Our interiors have changed dramatically to accommodate our needs. Many of today's designers still think all about how a person wants to live and use the space we are working with inside. Now, we are opening up our interiors to the outside.

Blurring the demarcations between the tow spaces is setting a new standard in “lifestyle” design. Bedrooms, once closed off from the landscape, now share space with the outdoors. Inspired gardens and landscapes take their cue from nature. Set apart and furnished with comfortable seating, they have become private retreats, perfect for peaceful reflection.

Indoor entertaining is also moving outward via connected outdoor rooms, baths and spas. Party yards complete with patios, fire pits and outdoor kitchens give all ages a place to gather for fun. Both secret gardens and entertainment zones can be as small as a rooftop terrace. They can fill out “too small” backyard spaces, or take advantage of entire lots, from side yards to front. 

For example, in updating a master suite recently, a window wall was opened up to the landscape beyond, and completely re-oriented the homeowners living experience.

This “before” master suite (right) was sequestered from the rear yard and side yard. The only entry to the exterior was at the opposite end of the home.

Opening up the window wall allows private entry to both the side (below right) and rear yards, as well as bringing garden views into the interior. Replacing the awkward window with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, French doors, opening outward, visually opens and enlarges the interior of the room (below left). The room includes include silk drapes for complete privacy and woven grass shades for filtered light and day privacy.

A portico and brick porch (below) with steps on three sides were added to allow access from the suite to the private garden sanctuary and private dining area (not shown) in the left side yard. The rear yard, garden & pond (not shown) are steps away from the doorways and access to the circular entertainment patio is located off to the right.

Until recently, typical city and suburban landscaping meant placing shrubs and plantings around the exterior of homes to soften the foundation and accent the entry walkways. Basically, it meant adding a little decoration to the lot to dress the exterior of the house.

Not so anymore! Interiors are opening up and stepping outside the home. Formerly overlooked and under-utilized “yards” are becoming new “outdoor living spaces”.

Stop a moment to ponder the possibility for your home. Is there a window that could become a gracious pathway to outside? Is there a dining space that could spill out to the yard beyond? What about a dining pavilion, or sitting area with a fireplace? Can your deck marry with spaces beyond? Take a little drive around the city to note the unique and welcoming front yard entrances, gateways or enclosures toward homes. It’s not just about curb appeal or decoration anymore. It's all about living… with a little magic.

Bonnie K. Crawford, ASID
NCIDQ certified, NKBA, MBA
Bonnie Crawford Design Group
Bonnie@bcdginteriors.com
www.bcdginteriors.com

Contributed by Sheri D. Orts
Sapphire Studios
sheri@sapphire-studios.com

 March 2006 - "A Kitchen Remodel: Where Should I Begin"

April 2006 - "The Growing Field of Green Design"

May 2006 - "Outdoor Sanctuary"

June/July 2006 - "But Where Do We Eat?"

August 2006 - "New Century Bath Design"

Whether you are designing a dream home or decorating a condo, there are dozens of inspiring and helpful titles available at your local bookstore or library branch. 

  Apartment Living: New Design for Urban Living     Barbara B. Buchholz

Apartment: Stylish Solutions for Apartment Living
Alan Powers, Chris Everard (Photographer)

B

The Big Book of Small House Designs : 75 Award-Winning Plans for Your Dream House, All 1,250 Square Feet or Less
Don Metz, et al

Big Ideas for Small Spaces
Sunset Books (Editor)

Blueprint Smalls: Creative Ways to Live with Less
Ross Chapin, et al

Bungalow Nation
Diane Maddex, Alexander Vertikoss (Photographer)

C
Christopher Lowell's You Can Do It! Small Spaces: Decorating to Make Every Inch Count
Christopher Lowell

Color in Small Spaces: Palettes and Styles to Fit Your Home
Brenda Grant-Hays

Compact Living 
Jane Graining

    Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
Sarah Susanka, Grey Crawford

D
Decorating Small Spaces: Live Large in Any Space
Better Homes and Gardens Books

Designing for Small Homes
Dylan Landis 

H
House Beautiful Decorating Solutions for Small Spaces
Christine Pittel, The Editors of House Beautiful Magazine

How to Decorate and Furnish Your Apartment on a Budget:
From Budgeting to Shopping, Your Idea Source for Transforming Your Apartment into a Beautiful Home
Lourdes Dumke

I
Inside the Not So Big House: Discovering the Details that Bring a Home to Life
Sarah Susanka, Marc Vassallo

L
Little House on a Small Planet: A Guide to Living Outside the Box
Janet Luhrs

Living Big in Small Apartments
James Grayson Trulove

Living in a Small Space
Susanne Tamborini

Living in Small Spaces
Lorrie Mack

Living Large in Small Spaces: Expressing Personal Style in 100 to 1,000 Square Feet
Marisa Bartolucci, Radek Kurzaj

M
More Small Houses (Great Houses)
Fine Homebuilding Magazine (Editor)

N
The New American Dream : Living Well in Small Homes
James Gauer, Catherine Tighe

The New Apartment Book : Inspiring Ideas and Practical Projects for Decorating Your Home
Michele Michael

The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
Sarah Susanka

Not So Big Solutions for Your Home
Sarah Susanka

O
Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home
Julie Moir Messervy, Sarah Susanka

S
Small Apartments
Alejandro Bahamon

Small House, Big Style
Better Homes and Gardens, Editor: Amy Tincher-Durik

  Small Houses: Contemporary Residential Architecture
Nicolas Pople

Small Living Spaces
Carles Broto

Small Space Decorating Workshop (House Beautiful)
Tessa Evelegh

Small Space Style
Emma Scattergood

Small Space Survival Guide: Storage & Decorating Tips and Tricks
Nancy Javier, Barbara Finwall

Small Spaces for Modern Living: Making the Most of Your Indoor Space
Caroline Atkins

Small Spaces: Stylish Ideas for Making More of Less in the Home
Azby Brown

Smallspaces: Making the Most of the Space You Have
Rebecca Tanqueray

Small Urban Interiors: 500 Solutions for Living
Aurora Cuito

T
Terence Conran Small Spaces: Inspiring Ideas and Creative Solutions
Terence Conran

  A Tiny Home to Call Your Own 
Patricia Foreman, Andy Lee

V
The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space
Azby Brown, Kengo Kuma (Foreword)

W
Wright-Sized Houses: Frank Lloyd Wright's Solutions for Making Small Houses Feel Big
Diane Maddex

                

Read on to learn how!

The staircase of this Bainbridge Island yard was an original, but nothing else remained the same. Read May's feature to learn how your yard and garden can change with the times.

                

Outdoor living combines indoor comfort with open air.

In July, Around the House takes us to the shores of Lake Washington for a deck remodel that adds livability and keeps the great view of a 1960's Medina cottage. Read on for ideas on how to create your outdoor living space. 

Proper maintenance of your air conditioner will improve its efficiency and extend its life. Call a local professional and make sure he or she performs the following basic services:

• Air filter change
• Inspection of the inside and outside coils (and cleaning if necessary)
• A check for proper air flow
• A check of all electrical connections

Tips courtesy of Puget Sound Energy. For more energy-efficient air conditioning advice from PSE, you can visit www.energyguide.com/library/EnergyLibraryTopic.asp?bid=pse&prd=10&TID=12154&SubjectID=7543 .

More Energy Saving Tips!

Seattle City Light        

• The WashWise program offers rebates of $50 to $100 for the purchase and installation of qualified energy and water-saving clothes washers.  The more energy and water the washer saves, the higher the rebate.
  
  
• Get a $20 instant rebate when you buy any Energy Star-labeled light fixture at North Coast Electric or Seattle Lighting Fixture Company.
  

New Low Prices on Energy-saving Light Bulbs!

Puget Sound Energy   

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) can help you to reduce your home’s energy use and save you money. PSE offers rebates on many energy-efficient products such as ENERGY STAR® qualified clothes washers and natural gas furnaces, convenient services such as natural gas conversion, a Contractor Referral Service, and energy saving tips and tools such as Energy at Home e-newsletter and online bill payment options.

Questions about energy efficiency? PSE’s Energy Advisors are ready to help you at 1-800-562-1482.

• Puget Sound Energy is making it more beneficial for you to buy a new ENERGY STAR qualified natural gas furnace. First, there's our $250 rebate. Second, there's the comfort of knowing that your new energy-efficient gas furnace will keep saving you money all winter long through lower energy bills.


• Puget Sound Energy offers its residential electric customers three levels of rebates ($50, $75, $100) for premium efficiency clothes washers using the WashWise program's energy- and water- efficiency standards.


• All Puget Sound Energy natural gas customers are eligible for a $40.00 rebate when they purchase a new high-efficiency natural gas water heater. 
  
  
• All Puget Sound Energy residential electric customers can get $2 - $6 off a variety of ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs with coupons available at participating retailers, or by calling an Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482.
  

Click here for an overview of all PSE rebates.