Lounge Spaces That Keep the Party Going Outside
Sink into these 10 cushy and chill outdoor entertaining spaces by design-savvy homeowners
August is a time to savor the last precious drops of summer with alfresco meals and laid-back afternoons before the start of fall. These 10 homeowners know how to enjoy lounging outdoors and have created their own resort-like spaces for spending lazy weekends, making it hard to ever leave their backyards, patios, porches, decks and courtyards. Get inspired by these fun and fresh design ideas to create an outstanding outdoor room of your own.
“Another unusual thing about houses in this region is a big backyard,” Amanda says. “Our yard backs up to a real thoroughbred horse farm and the Elkhorn Creek. Our neighbors have a zipline through their yard, and we often hike down to the creek to play. It’s very whimsical and beautiful.”
The family of four loves being right on the banks of Elkhorn Creek, which Walt Whitman wrote about in Song of Myself.
The family of four loves being right on the banks of Elkhorn Creek, which Walt Whitman wrote about in Song of Myself.
The Herveys added personality to their basic builder house with paint and some DIY projects. Amanda painted the porch floor with wide stripes and the ceiling in a Haint Blue, which is a popular practice in the South.
Floor paint: Valspar Porch Paint; door paint: Web Gray, Sherwin Williams
Floor paint: Valspar Porch Paint; door paint: Web Gray, Sherwin Williams
The doily dreamcatcher panel was one of Amanda’s DIY projects using embroidery hoops, and it also gives the family a little privacy from the neighbors. She also made the side-by-side porch swings out of repurposed kitchen chairs.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
2. Contemporary Farmhouse Country Vibe in Texas
Jeff Jones and Shauna Glenn built their family’s custom home in Fort Worth from the ground up on an empty 2-acre lot with a deer-friendly pond. Their bright, color-happy interior palette carries through to their outdoor patio where they enjoy lounging on a sectional with their six kids and watching TV.
Jeff Jones and Shauna Glenn built their family’s custom home in Fort Worth from the ground up on an empty 2-acre lot with a deer-friendly pond. Their bright, color-happy interior palette carries through to their outdoor patio where they enjoy lounging on a sectional with their six kids and watching TV.
The couple knew that the views out the back and the phenomenal pool area were always going to be major focal points of their backyard. Jones oversaw the installation of low-water plants all around the house, including native grasses and agave plants. The pool and hot tub were also in his purview.
A pair of white loungers, anchored in the shallow end of the pool, make the perfect place to observe the surrounding wildlife.
White lounge chairs: Ledge Loungers
A pair of white loungers, anchored in the shallow end of the pool, make the perfect place to observe the surrounding wildlife.
White lounge chairs: Ledge Loungers
Glenn’s favorite thing to do at home is “chill out by the pool.” After a trip to Cancun, the couple were inspired to find a wooden four-poster bed suited for outdoor use. This replica was created for them in Mexico. “Jeff drove all the way to Mexico to pick it up and bring it home. That’s love,” Glenn says.
Watch: Walk through this home and property on Houzz TV
Watch: Walk through this home and property on Houzz TV
3. Rooftop Terrace With a Montreal City View
Journalist and therapist Lies Ouwerkerk spends her winters exploring the world and her summers in a renovated condo in a converted sewing machine factory in the trendy St. Henri neighborhood of Montreal. A private rooftop terrace and garden located off the dining room on the main floor was built at her request. Vertical walls separate her space from the common terrace shared among other homeowners on that floor and give her complete privacy.
“I used the services of Urban Seedling to build the wooden structures on my little balcony and deck, but the designs are mine,” she says. She made the pillowcases from fabrics that she picked up in Guatemala and India.
Journalist and therapist Lies Ouwerkerk spends her winters exploring the world and her summers in a renovated condo in a converted sewing machine factory in the trendy St. Henri neighborhood of Montreal. A private rooftop terrace and garden located off the dining room on the main floor was built at her request. Vertical walls separate her space from the common terrace shared among other homeowners on that floor and give her complete privacy.
“I used the services of Urban Seedling to build the wooden structures on my little balcony and deck, but the designs are mine,” she says. She made the pillowcases from fabrics that she picked up in Guatemala and India.
Ouwerkerk loves that the custom-built rooftop pergola also gives her a sense of coziness and privacy despite living in a busy area near downtown. The wall trellis was a vintage find from her travels to Tunisia.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
4. Eclectic Charm in a Louisiana Live-Work Cottage
Madeline and Dawson Ellis, owners of Mimosa Handcrafted Jewelry, enjoy a short walking commute from their charming 1,350-square-foot Baton Rouge home to their backyard work studio. The couple constructed a large wraparound porch along the side of the house that nearly doubled the size of their living space, and this space is now one of the most-used parts of the home.
The couple added a wall built of shutters along one side of the covered outdoor seating area to create more private space. It’s great for cookouts and outdoor entertaining. Dawson salvaged the red vintage fireplace from a neighbor from his childhood home.
“We all enjoy spending time outside, so the porch is very much an extension of the indoor living space. With the big table, we’re able to easily have meals outside and even enjoy it when it’s raining,” Madeline says. They use this space often to host parties and impromptu gatherings.
The Westdale modern steel porch swing, Handsome Industries
Madeline and Dawson Ellis, owners of Mimosa Handcrafted Jewelry, enjoy a short walking commute from their charming 1,350-square-foot Baton Rouge home to their backyard work studio. The couple constructed a large wraparound porch along the side of the house that nearly doubled the size of their living space, and this space is now one of the most-used parts of the home.
The couple added a wall built of shutters along one side of the covered outdoor seating area to create more private space. It’s great for cookouts and outdoor entertaining. Dawson salvaged the red vintage fireplace from a neighbor from his childhood home.
“We all enjoy spending time outside, so the porch is very much an extension of the indoor living space. With the big table, we’re able to easily have meals outside and even enjoy it when it’s raining,” Madeline says. They use this space often to host parties and impromptu gatherings.
The Westdale modern steel porch swing, Handsome Industries
The vintage Eero Saarinen Tulip chairs go well with a large tree stump repurposed as a table.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
5. Outdoor Entertaining Paradise in Southern California
Entertaining enthusiasts Carin Jacobs and Teresa Elston live in a 1929 Spanish-style home in the historic California Heights neighborhood of Long Beach. “This is such a party house,” Jacobs says. “We love all of these little outdoor entertaining areas.” The couple often host parties of 80 people or more, and they took advantage of each of their outdoor spaces. They set the yard up so that their guests can flow from the front to the back and utilized the open-concept design of the home and exterior courtyards to keep guests circulating.
Entertaining enthusiasts Carin Jacobs and Teresa Elston live in a 1929 Spanish-style home in the historic California Heights neighborhood of Long Beach. “This is such a party house,” Jacobs says. “We love all of these little outdoor entertaining areas.” The couple often host parties of 80 people or more, and they took advantage of each of their outdoor spaces. They set the yard up so that their guests can flow from the front to the back and utilized the open-concept design of the home and exterior courtyards to keep guests circulating.
In the center courtyard, the couple ripped out a tacky 1970s fountain and completely renovated the space. Now pavers, a heat lamp, an umbrella, lanterns, couches, a Mexican chimenea and twinkle lights overhead define this alfresco living space, which is enjoyed year-round.
A gently bubbling fountain on vivid tile provides a focal point for the front courtyard and additional seating around the edge. The homeowners brought in Spanish and Moroccan design influences to create a vibrant and personalized space.
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Read more about this home
6. Farmhouse Meant for Entertaining in Wenatchee, Washington
Celebratory occasions such as dinner parties, casual gatherings and weddings have taken place on the idyllic patio of Melanie and Andrew Doubroff’s 1908 farmhouse. They are pictured here with their two Australian shepherds, Abby and Buckley. The expansive outdoor umbrellas, outfitted with retro-inspired outdoor lights, create an intimate, magical space at nighttime.
The existing Trex deck was replaced with a newer version and now holds two 8-foot-long farm tables plus a 4-foot insert, built by Andrew’s twin brother and finished by Andrew to add a patina.
Celebratory occasions such as dinner parties, casual gatherings and weddings have taken place on the idyllic patio of Melanie and Andrew Doubroff’s 1908 farmhouse. They are pictured here with their two Australian shepherds, Abby and Buckley. The expansive outdoor umbrellas, outfitted with retro-inspired outdoor lights, create an intimate, magical space at nighttime.
The existing Trex deck was replaced with a newer version and now holds two 8-foot-long farm tables plus a 4-foot insert, built by Andrew’s twin brother and finished by Andrew to add a patina.
A narrow side yard between the south exterior wall and driveway is used as another dining and seating area, as well as a place to display container gardens.
To the side of the dining area is a lounge space. An eclectic collection of flea market tables, a wicker settee and a metal glider are arranged for easy conversation.
Blue metal glider: Apple Annie Antique Gallery
Read more about this farmhouse
Blue metal glider: Apple Annie Antique Gallery
Read more about this farmhouse
7. Early-California Style for a 1920s Home and Garden
Landscape designer Michael McIver lives in a 1929 Spanish-style home in the historic California Heights neighborhood of Long Beach, California. McIver converted the detached garage into his home office and added French doors that open to a trellis-covered patio.
Landscape designer Michael McIver lives in a 1929 Spanish-style home in the historic California Heights neighborhood of Long Beach, California. McIver converted the detached garage into his home office and added French doors that open to a trellis-covered patio.
“I think plants create a mood and sense of place, so when I design things, I think about intimate locations where people are going to congregate and what they might like to see,” McIver says. In his own backyard, the effect is one of tranquillity and peace. The landscape designer says he has also included uplighting in the space for nighttime. “It’s beautiful at night, very soothing.” The classic, urn-shaped fountain is the backyard‘s focal point. “It’s a 100-year-old urn I got from Shane Brown at Big Daddy’s Antiques,” McIver says. “He found it at an estate somewhere in the east, and I bought it out of his warehouse in El Segundo.”
Hummingbirds also enjoy the fountain and visit often. “If you put a water feature in your yard, it’s a guarantee you’ll get birds,” he says.
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Hummingbirds also enjoy the fountain and visit often. “If you put a water feature in your yard, it’s a guarantee you’ll get birds,” he says.
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8. Modern Industrial Style for a DIY Update in Austin
The backyard of this 1967 home in Texas had an above-ground pool when Bill Symon and Jason Kays moved in. It was fun for a while, but it eventually started to leak. They replaced it with a bench-height deck and a low-maintenance xeriscape landscape.
The homeowners did a lot of the rock and granite installation themselves to save money, then left the steel edging, deck and plantings to the landscaper. The total cost, including removal of the leaking pool, was about $15,000. Kays and Simon set up a vintage projection screen for outdoor movie nights.
The backyard of this 1967 home in Texas had an above-ground pool when Bill Symon and Jason Kays moved in. It was fun for a while, but it eventually started to leak. They replaced it with a bench-height deck and a low-maintenance xeriscape landscape.
The homeowners did a lot of the rock and granite installation themselves to save money, then left the steel edging, deck and plantings to the landscaper. The total cost, including removal of the leaking pool, was about $15,000. Kays and Simon set up a vintage projection screen for outdoor movie nights.
Kays, left, and Symon love to entertain and spend a lot of time outside hosting friends. They are pictured here relaxing with their two dogs. Symon describes a typical fall Saturday afternoon: “Windows and French doors to the screened porch open, the dogs playing out back and music playing on the Sonos whole-house sound system. We’d probably be getting ready to host a group of people for dinner and an evening by the fire pit out back.”
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9. A Treehouse-Like Dwelling in Los Angeles
Beatrice Valenzuela and Ramsey Conder live in a 1924 Craftsman bungalow in Echo Park wrapped in lush trees overlooking peaceful views of Elysian Park. With fragrant breezes, chirping birds and glorious sunsets, their home provides a beautiful live-work setting for the artisan couple to design and create for their line of handcrafted shoes, jewelry, bags, furniture and lighting. Their deck serves multiple purposes for the family, from workspace to brunch space.
Beatrice Valenzuela and Ramsey Conder live in a 1924 Craftsman bungalow in Echo Park wrapped in lush trees overlooking peaceful views of Elysian Park. With fragrant breezes, chirping birds and glorious sunsets, their home provides a beautiful live-work setting for the artisan couple to design and create for their line of handcrafted shoes, jewelry, bags, furniture and lighting. Their deck serves multiple purposes for the family, from workspace to brunch space.
Valenzuela, Conder and son Dimitri are shown relaxing on their lush terrace. “Siestas here are amazing with the birds chirping, and at the end of the day we like to admire the sunsets,” Valenzuela says. “We keep the Dutch door in the kitchen and the French doors in the living room open most of the day, so there’s a great circular airflow that comes through the house, and sometimes a bird or two will fly through,” she says. The deck is surrounded by mature Chinese plum, jacaranda, fig and orange trees. “The orange tree is full of blooms at the moment. It’s the most intoxicating fragrance,” Valenzuela says.
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10. An Outdoor Sanctuary With Bohemian Flair in the Pacific Northwest
Laura Burkhart and Jake Michael’s Rhodesian ridgeback, Phinney, loves to take advantage of their backyard and outdoor area in Lake Forest Park, Washington. The couple often entertain in this space during mild Pacific Northwest summers and installed a fire pit area themselves. It gets plenty of use in the warmer months, and it’s a tradition to toast marshmallows for s’mores and stargaze late into the night. Tree stumps are repurposed as seating around the fire pit.
To ensure maximum play space for their beloved dog, the couple added a gate between their yard and Burkhart’s parents’ yard so he can enjoy running free with their dog.
The couple also built a small container garden that they enjoy tending in the spring and summer.
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See more inspiring backyard designs
Laura Burkhart and Jake Michael’s Rhodesian ridgeback, Phinney, loves to take advantage of their backyard and outdoor area in Lake Forest Park, Washington. The couple often entertain in this space during mild Pacific Northwest summers and installed a fire pit area themselves. It gets plenty of use in the warmer months, and it’s a tradition to toast marshmallows for s’mores and stargaze late into the night. Tree stumps are repurposed as seating around the fire pit.
To ensure maximum play space for their beloved dog, the couple added a gate between their yard and Burkhart’s parents’ yard so he can enjoy running free with their dog.
The couple also built a small container garden that they enjoy tending in the spring and summer.
Read more about this home
See more inspiring backyard designs
Travis and Amanda Hervey of Georgetown, Kentucky, spend much of their time outside on the patio under their deck with their two young kids, Ada, 5, and Eli, 2. Each family member enjoys the pair of woven outdoor swings, and this outdoor space has become an additional room of the house, filled with Amanda’s thrift-store furniture and eclectic decor. Almost everything is hand-me-down, homemade or thrifted. “I might have a few dumpster-dive treasures too,” Amanda says.