Exteriors

Love the hoops hanging from the ceiling.

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A matte black wall adds a modern background while also softening the garden’s borders — a reclaimed-wood topper ties in with the wood-framed window.

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The shade fabric slides along steel cables. When Krefman or McFarland want to open one side or the whole thing, they use a kind of cane to reach up and slide the fabric across. Magnets on the end snap the fabric in place when it’s fully opened. “I wanted to avoid a giant umbrella pole,” Krefman says. “This really freed up floor space and allows us to manage what gets sun and what doesn’t.”

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Cozy outdoor lounge. Built-in benches topped with thick cushions, a sturdy coffee table and an eye-catching Moroccan-style pendant light make for an outdoor space you’ll want to settle into and not leave. Extend seating possibilities with a pouf or two, and don’t forget the candles for even more evening ambiance.

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Bloomberg retained the wooden dentilled cornice but replaced almost all of the brick back wall with two stories of UV- and heat-resistant coated insulated glass, framed in no-maintenance aluminum-wrapped steel. Two of the three first-floor glass panels slide to the side to create a 14-foot opening. The doors are made of thermally broken aluminum, with inner and outer glass panels separated by a gap to eliminate condensation in extreme temperatures. The glass wall makes all the difference in the design. Not only does it enlarge the space visually and allow natural light to flood into the otherwise dark central core, but it creates a nearly seamless transition from indoors to the outdoor patio — a plus when the homeowners are entertaining large groups.

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love the openness of this

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Love the idea of a swinging door to the patio. “I asked Pella to make the biggest door they could sell me, then put it on the pivot hinge myself,” Wright says. The front door is 5 by 8 feet.

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This extraordinary Oregon house celebrates the form in every respect. Once again, you can clearly see the smaller wood members of the glulam beams that define the structure.

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This captivating garden plays with proportion and texture brilliantly. The soft no-mow grass is creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra), and the trees were transplanted from an old olive grove. The oversize urn looks like it could have been discarded there by a giant.

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These Queen of Love armchairs are all this deck needs to make it weird but wonderful. They’re made from UV-resistant recyclable plastic, and they’re big enough for two people to sit in. One thing’s for sure: Chairs like these are the last thing guests will expect when they step out into your backyard.

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Fireballs: Rasmussen Iron Works

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Something different: A similar looping line is found in the pattern of growing, curling vines here. The aluminum exterior screen on this beach house, by aamodt/plumb architects, provides privacy and adds interest to the exterior while letting in the light.

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