20 Indoor-Outdoor Living Spaces That Let The Sun Shine In

Let this collection of indoor-outdoor living spaces offer respite from life’s everyday stressors. From sun rooms to covered patios, these refreshing rooms blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows, sliding doors and spectacular open floor plans. Whether you’re seeking design inspiration or purely craving a virtual escape, we encourage you to take in the sunlight with a can’t-miss roundup presenting the best of indoor-outdoor living design.

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20 INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES TO INSPIRE YOUR NEXT HOME PROJECT

A SUN ROOM ANCHORS THIS HOME’S ECLECTIC INTERIORS

Designed in 1915 by architect Willis Polk for structural engineer Trygve Ronneberg, this abode retained much of its original splendor: Beaux Arts exterior details, tall ceilings, bay windows, elaborate moldings and a sun room offering views of the neighboring hotel grounds through arched French doors. A vintage Flexform sofa grounds the sun room’s more sculptural pieces, including a Gio Ponti chair, Carlo Nason floor lamp and Reinaldo Sanguino side table. The bookshelf is District Eight; the rug is by San Junipero Textile Studio.

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AN INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE FOR FURRY FRIENDS

Durable materials were a must for this animal-loving family. Luckily, the couple’s preference for Santa Barbara style in the vein of architect George Washington Smith, with its brick and iron accents, stone floors, dark wood, and handmade Moroccan tile, suited the challenge perfectly. The patio is similarly four-paw approved. It’s anchored by a Moroccan sofa and Indian takhat—or daybed—used as a coffee table, both from Tierra Del Lagarto, and Anthropologie chairs swivel toward views of Camelback’s Praying Monk.

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TO SHADE OR NOT TO SHADE

Sunshine spills in from oversize windows, skylights and sliders in this inviting Colorado retreat. Visitors can enjoy the sunshine in the exteriors too, with an expansive, half-shaded deck that houses Harbour’s Victoria dining table and LCA chairs, which riff on a classic director’s style in a subtle wink to the owner’s Disney. RH’s Bahia sofas and Capri lounge chairs round out the mix.

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AN OPEN-AIR VERANDA RECALLS THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE

For this Italian-Revival style property in California, designer Jodi Fleming embraced a sense of history. With Tuscan-esque elements apparent, she opted for a classic sense of style to merge the traditional architecture with touches of modern sentiments. As such, an elegant second-floor outdoor veranda draws guests outside to lounge on David Sutherland sofas and chairs. The coffee and side table are both Formations. Gregorius Pineo lanterns fill the arches above.

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A GLASS-WALLED LIVING ROOM WITH DESERT VIEWS

Designer Holly Wright kept the palette neutral in this Scottsdale abode’s living area with an oversize Nathan Anthony sectional and a Verellen swivel chair, both from Alexander Sinclair. “When the doors are open, you don’t have competing elements,” she says. The house appears embedded into the desert landscape. The many floor-to-ceiling windows and doors—blurring the lines between inside and out—enhance that relationship.

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ENJOY FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS AND A VIEW

This sprawling Arizona residence is perched atop a mountain on 10 acres of unspoiled wilderness. Floor-to-ceiling windows and wall-to-wall retractable doors evoke a floating sensation. The swing seating and coffee table, both from the prior owners, provide a delightful gathering area. Designer Jill Mitchell topped the swings with pillows in shades of blue and white to reflect the surrounding skies.

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AN INVITING SCREENED PORCH EMANATES SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Just minutes away from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the owner of this Southern gem requested a resort-like backyard sanctuary. Designers met the call, ensuring the home’s convivial pool surroundings flow naturally into the open, airy living spaces—including an inviting screened porch that extends the living room footprint. Weather-resistant ipe wood floors lay the foundation for a porch conversation group featuring Lee Jofa sofas from Serena & Lily and Perennials outdoor textiles on both custom pillows and a lampshade fabricated by Lamp Arts, Inc. Accordion-style folding doors by Sierra Pacific connect the space to the living room as motorized screens keep bugs at bay and a Haiku ceiling fan by Big Ass Fans circulates a breeze.

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VIEWS OF THE BAY SHINE FROM THIS INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM EXTENSION

A Sarasota home 4 years in the making is certainly worth the wait. Every room in the house was designed to capture the shimmering southwestern light coming off the bay. The main front-to-back volume is intersected with a U-shaped wing that frames a courtyard planted with palm trees. An outdoor seating area off the living room boasts a fireplace wall clad in native Florida coral stone. The lounge chairs and coffee table by Gloster sit atop a woven rubber rug by Kettal, which designer Ellen Hanson complemented with accent pillows made with Perennials’ Paintbox in Blueberry.

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A COASTAL FARMHOUSE ELEVATES NATURAL MATERIALS

The entirety of this coastal-style farmhouse radiates a welcoming energy, but no space welcomes the outdoors better than the loggia, overlooking the river. Phantom screens drop from the ceiling, protecting guests on wicker-framed furniture from the elements. A chandelier from Mecox and Visual Comfort & Co. sconces illuminate the space. The sectional and chairs, all of which have Sunbrella fabric, are from Judith Norman. A cocktail table from Kakar House of Design and a Michael Dawkins ottoman round out the furnishings atop the old Chicago brick flooring.

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A BEACH HOUSE WITH A SOPHISTICATED INDOOR-OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE

With dreams of building a traditional beach house that steered clear of kitschy, this London-based family avoided cliché in their Newport Beach abode with a more sophisticated coastal vibe. A rattan Serena & Lily daybed and a pair of found chairs, which the designer had powder-coated, form an inviting seating area on a patio centered around a fire feature. Designer Milena Sefferovich turned to the fabric library at her shop, Heirloom, for the graphic black-and-white coverings on the cushions.

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NATURE SURROUNDS THIS HISTORIC CHARLESTON ABODE

A tropical garden encircles this historic Charleston residence. Vintage Ficks Reed bamboo sofas and club chairs compose the screen porch seating primed for taking in views of the foliage. Pillows of Peter Dunham’s Fig Leaf print impart playfulness alongside Konstantin Kakanias’s Paradise Lost design for Templeton. A vintage iron armillary from Charleston Gardenworks holds center court atop a brass tray table inherited from designer Alexandra Howard’s grandmother while an antique terrarium houses the family’s orchid collection beyond.

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A SUNNY SCREENED-IN PORCH

Are you indoors or out? This classic Belgian farmhouse deftly blurs the lines between interior and exterior. A bold indoor-outdoor flatweave rug by Emily & Meritt for Pottery Barn is centered on the screened porch’s limestone floors. The sofa, which the client describes as “so, so comfortable,” is by Lee Industries. Landscape designer Rudy Magnani worked closely with the homeowner on his outdoor planning. “Her eye was unfailing,” he says. Magnani referenced the European-style architecture by employing a uniform palette and simple forms.

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COLORFUL INTERIORS MAKE THIS SUN ROOM A STUNNER

Vibrant pillows, an antique rug from Rouzati Rugs and Surya ottomans pop against the custom banquette’s Perennials fabrics in warm gray hues in the sun room of this coastal Maine dwelling. Subtle shifts in texture and formality were used to add more depth to designer Annette LeCompte’s compositions. The sun room’s three-sided tufted sofa, for example, features a linen back and a velvet seat, chosen to be a year-round joy. “I wanted the linen to feel good in the heat of the summer, but I wanted the velvet to look warm and inviting in the winter,” she explains.

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RELAX BY THE LAKE AT THIS SUMMER HOUSE

When it became clear this original 1900 house would not withstand renovation, the homeowner set out to create his own cozy lakeside cabin. The result is a character-filled escape that leans on natural materials that embrace its stunning natural setting to be viewed from the deck. “A summer house isn’t complete without a screen porch,” says designer Bruce Fox. The vintage sofa and 1940s rocking chair are from Trilogy Antiques + Design in Three Oaks, Michigan. Teak coffee and dining tables, by RH and Kingsley Bate respectively, contribute to the relaxing space, which overlooks Lake Michigan.

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MAKING A FOREVER HOME WITH A FAMILY-CENTERED INDOOR-OUTDOOR SPACE

“It’s really calming,” designer Andrea Goldman says of the back porch of this Chicago home, with its view of the pool and the much-appreciated privacy backdrop of mature trees. “Except for the winter months, the family is out there all the time.” The space features a fireplace, lounge seating and an eating area where meals are enjoyed around the RH table. The interior palette of the space sings in harmony with the greens, whites and pinks of landscape architect Sara Furlan’s designs. Furlan brought in hydrangeas—a favorite of the clients—justicias, a few roses and a selection of yew evergreens, while autumn moor grass and vinca cover the ground.

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TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS GRACE THIS COVERED PATIO

Perched on a hill overlooking the quaint hamlet of Bedford Village, this gracious 1930s home is a portrait of old-fashioned Yankee charm. Designer Brittany Bromley used the home’s covered bluestone patio to create an outdoor room with a European vibe. Surrounded by Belgian urns and abundant greenery, an antique wood trestle table with Provençal-style wicker chairs provides a place for alfresco meals. The sunburst mirror and Italian Oluce sconces are from Avantgarden in Pound Ridge.

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KICK YOUR FEET UP UNDER THE SHADE OF THIS POOLSIDE PATIO

The Hamptons come to Miami in this breezy renovation. The home’s relaxed style is evident poolside. A pair of Harbour Outdoor’s Breeze XL sofas, upholstered in Sunbrella’s Birds Eye canvas, and Hayman coffee table gather on the loggia of the home by interior designer Bea Pila. “The patio is designed to be perfectly in line with the pool to create a symmetrical and attractive vista of the natural world,” she says, pointing to the grounds by landscape architect Orlando Comas.

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BRUTALIST MATERIALS MIX WITH WARM WOODS ON THIS COVERED PATIO

On the back patio of this cottage-inspired abode with a traditional high-pitched roof and a slurried-brick exterior, chairs by Teak Warehouse with Sunbrella fabric-covered cushions and Kelly Wearstler throw pillows welcome conversation around a stucco fireplace. Texas Lightsmith crafted brass sconces designed by Seiders that frame the door. Metal-base dining chairs, also by Teak Warehouse, surround a cast-concrete dining table.

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DAY DREAM OF OLD HOLLYWOOD IN THIS SWEET SUN ROOM

Actress Judy Garland originally commissioned this Bel-Air house from architect Wallace Neff in 1938. Airy and open, it is situated on 2 1/2 acres with a pool and writer’s cabin in back; and though the exterior exudes old-line East Coast style, the interior layout is classic L.A. casual. These sentiments merge together in the sun room. Sheer Roman shades in a Rogers & Goffigon fabric with Rose Tarlow Melrose House trim grace the windows. The custom sectional is in a Glant linen; the custom ottoman’s top is stitched in a pattern that matches its diamond-shaped wood base. Adding a whimsical touch is the sconce from Coup D’Etat in San Francisco.

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PASTELS ADD A TOUCH OF ROMANCE TO THIS SUN ROOM

Olive Leaf dual-mount chandeliers from Shades of Light line the sun room ceiling of this colorful Dallas dwelling. Louis XVI armchairs from Country French Interiors in Schumacher’s blush-tone Garden of Persia fabric counter the blue-and-white palette: a lamp from Nick Brock Antiques, Mandeville draperies from Schumacher’s Timothy Corrigan Collection and the sofa in Villa Nova’s Atlantis Glacier material from Culp Associates.

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Editor’s Note: A version of this article was originally published in 2021. It has since been updated to include more indoor-outdoor living design inspiration.