Bringing The Indoors Out

Landscape architects have always approached design in terms of defining space in order to create 'outdoor rooms' but never before has this idea been interpreted as literally as it is in contemporary residential landscapes. Whereas landscape designers used to offer seating in the form of benches, seat walls or lawn chairs, and tended to think of outdoor eating areas in terms of barbeque grills and picnic tables, now we are transforming our porches and back patios into true living rooms, complete with couches, rugs, coffee tables, and ottomans. It's also common to see fully operational outdoor kitchens with built-in gas grills, refrigerators, and sinks with running water.

Taking this outdoor room concept to a new level, Breckon landdesign recently designed a backyard entertainment area that included a large flat screen TV housed in a weatherproof cabinet. These outdoor rooms are not just places to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the garden, but full-on extensions of our homes that invite us to lounge, hang out, and stay a while.

In high desert climates like Idaho and the Intermountain West where seasons bring extremes of hot and cold, it can be difficult to blur the boundaries between indoors and out and still maintain comfortable spaces for people. In order to extend the outdoor living season and get the most enjoyment from these outdoor rooms, it’s important to keep the following in mind.

Mitigate for Temperature Extremes

Even in warm weather months, Idaho temperatures can swing as much as 40 degrees over the course of a single day. Good design involves mitigation for extremes of temperature and weather that will turn your outdoor room into the place you want to be.

Exposure. When designing for a particular site, our landscape architects consider the orientation of your home relative to sun and shade patterns. Does it afford outdoor areas that receive pleasant morning sun in the summer, for instance, versus direct sun in the late day? It’s also important to note prevailing winds and other elements of microclimate. Ideally, location of and design for outdoor spaces will work with the orientation of the house to maximize opportunities for shade and shelter.

Hammock with paver patio and timber pergola with party lights

Speaking of Shade... In our dry climate, shade is the best way to guarantee outdoor comfort, especially in the heat of summer. This is perhaps most easily accomplished with trees, planted strategically where shade is needed. One drawback to trees can be the time they take to mature. If more immediate shade is desired, overhead shade structures are a great way to provide shade for comfort and cover. These structures may be constructed of various materials, commonly wood or metal, with open slats to create a light shade effect, or a more opaque roof structure, depending on site requirements. Recent innovations in outdoor fabrics also offer additional options for shade. Often these have a more modern aesthetic in terms of form and materials, and may be positioned vertically to handle low sun angles in the late afternoon and evening.

Elemental Components

Waterfall with stone slab bridge

Water. The integration of water and water features can create and/or enhance cooling effects in your outdoor room. Water might be used in misters mounted along the edge of a roof or overhead structure. These are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and take advantage of the significant potential for evaporative cooling in our dry climate. Fountains and Water Features are another way to evoke a cool, relaxing atmosphere, without actually getting wet. The sound of flowing or falling water helps any outdoor space seem cooler, because water symbolizes cool, and carries with it associations both refreshing and restorative.

Fire pit in Boise State University colors

Fire. On the other end of the thermometer, a campfire not only adds warmth and light when autumn days grow colder and shorter, but also adds life to your outdoor room by providing a focal element people naturally gravitate towards and love to gather around.

Fire pits may be integrated with landscape design as a classic stone or metal pit sunk into a paver patio with seating around the edge. As an alternative, freestanding fire pans on stands or pedestals are also available in catalogs and garden shops. These have the added advantage of being portable, allowing greater flexibility for users, and may be easily added to any existing design. As with indoor fireplaces, permanent outdoor fire pits may be plumbed for natural gas. Styling can be contemporary or traditional, to complement other design elements and existing architecture.

Weather-Friendly Furnishings

It is now possible to buy outdoor versions of nearly every kind of furnishing, from modular, sectional sofas to weatherproof rugs and pillows. These items are widely available at a variety of price points starting with big-box retailers and on into higher-end chains and boutiques. Because Breckon landscape designs do not always extend to this level of detail, selection and placement of these furnishings are an opportunity for you to personalize your outdoor room with color and texture and otherwise make it your own.

While outdoor furnishings are designed to withstand exposure to weather, overhead cover serves here as well to keep furniture dry for comfortable seating anytime. It also prolongs the life of furnishings by minimizing exposure to sun and moisture.

Other Advantages

Beyond offering just another place to hang out, the trend towards converting outdoor spaces into living rooms in their own right offers other benefits. A comfortable outdoor space that remains usable over a large part of the year can increase the size of your home in a functional sense. That is, folks who live in small houses but have a generous outdoor room can use that area to augment space available for entertaining guests or hosting functions that would otherwise exceed their home’s capacity.

Additionally, by claiming a greater portion of the yard as outdoor living space, we minimize the landscape area that must be maintained. This significantly reduces the amount of water needed, resulting in more sustainable landscapes. It also saves money, and most importantly, time. Time far better spent enjoying your favorite room in the house which, as it turns out, may not be in the house at all.

A deck with an outdoor kitchen and dining area creates multiple rooms in the back yard

Topics for the Yard - Winter Interest

Now that fall is behind us and the leaves are on the ground, we get to look forward to winter in the treasure Valley. This is the time of year that you will realize what type of yard you have. For the next 4-5 months you will be looking at nothing but twigs if you have not planned for winter interest. Good winter interest provides a variety of colors and textures during this time. It can also help frame your outdoor room and provide focal points to add holiday lights.

Plants are the most common way to achieve winter interest, but we are going to focus on a few other options. Some of the most popular elements in the landscape today are maintenance free. You will never have to water them, they will never die and they will add year round interest to the surrounding landscape. Now that I have your attention I would like to open your eyes to using landscape boulders, walls and Garden art to complement the surrounding plants and add year round interest.


Landscape Boulders add instant impact to the yard, when installed properly. Boulders can be installed in a natural setting or they can be installed using upright columns to make more or an artistic statement. The main key is to bury 1/3-1/4 of the boulder. For the boulders to look authentic and to be safely installed they need to be buried in the ground and have a stable anchored look. Lichen covered boulders tend to blend in with bark and rock mulch and they add a tremendous amount detail and texture. Table Rock sandstone boulders will pop out against bark and rock mulch, and when you get up close, they have a smooth texture.

Landscape walls and decorative fences help to create outdoor rooms and focal points, but they also add winter interest. Seatwalls can add a different feel or texture depending upon the materials used. Natural dry stack stone will give you a more naturalistic/gardenesque look while a cultured stone wall with wrought iron accents will give you a more formal/classical look. These walls will not only give you winter interest, they set the ambiance for the outdoor room in all seasons.

Garden art is an often overlooked landscape element. Garden art can be whimsical, classical or modern. The art work can be the center piece for which the outdoor room is built around or is can be tucked just around the corner, waiting to be discovered. Garden art is an extension of your personality. What would you like to say?

Broadleaf evergreen shrubs, groundcovers and perennials are the best way to ensure winter interest and avoid a dry look. There are several different varieties available, and they come in different sizes, colors & textures. These plants all have their own unique microclimate requirements, so it is best to contact us or your local nursery to discuss a specific plant. Some favorite broadleaf evergreens are Otto Luyken's English Laurel, Fraser's Red Tip Photinia, Wine Vinca Minor, Bressingham Ruby Bergenia and Evergreen Candytuft, just to name a few.

Winter Interest can be accomplished in several different ways. It's time to say good bye to the 70's and the overgrown junipers and to do something truly creative - contact us and we can show you how!