Thinking about the Great Outdoors...

In just a couple of weeks, Southern Californian indoor-outdoor living will be back into our lives once again. And, we can't wait to fire up the barbeque either!

We enjoy designing these "outdoor rooms" for many reasons : The whole concept of "bringing the outdoors in" really means you need two beautiful spaces that transition and flow well with each other. It's a lot of fun working with clients and their ideas of how they want to live outside. And lastly, we love finding and choosing the building materials, colors, furniture and plantings that bring it all together.

Since most everyone enjoys hanging out in great outdoor spaces, we'd like to share a couple of these projects with you. Click on the pics to the right to see the "before" shots – then take a look at our design solutions.

First up is a fantastic patio and back yard design for our clients in the Valley . They had a big yard full of grass but what they really wanted was a great place to entertain family and friends. We put in beautiful Mexican pavers to create the new patio, added planters, a koi pond, BBQ center and lots of seating for the whole crew. And we topped it all off with a custom fountain that serves as a focal point for the space.

Ok, so you live in a condo, huh? Check out this great new space we did for our client in Santa Monica. She loves to cook and have people over for dinner, but the one bedroom layout just couldn't accommodate that. No problem – we turned her typical 60's patio into a terrific outdoor dining room and BBQ area. We even figured out a way to include a sitting area for after-dinner conversations and she couldn't be happier with the results.

Last up is a project currently in production in West Hollywood. The design is for a busy professional couple with a small traditional home. After we finished with their interior work, they asked us to come up with a winning outdoor plan too. It's simply a reflection of their home; a mix of traditional and contemporary materials and elements. We kept the plantings and surfaces simple and elegant to enhance all of the great new places to hang out. We think the view of that amazing fountain from their bedroom doors is really going to be spectacular!