Gardens Are For Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces

Bring the indoors outdoors with these inspiring design ideas. Gardens should be spaces that invite gathering, entertaining, and relaxing-gardens are for living. This is the philosophy behind Judy Kameon’s design, and it reflects a shift in the way people today relate to the areas around their homes. Kameon has developed a unique style of creating rooms outside. By extending interior design to the exterior, she shows how to expand effectively the space of the home. What’s more, gardens provide opportunities to engage with our surroundings and with each other in new ways.

Here, Kameon shares insights for making dynamic outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and usable. Inspired by the midcentury-modern ethos that introduced the idea of everyday outdoor living, she shares strategies for making complete environments-what to look for when choosing the paths, walls, and plants but also the lighting, furniture, and accessories. The goal is to create a linked series of warm settings for different purposes to suit different occasions-whether it is a patio for cocktails around the fire pit, a large table for dinner parties, or a cozy hangout nook for curling up with a book. She also shows how to use elements like mats, pillows, lanterns, and benches to carve out individual retreats. It is an inspiring lifestyle with deep roots in California, but one that can be created anywhere.