t started with a loveseat. I ran out of room in the house, so I pulled it outside, piled on some summery cushions and made a cheerful spot to work alfresco. Next came a folding tea stand… then an old table I painted white… then a few chairs so I could relax with friends. The days went by and out things came until pretty soon, my favorite room of the house was outside the house.

Outdoor rooms have redefined our living spaces, giving us new places to work, play, entertain or just hang out and watch the world go by. These three rooms link the house with the landscape, transforming an unused porch, terrace or pocket of lawn into a retreat we’ll escape to again and again. They’re as pretty as they are practical, so stake your turf and claim your own little piece of the Great Outdoors.

An Old-Fashioned Front Porch. A well-groomed porch is the ideal marriage of indoor style and outdoor relaxation. A few hospitable pieces are all you need – curvy wicker rockers and couches that beckon passersby to stop and chat, a cocktail table just waiting for a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade or refreshing sangria, vivid flowers streaming from hanging baskets and stair-stepped in decorative pots. Increase the nostalgia with easy architectural add-ons that ooze timeless charm. Embellish a wooden screen door with Victorian gingerbread trim, perch salvage columns on porch pillars and paint everything a crisp summer white. Hang a floral wreath on the door, roll out a sisal rug and you’ll have the most popular porch in town.

A Classic Conservatory. For centuries, the British have puttered away many a pleasant afternoon, tending plants and taking tea in their sunny glass greenhouses. You can create your own sun-drenched garden house – with or without the glass – by surrounding yourself with lush, fragrant plants. The secret is to mix the elegant with the rustic to provide greenery at all levels. Train flowering vines to climb up and over wood pergolas, arrange container gardens on potting tables and punctuate the floor with stately urns sprouting a waterfall of ferns. Finish with weathered pavers-over-grass underneath, a chandelier hanging from a beam overhead and a plank table and chairs just waiting for a good game of checkers.

An Exotic Pavilion. Exotic accents and sun-and-sea colors lend a vacation vibe, even if you’re only headed out the back door. Tie a sheering canopy to bamboo poles to make a billowy tent and hang a Moroccan lantern or a beaded chandelier in the center to conjure up the romance of Arabian nights. Create a tropical oasis with iron and wicker furnishings, dressed with beaded pillows, a fringed Batik shawl and brightly colored floor cushions that travel effortlessly between indoors and out. Play up the island ambiance with beachy accessories, like a plate of shells and candles anchored in glasses of sand. Stack firewood in a copper bucket, gather ‘round a store-bought fire pit and bask in that far-away-from-it-all feeling wherever you are.

Indoors Out

• Go low-maintenance. All-weather wicker, painted woods, wrought iron and tile work well together and are easily coordinated with cushions and a coat of paint.
• Pile on the creature comforts, like overstuffed pillows and washable cotton rugs that feel soft underfoot.
• Add homey touches – a baker’s rack filled with plants and pottery, copper tureens bearing fruit, outdoor lamps on dimmers that keep it party-ready day or night.