As we approach the summer months, the line
between indoors and outdoors begins to blur, and we
find ourselves spending more time on patios and
screened porches. These extensions of our homes
become our main living spaces where we linger well
into the evening hours, enjoying conversation, cocktails,
and alfresco meals. In this issue, we feature a number
of homes with beautiful outdoor areas tailor-made for
entertaining, as well as for quiet moments of solitude.
Designer Kathryn Greeley created the ultimate outside
space surrounding her quaint North Carolina cottage
and has been cultivating the English-style gardens
since 1986, filling them with an abundance of heirloom
plants and old-fashioned flowers (page 55). In Louisiana,
architect George Hopkins and designer Connie Seitz
collaborated on a stunning new home that extends
1,000 feet along the bayou and offers plenty of outdoor
areas to take in panoramic views (page 25). Houston
designer Julie Dodson combined her clients’ Chinese
heritage with their love of French style to create a
meaningful home full of private and public spaces,
including an oversized loggia replete with outdoor kitchen
(page 61). And for clients who often open their home
for charity events, designer Carolyn Kendall devised
sophisticated interiors that seamlessly connect to an
outdoor pool area, allowing plenty of room for overflow
guests (page 45). Plus, discover the latest furnishings
to design your own summer escape in the best place
of all—right outside your door (page 9).FROM THE EDITOR
Lynn Lee Terry, Editor