploring alternative materials to withstand the climatic elements with style. Here are some to get your creativity flowing.
1. A room above the treetops
You don’t have to know too much about this home to establish that it sits high above the treetops. The views are sensational of not only the landscape but the city, too (out of shot) – and what better way to enjoy them than to sit under a pergola where the ground beneath seems to float like a magical carpet. In this outdoor room, you don’t want to feel a sense of containment, but a sense of belonging to the landscape, so you can enjoy all the outdoor elements. For this reason, walls, fences and artificial barriers are not important as you want to be exposed.
You don’t have to know too much about this home to establish that it sits high above the treetops. The views are sensational of not only the landscape but the city, too (out of shot) – and what better way to enjoy them than to sit under a pergola where the ground beneath seems to float like a magical carpet. In this outdoor room, you don’t want to feel a sense of containment, but a sense of belonging to the landscape, so you can enjoy all the outdoor elements. For this reason, walls, fences and artificial barriers are not important as you want to be exposed.
2. A theatrical outdoor room
Raised above a sunken courtyard sits this amazing outdoor room, which has a great sense of drama. Originally intended as a carport, it’s also used as an outdoor stage and general family area, where access is only from a side bridge. There is no roof but a series of walls with mood lighting, a soft curtain at the rear and bi-fold doors to reveal the performance at hand. Standing in this space, you are the centre of attention. Here the focus is not on the green garden but the functionality of the hard-edged space.
Raised above a sunken courtyard sits this amazing outdoor room, which has a great sense of drama. Originally intended as a carport, it’s also used as an outdoor stage and general family area, where access is only from a side bridge. There is no roof but a series of walls with mood lighting, a soft curtain at the rear and bi-fold doors to reveal the performance at hand. Standing in this space, you are the centre of attention. Here the focus is not on the green garden but the functionality of the hard-edged space.
3. The trellis effect
This really is a contemporary outdoor room – a modern verandah not lacking character or function and providing space to sit and relax and enjoy the sun. The architects have designed an outdoor room that manages to create a sense of enclosure, while also maintaining a relationship with the outside. No sign of a polycarbonate roof here, but rather a clever use of laser-cut screens to both block and allow sun to penetrate, creating the most amazing geometric shadows. The space is minimal while also being rich in material.
This really is a contemporary outdoor room – a modern verandah not lacking character or function and providing space to sit and relax and enjoy the sun. The architects have designed an outdoor room that manages to create a sense of enclosure, while also maintaining a relationship with the outside. No sign of a polycarbonate roof here, but rather a clever use of laser-cut screens to both block and allow sun to penetrate, creating the most amazing geometric shadows. The space is minimal while also being rich in material.
4. Mother Nature’s bedroom
I started this story by saying that the best way to treat your outdoor garden space as an outdoor room was to merely translate to the outside all the interior elements that make up a room. Well, the designers at Compagnie D have done just that, partnering up with Mother Nature to create this peaceful retreat at the back corner of a garden. Providing a sense of enclosure, the tree canopy acts as the ceiling, the perimeter fences as the walls, and the lattice detail as textural wallpaper. The analogy doesn’t stop there; as corny as it sounds, the decorative dishes sit on the wall like picture frames, and bird cages and lanterns in the trees act as pendant lighting. The soft, lush plants are Mother Nature’s carpet, leading to the daybed, a place of respite and rest. It’s an organic outdoor room for anyone’s garden.
I started this story by saying that the best way to treat your outdoor garden space as an outdoor room was to merely translate to the outside all the interior elements that make up a room. Well, the designers at Compagnie D have done just that, partnering up with Mother Nature to create this peaceful retreat at the back corner of a garden. Providing a sense of enclosure, the tree canopy acts as the ceiling, the perimeter fences as the walls, and the lattice detail as textural wallpaper. The analogy doesn’t stop there; as corny as it sounds, the decorative dishes sit on the wall like picture frames, and bird cages and lanterns in the trees act as pendant lighting. The soft, lush plants are Mother Nature’s carpet, leading to the daybed, a place of respite and rest. It’s an organic outdoor room for anyone’s garden.
5. A hole in the wall
Sometimes you want to hedge your bets both ways. You want that outdoor garden room but you’re not prepared to create a space in its own right. Like opening a window to the outside to allow a cool breeze to enter, or to hear the sounds of birds whistling in the trees, architect Angus Mackenzie created a hole in the wall of this home, where a series of sliding doors open to reveal the optimum indoor-outdoor seating spot. When weather permits, you can enjoy all the elements that Mother Nature provides and when such occasions require the closing of the glazed doors, this window seat becomes a cosy internal corner in which to sit and view the world outside.
Sometimes you want to hedge your bets both ways. You want that outdoor garden room but you’re not prepared to create a space in its own right. Like opening a window to the outside to allow a cool breeze to enter, or to hear the sounds of birds whistling in the trees, architect Angus Mackenzie created a hole in the wall of this home, where a series of sliding doors open to reveal the optimum indoor-outdoor seating spot. When weather permits, you can enjoy all the elements that Mother Nature provides and when such occasions require the closing of the glazed doors, this window seat becomes a cosy internal corner in which to sit and view the world outside.
6. The outdoor living room
You could be forgiven for thinking you were viewing a photo of a living room in a summer house, styled to reflect its location with the cool blues and whites of the ocean, when in fact, you are not inside the house at all. Rather, this photo was taken outside under a contemporary verandah, where leather or material upholstered chairs are substituted for a more outdoor-suitable material like wicker for the lounge suite, a durable outdoor timber table with stainless steel frame and chairs made of a plastic resin. Here, the interior designers have created the full outdoor experience with a built-in kitchen at one end and a central dining area and a place to sit at the other. Who says style has to be relegated to only the interior of the house?
10 impressive indoor-outdoor living rooms
You could be forgiven for thinking you were viewing a photo of a living room in a summer house, styled to reflect its location with the cool blues and whites of the ocean, when in fact, you are not inside the house at all. Rather, this photo was taken outside under a contemporary verandah, where leather or material upholstered chairs are substituted for a more outdoor-suitable material like wicker for the lounge suite, a durable outdoor timber table with stainless steel frame and chairs made of a plastic resin. Here, the interior designers have created the full outdoor experience with a built-in kitchen at one end and a central dining area and a place to sit at the other. Who says style has to be relegated to only the interior of the house?
10 impressive indoor-outdoor living rooms
7. The outdoor kitchen
This creative outdoor experience literally extrudes the inside to the outside, mimicking the white and stainless steel materials found in the kitchen within to create an extension outside that would be welcome in any home. With the entire back wall of the house open to the outside, the kitchens appear as one. The durable stone benchtops of the internal kitchen are used outside and the traditional stainless steel oven and cooktop appliances are replicated with outdoor appliances in the form of a barbecue and side burners. Even the cabinetry of the outdoor kitchen takes its design cue from the kitchen cabinets within. What makes this outdoor kitchen/dining area work so well is the integration of all the design components that work well together. The proportions and site lines are carried through from inside to outside and appear seamless.
20 amazing outdoor kitchens
This creative outdoor experience literally extrudes the inside to the outside, mimicking the white and stainless steel materials found in the kitchen within to create an extension outside that would be welcome in any home. With the entire back wall of the house open to the outside, the kitchens appear as one. The durable stone benchtops of the internal kitchen are used outside and the traditional stainless steel oven and cooktop appliances are replicated with outdoor appliances in the form of a barbecue and side burners. Even the cabinetry of the outdoor kitchen takes its design cue from the kitchen cabinets within. What makes this outdoor kitchen/dining area work so well is the integration of all the design components that work well together. The proportions and site lines are carried through from inside to outside and appear seamless.
20 amazing outdoor kitchens
8. The outdoor bathroom
The designers at Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes set out to create an intimate hideaway – a bathroom that extrudes privacy and luxury outdoors, surrounded by lush landscaping. Rather than devoid the bathroom of the more traditional fixtures and fittings, they have been reinterpreted. The enamel bath tub has been replaced with an oval-shaped stone vessel; water cascades from a stone clad wall waterfall feature; a mirror clad ledge reflects the surrounding garden; and a showerhead sits to the side mimicking rain from the sky. Soft lighting and the experience of feeling enclosed while at the same time being open to the sky with its bright-lit stars at night creates an ambiance of pure luxury.
The designers at Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes set out to create an intimate hideaway – a bathroom that extrudes privacy and luxury outdoors, surrounded by lush landscaping. Rather than devoid the bathroom of the more traditional fixtures and fittings, they have been reinterpreted. The enamel bath tub has been replaced with an oval-shaped stone vessel; water cascades from a stone clad wall waterfall feature; a mirror clad ledge reflects the surrounding garden; and a showerhead sits to the side mimicking rain from the sky. Soft lighting and the experience of feeling enclosed while at the same time being open to the sky with its bright-lit stars at night creates an ambiance of pure luxury.
9. The invisible room
Creating an outdoor bathroom whereby its use is limited by the weather may not be everyone’s idea of a practical outdoor room. Instead, fling open those double doors, effectively opening up an entire wall to your garden. As seen here, Studio 74 has created a hole in the wall where the outdoor verandah allows direct access to the secluded bathroom inside.
Creating an outdoor bathroom whereby its use is limited by the weather may not be everyone’s idea of a practical outdoor room. Instead, fling open those double doors, effectively opening up an entire wall to your garden. As seen here, Studio 74 has created a hole in the wall where the outdoor verandah allows direct access to the secluded bathroom inside.
10. The outdoor dining room
This outdoor alfresco dining room celebrates all the attributes provided by a landscaped garden while at the same time embracing a sense of enclosure and protection from the weather. To create a sense of intimacy, walls are defined by their individual function. On one wall, an outdoor kitchen and built-in fireplace provides all the internal comforts outside, undercover and protected from the elements. On the other wall, built-in seating set among a lush garden allows for respite to take in those rays of sun on a crisp spring morning. Out of shot, the whole space opens into the home via bi-fold doors. To catch glimpses of the sky, the roof appears to hover, supported only by minimal supports. The design philosophy here is not to completely enclose the space but to capture garden and outdoor glimpses.
See the rest of this house
This outdoor alfresco dining room celebrates all the attributes provided by a landscaped garden while at the same time embracing a sense of enclosure and protection from the weather. To create a sense of intimacy, walls are defined by their individual function. On one wall, an outdoor kitchen and built-in fireplace provides all the internal comforts outside, undercover and protected from the elements. On the other wall, built-in seating set among a lush garden allows for respite to take in those rays of sun on a crisp spring morning. Out of shot, the whole space opens into the home via bi-fold doors. To catch glimpses of the sky, the roof appears to hover, supported only by minimal supports. The design philosophy here is not to completely enclose the space but to capture garden and outdoor glimpses.
See the rest of this house
11. The inside/outside experience
Creating an outdoor room or experiencing the feeling of being outdoors does not always mean styling an entire alfresco area as seen in previous photos. Why not, instead, open up the back of your home and utilise the internal functions such as the kitchen, to enjoy outside with all the comforts of the inside. Danny Broe Architects has created this simple concept by providing bi-fold doors that slide to the side to open up the space. What makes the space more interesting is that the bi-fold doors cut through the central island kitchen bench, provide a permanent servery and under-bench storage for the outdoor dining area.
Creating an outdoor room or experiencing the feeling of being outdoors does not always mean styling an entire alfresco area as seen in previous photos. Why not, instead, open up the back of your home and utilise the internal functions such as the kitchen, to enjoy outside with all the comforts of the inside. Danny Broe Architects has created this simple concept by providing bi-fold doors that slide to the side to open up the space. What makes the space more interesting is that the bi-fold doors cut through the central island kitchen bench, provide a permanent servery and under-bench storage for the outdoor dining area.
12. The garden pavilion
If your garden is large enough, why not create stand alone garden pavilions where overhead canopies provide cover and the walls are open to the surrounding garden. This terraced garden provides individual outdoor rooms like those found within your home. The lower level houses a kitchen that can act as both a food preparation area and a bar for pool guests floating by. On the higher terrace, the undercover dining experience is set among the lush green landscape where the highlight is a floating dining bench. Layering the garden using natural durable materials helps define the spaces.
If your garden is large enough, why not create stand alone garden pavilions where overhead canopies provide cover and the walls are open to the surrounding garden. This terraced garden provides individual outdoor rooms like those found within your home. The lower level houses a kitchen that can act as both a food preparation area and a bar for pool guests floating by. On the higher terrace, the undercover dining experience is set among the lush green landscape where the highlight is a floating dining bench. Layering the garden using natural durable materials helps define the spaces.
13. The outdoor terrace
Living in the inner city doesn’t mean missing out on a great outdoor room. Even if you lack a traditional outdoor space within a garden environment, you can still create your own special view. In this Paddington terrace, interior designers at Baxter Creative have utilised the smallest of spaces to accommodate a couple of chairs and a drinks table – and have even managed to fit in a stylish bookcase. Here, being on the first floor has its advantages. Views extend out to the rooftops of adjoining homes and a lush rooftop garden opposite, created to provide an enticing outlook to the terrace balcony.
Living in the inner city doesn’t mean missing out on a great outdoor room. Even if you lack a traditional outdoor space within a garden environment, you can still create your own special view. In this Paddington terrace, interior designers at Baxter Creative have utilised the smallest of spaces to accommodate a couple of chairs and a drinks table – and have even managed to fit in a stylish bookcase. Here, being on the first floor has its advantages. Views extend out to the rooftops of adjoining homes and a lush rooftop garden opposite, created to provide an enticing outlook to the terrace balcony.
14. The secluded outdoor room (on a sloping site)
A sloping site can sometimes provide the most difficult terrain for creating an outdoor room. However, a negative can sometimes become a positive. Intimate and private outdoor spaces hidden from adjoining neighbours can be created by terracing your garden. This provides not only flat usable spaces but an opportunity to create different rooms at different levels, each camouflaged and defined by manicured garden hedges, as seen in this Bellevue Hill home. It’s a lush and private outdoor room contained within the walls of a garden.
A sloping site can sometimes provide the most difficult terrain for creating an outdoor room. However, a negative can sometimes become a positive. Intimate and private outdoor spaces hidden from adjoining neighbours can be created by terracing your garden. This provides not only flat usable spaces but an opportunity to create different rooms at different levels, each camouflaged and defined by manicured garden hedges, as seen in this Bellevue Hill home. It’s a lush and private outdoor room contained within the walls of a garden.
15. A room with a vista
An outdoor room can be a place for reflection and simply taking in the sights. This Sydney house has a wonderful layered outdoor room where, from the dining suite, one can look out to the garden, which is beautifully framed by a climbing vine. From here there is a view of the pool and then the waterway and finally the hilltop homes. This outdoor room is not complicated and nor does it have to be. It’s the surrounding spaces that create the atmosphere in this courtyard – no additional embellishment is needed. Simplicity is the key.
An outdoor room can be a place for reflection and simply taking in the sights. This Sydney house has a wonderful layered outdoor room where, from the dining suite, one can look out to the garden, which is beautifully framed by a climbing vine. From here there is a view of the pool and then the waterway and finally the hilltop homes. This outdoor room is not complicated and nor does it have to be. It’s the surrounding spaces that create the atmosphere in this courtyard – no additional embellishment is needed. Simplicity is the key.
16. A floating space for one
There is something magical about feeling like you are floating on a boat or suspended in mid air. This outdoor space has all those ingredients – a raft that appears to float on water, and a space for one, where a suspended wicker chair accentuates that feeling of being cocooned. A faraway island set among an urban environment.
There is something magical about feeling like you are floating on a boat or suspended in mid air. This outdoor space has all those ingredients – a raft that appears to float on water, and a space for one, where a suspended wicker chair accentuates that feeling of being cocooned. A faraway island set among an urban environment.
17. The meandering outdoor room
This private garden in Sydney’s south is a vast meandering outdoor room where different pockets are created to enjoy the garden itself and the views of the water beyond. It’s not a space defined by four walls or a purpose-built deck with a roof or a space connected to the house. Its a free-flowing space where discovery and enjoyment of the individual spaces is paramount. A richness of material is provided via the outdoor styling and the selection of sculptures and plants. This garden provides not one room but an array of outdoor rooms.
YOUR SAY
Do you have a garden space that acts as an out door room? Attach a photo or share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Get the Fabulous Outdoor Room You’ve Always Wanted
10 Ways to Make Your Outdoor Room the Place to Be
Style USA: Sublime Outdoor Rooms From Across the Pacific
This private garden in Sydney’s south is a vast meandering outdoor room where different pockets are created to enjoy the garden itself and the views of the water beyond. It’s not a space defined by four walls or a purpose-built deck with a roof or a space connected to the house. Its a free-flowing space where discovery and enjoyment of the individual spaces is paramount. A richness of material is provided via the outdoor styling and the selection of sculptures and plants. This garden provides not one room but an array of outdoor rooms.
YOUR SAY
Do you have a garden space that acts as an out door room? Attach a photo or share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
Get the Fabulous Outdoor Room You’ve Always Wanted
10 Ways to Make Your Outdoor Room the Place to Be
Style USA: Sublime Outdoor Rooms From Across the Pacific
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"But today many designers treat these outdoor garden spaces as they would a room within the house, providing outdoor area in which to sit, reflect and entertain." I do agree with this! That's why we already have a Cosmos Outdoor TV at our backyard. Thanks!
If you're interested in wood styling of your home's deck, balcony and stairs, check out Mountain Laurel Handrail here :
http://awoodrailing.com
For me an ultimate outdoor experience includes outdoor entertainment, maybe an outdoor TV perhaps.