Decorating & Design
10+ Incredible Indoor-Outdoor Spaces That Extend The Season
Published on August 16, 2024
With Fall around the corner, it’s natural to want squeeze out every inch of the summer. Creating a designated place to bridge the indoor-outdoor divide invites you to linger outside a little longer during the shoulder seasons. From fabulous screened-in porches to cozy covered patios, these breezy rooms offer the best of both worlds. Get inspired by 10+ incredible indoor-outdoor spaces from the pages of House & Home.
This screened-in porch leads right to the dock of Cory DeFrancisco’s luxury Muskoka cottage. Custom louvred shutters, made in Los Angeles by Muskoka Living, keep the southwest-facing porch cool.
Designer Sarah Richardson and her family enjoy dinner with a lakeside view on their screened porch in Georgian Bay. “We took out the wall that separated the screened porch from the kitchen,” says Sarah, who recently renovated the porch with a fresh coat of paint on the walls and floor.
Creating a lounge area in a boathouse is a great way to take in the outdoors, while being sheltered from the rain or blazing sun. This one designed by Lisa Worth has an appropriately nautical vibe with rope-detail sofas.
Lynda Reeves’s wood-panelled screened porch was totally rebuilt during her lakehouse renovation. “We used TuffScreen mesh from Phantom Screens for the new custom inserts. The new wood floor was painted in Benjamin Moore’s Pashmina exterior deck paint. Our fake olive tree looks real!” says Lynda.
In this Bowen Island cabin, a giant 4 x 7 ft. cafe-style window swings open to the outside, offering a place for the homeowners to cook with a view. Outside, a 28″ counter outside feels like a resort bar. “It creates a seamless indoor-outdoor moment for easy indoor-outdoor entertaining,” says designer Jocelyn Ross.
Most summer afternoons, you’ll find homeowner David Morris in the Muskoka room of his cottage on the Joseph River, sunk into the L-shaped sectional while the water laps against the dock. The retractable screen allows him to enjoy the fresh air while warding off pests.
Over the past few years, living and working in L.A. has evolved Canadian designer Cory DeFrancisco’s design aesthetic. “Just like Muskoka, there’s an authentic, appealing quality to California — the water, the windows and doors always being open, and the emphasis on outdoor living,” says Cory, who designed this great room with retractable doors to be one with nature.
Every vantage point is special in Landscape Designer George Coito’s magnificent Oakville house, which perfectly blends indoor and outdoor living. “That connection is part of our design ethos,” says Vanessa. “It’s about human health and wellness, and how a building can make you feel both physically and psychologically connected to the landscape.” There are zones for cooking, dining and lounging in the outdoor entertaining area, which boasts multiple grills and a pizza oven.
At this lakehouse, an entire wall can be opened up to combine the dining room with a screened-in porch. Glass panels appear almost invisible, giving you an unobstructed view of Lake Huron.
This lakeside living room gives cottagers a break from the sunshine without having to head indoors. The L-shaped couch and surrounding lounge chairs can accommodate a crowd.
Here, a wood-panelled ceiling extends beyond the living room and onto a porch. When the glass doors are open, the two spaces become one.
Full-height windows with minimal frames and glass barriers provide panoramic views of the water, making this indoor-outdoor living room an immersive experience.
Whether you’re looking to keep insects at bay or breathe in fresh air on rainy days, a screened-in porch lets you take in the outdoors while enjoying the comforts of staying inside.
A pergola and glass roof make this the perfect spot to curl up or entertain, rain or shine. The terrace is spacious enough to include zones for dining and lounging.