skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
PHOTOS
KITCHEN & DININGKitchenModular Kitchen Dining RoomHome Bar
LIVINGLiving RoomHome TheaterHome Office Staircase
BED & BATHBedroomNurseryKid's RoomBathroom
OUTDOORGardenPatioTerrace & BalconyCourtyard
MORE ROOMSPuja Room Wardrobe ExteriorSwimming PoolView All
FIND PROFESSIONALS
DESIGN & RENOVATIONArchitects & Building Designers Interior Designers & Decorators Civil Engineers & Contractors Design-Build Firms Kitchen & Bath Designers Landscape Architects & Contractors Home Builders & Construction CompaniesPhotographersSpecialty Contractors
View All Pros
HOME IMPROVEMENT Furniture & AccessoriesFlooring & CarpetTile, Stone & CountertopBedding & Bath
View All Services
STORIES
LATEST FROM HOUZZ
Houzz ToursKitchen GuidesBathroom Guides Bedroom Guides
Decorating Guides Outdoors Architecture
HOUZZ TV
HOUZZ RESEARCH
ADVICE
HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
Design DilemmaBefore & After PollsHome Decorating KitchensLiving Rooms
Bedrooms Dining RoomsExterior Lighting PaintBuilding a Home
Houzz Logo Print
Outdoors
Outdoors
7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace Garden
Top Ideabooks
7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace Garden5 Best Outdoor Floor Tiles for Homes21 Roof Gardens That Are Heaven on Earth8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
BalconiesPoolsGarden Guides
Decorating Guides
Decorating Guides
Busted! 5 Myths About Working With an Interior Designer
Top Ideabooks
Busted! 5 Myths About Working With an Interior DesignerCan Hiring an Interior Designer Save You Money?What Are the Benefits of Hiring an Interior Designer?Turn One Room Into Two With These Genius Ideas
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
Small SpacesDecorating IdeasFloorsColour GuidesLighting IdeasFestival Guides

10 Ways to Achieve the Indoor-Outdoor Connection

Expand nature's soothing embrace with sliding doors, covered porches, generous windows and more

Laura Gaskill
Laura Gaskill14 June 2018
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
More
Forging a strong connection between indoors and outdoors can make your home feel more expansive and light filled, and can encourage flow between indoor and outdoor rooms. You would be hard pressed to find another design change that has a greater impact on the way you experience everyday life at home. Whether you are currently planning a remodelling project or simply want to get inspired, these 11 ideas for bridging indoors and out are a good place to start.
Charlie Barnett Associates
Create seamless flow
An ample-size pivoting glass door makes an impressive entry on its own – but pair it with a back wall of glass doors, and the light really flows. The same flooring material indoors and out creates an uninterrupted flow from the front to the back of this home.
Sutton Suzuki Architects
Add an around-the-corner window
Break away from the traditional four-walls-and-windows pattern by incorporating a corner window. Getting rid of the corner makes you feel as if you are part of the view, and this spot is likely to become the highlight of your home. If you have a spectacular view from anywhere in your home, that’s where to put your corner window.
Ryan Group Architects
Corner windows are not just for grand vistas – they also do an amazing job of bringing the outdoors in even if the view is just to your own backyard.

Want to dress up your wide windows?
Rossington Architecture
Give a garden a private entrance
A small garden off the master bedroom can be a lovely place to relax in. Sliding glass doors allow you to enjoy the view while inside and let in extra light. Consider sectioning off a small part of your yard with shrubs, trees or a fence for privacy. A water feature is a serene touch and also helps mask noises from neighbours.
Butler-Johnson Corporation
Grow a garden off the bath
You don’t need to have a huge yard to create a unique garden feature. A narrow stretch of yard on the side of a house could be planted with bamboo for privacy, and opened up to the bath with a wall of glass. For more flexible privacy, consider adding sliding shoji screens.
Sam Crawford Architects
Shelter an outdoor space
Outdoor rooms in the backyard are wonderful … when the weather cooperates. But having a covered space next to the house is also welcome. Add comfy seating and you can watch the rain from the comfort of your cozy perch.

Here’s how you can perk up your porch
FINNE Architects
Give a desk a view
If you like to daydream at your desk, open it to a fabulous view. Positioning your desk in an upstairs room will offer the best views, no matter where you live – bring the windows from the desk level right up to the ceiling for maximum views and light.
Klopf Architecture
Design a family room with doors
A walk-out basement or ground-floor family room can be enhanced with accordion or pocket doors, or even a garage door, that can be completely pulled away to blend indoors and out. The immediate connection with the outdoors could help lure kids away from electronic screens and into an impromptu game of hoops or hopscotch.

Check out these family rooms and lounges for the ultimate together time
Paul Davis Architects
Lose the wall
Opening up an entire side of your home with floor-to-ceiling glass doors is a high-impact change that could revolutionise your daily life. This feature is especially suited to modern homes in not-too-cold climates, but it could work well for other home styles – consult a pro to find a style that works with your home.
JLF & Associates, Inc.
Reimagine the breezeway
Treat your breezeway ( roofed outdoor passage) more like a greenhouse for a dose of sun and light. Lightening up a connecting space like this will flood the adjoining spaces with natural light, too.
Ziger|Snead Architects
Echo your home’s shape in outdoor areas
A wraparound patio that mirrors the shape of the home, especially when paired with sliding glass doors and plentiful windows, makes the indoor and outdoor spaces feel more interconnected.

Read more

7 Indian Living Rooms That Blur the Lines Between Inside and Outside

Tell us:
How important is the indoor-outdoor connection to you? Would you try any of these ideas? Tell us in the Comments below.
Explore Related Topics
OutdoorsDecorating Guides
Read Related Stories
7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace Garden7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace Garden
By Archana Rajendran·6
Decorating Guides
5 Best Outdoor Floor Tiles for Homes5 Best Outdoor Floor Tiles for Homes
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·1
Decorating Guides
21 Roof Gardens That Are Heaven on Earth21 Roof Gardens That Are Heaven on Earth
By Aditi Sharma Maheshwari·4
Decorating Guides
8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens
By Shristi Nangalia·31
Garden Guides
8 Most Effective Water-Saving Techniques for Your Garden8 Most Effective Water-Saving Techniques for Your Garden
By Shristi Nangalia·1
Garden Guides
Delhi Houzz: This Rooftop Barsati Has a Front-Row View to the StarsDelhi Houzz: This Rooftop Barsati Has a Front-Row View to the Stars
By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar·10
Houzz Tours
Outdoor Plant: A Guide to Growing the Golden BambooOutdoor Plant: A Guide to Growing the Golden Bamboo
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·4
Garden Guides
28 Beautiful Entrances That Make a Big Statement Too28 Beautiful Entrances That Make a Big Statement Too
By Joanna Tovia·9
Decorating Ideas
10 Ideas for a Terrace Makeover10 Ideas for a Terrace Makeover
By Rashmi Haralalka·10
Decorating Ideas
For the Love of Wooden Battens: Why Your Home Needs ThemFor the Love of Wooden Battens: Why Your Home Needs Them
By Rebecca Gross·16
Architecture
Covered Terraces, Patios & Balconies: 10 Outdoor Ceilings to LoveCovered Terraces, Patios & Balconies: 10 Outdoor Ceilings to Love
By Annie Thornton·18
Garden Guides
7 Magical Ways to Enhance Your Garden With Orbs & Mirrors7 Magical Ways to Enhance Your Garden With Orbs & Mirrors
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·0
Garden Guides
Add Volume to Your Garden With These Fast-Growing, Hassle-Free PlantsAdd Volume to Your Garden With These Fast-Growing, Hassle-Free Plants
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·5
Garden Guides
A Guide to Landscaping With 5 Types of Gravel & StonesA Guide to Landscaping With 5 Types of Gravel & Stones
By Jenny Peterson·88
Garden Guides
6 Perfect Materials for Beautiful Compound Wall Designs6 Perfect Materials for Beautiful Compound Wall Designs
By Shristi Nangalia·1
Decorating Guides
People who liked this story also liked
7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace Garden
7 Expert Tips for a Lush, Green Terrace GardenFull Story
5 Best Outdoor Floor Tiles for Homes
5 Best Outdoor Floor Tiles for HomesFull Story
21 Roof Gardens That Are Heaven on Earth
21 Roof Gardens That Are Heaven on EarthFull Story
8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & Gardens
8 Climbing Plants Great for Indian Balconies & GardensFull Story
8 Most Effective Water-Saving Techniques for Your Garden
8 Most Effective Water-Saving Techniques for Your GardenFull Story
Delhi Houzz: This Rooftop Barsati Has a Front-Row View to the Stars
Delhi Houzz: This Rooftop Barsati Has a Front-Row View to the StarsFull Story
Outdoor Plant: A Guide to Growing the Golden Bamboo
Outdoor Plant: A Guide to Growing the Golden BambooFull Story
28 Beautiful Entrances That Make a Big Statement Too
28 Beautiful Entrances That Make a Big Statement TooFull Story
10 Ideas for a Terrace Makeover
10 Ideas for a Terrace MakeoverFull Story
For the Love of Wooden Battens: Why Your Home Needs Them
For the Love of Wooden Battens: Why Your Home Needs ThemFull Story
  • India
  • ABOUT
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FAQs
  • CAREERS
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms
  • © 2023 Houzz Inc.