Outdoor homescapes

In the Victorian era, porches were considered essential extensions of the well-dressed homes. They were havens for womens charitable society meetings, gracious teas and dinner parties, and discreet courting under the stars. After World War II, when countless Victorian homes were torn down to make way for modern, low maintenance houses, the front and the back porches, wraparound veranda, and side porch often took a backseat to the popular patio designs of the day. Today, however, the porch is enjoying a renaissance, as people everywhere are discovering that this outdoor room not only adds beauty to their homes facade but helps protect the home from the suns intense rays, saving on air-conditioning costs. The porch also provides a warm weather living room for entertaining, alfresco dining, reading, and meditating, and it is a superb place from which to watch nature. While some homes have a traditional open-air porch, others have screened porches to keep insects and animals at bay. A new favorite is a convertible porch, which can be adjusted to serve an open, screened, or totally enclosed porch with glazed inserts. Other delightful outdoor living spaces that can promote hospitality or quiet relaxation include open-air decks, romantic courtyards, sunny patios, loggias (roofed galleries on the side of homes), and decorative gazebos.

Part of the joy of creating outdoor living rooms is that they can be simply or elaborately furnished and still feel enchanting, for nature is always there to provide dramatic lighting, cooling breezes, and calming fragrance, color and sound. A wide variety of outdoor furnishings is available, such as classical or ornate cast-iron garden benches, tables, and chairs; colorful Parisian bistro chairs; minimalist metal, teak, and mahogany furnishings; and ancient-looking garden benches crafted from stone. Synthetic wicker is a favorite all-weather material for outdoor rooms of every style. Synthetic mesh hammocks, woven cotton hammocks, and wooden porch swings are also popular. Outdoor furnishings crafted from branches, roots, and twigs are also sought after.

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Outdoor homescapes