Decked-Out Decks
Pool Parties
City Terrace Views
Backyard Bliss
Investing in your outdoor space had its moment in the sun in 2020, but we’d argue that it’s as worth it as ever. (Think of it this way: You’re basically gaining another room to your home.) And who wouldn’t want to while away the day next to a painted pool or in a garden among skyscrapers? Below, we’ve rounded up the best of the best, each of which feels like a big breath of fresh air. And don't miss out on the most dreamy of them all: Amrit Tietz's multilevel Los Angeles patio paradise.
Some of our favorite alfresco spaces.
Out
THE
Great
04
03
02
01
City Terrace Views
Owner
The Euro Trip
Brooklyn
EyeSwoon founder Athena Calderone
Location
Calderone laid the foundation for a French château look to the tune of just $7 per square foot. “Those checkered floors make my heart go pitter-patter,” she says of her terrace’s blue-gray marble and sandy travertine tiles, sourced through a stone company in New Jersey. Her second scrappy score? The marble top on the 1930s Art Deco coffee table—it’s a leftover chunk of stone from someone else’s kitchen renovation.
What makes it great:
Owner
What makes
it great:
When Domino’s chief creative officer moved uptown, she took her “garden in the sky” with her. The lush space, 16 floors up, is her personal farmers’ market—tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, cucumbers, herbs, and pears all happily grow there under the city sun. And when Berry and her family need a break from the heat, they retreat underneath her pagoda-style umbrella, which has withstood the windiest of days.
The Garden in the Sky
New York City
Kate Berry
Location
Owner
What makes it great:
Velvet can so be for outdoor spaces. When this New Jersey native moved to Miami, she worked with Tiffany Howell of Night Palm Interiors to kit out her balcony in plush oversize lounge chairs for taking in the east-to-west ocean views in “’80s Miami sex den” style. Don’t worry; the fabric is all-weather in case of thunderstorms.
The Dream Weaver
Miami
Agent Nateur founder Jena Covello
Location
Cargo Folding Table,
2Modern ($1,620)
Balmain Aluminum Sofa,
RH ($2,300)
Bori Lamp,
Article ($239)
City Terrace Views
Get the Look
04
03
02
01
Pool Parties
Owner
The Split Decision
Hamptons, New York
Eskayel founder Shanan Campanaro
and her husband, Nick Chacona
Location
The outdoor space was the very first spot the couple decided to furnish in their Hamptons home—that’s how much they knew they’d be using it. When the fencing was still lacking a certain something, Campanaro bought a few gallons of white paint. She emulated the dipped stools the duo had spotted online and applied the paint only halfway up the pickets. The look worked so well that she kept the division going onto the house, too.
What makes it great:
Owner
Drawing on the rustic minimalism she fell in love with in Portugal, Gowdy eschewed an in-ground pool and went with a stock tank, the only place you want to be on a 105-degree summer day. Plus not digging a hole allowed room in her budget for a storage unit, photo studio, and outdoor shower.
What makes it great:
The Desert Oasis
Ojai, California
Photographer Thayer Gowdy
Location
Owner
For the first time, artist and Studio Proba founder Alex Proba, known for translating her colorful abstractions onto rugs, countertops, ceilings, and exteriors, had a swimming pool as her canvas.
Using water-based paint, Proba and her assistant spent two days on the blush backdrop, followed
by six 12-hour days on the swirly shapes and speckled details. Now the owners can literally dive into a masterpiece.
What makes it great:
The Shape-shifter
Palm Springs, California
Marrow Fine owners Tim and Jill Sassone
Location
Owner
The transformation of the “blank canvas” that was Fleury’s mid-century Mar Vista home didn’t stop inside. Beyond the cobalt stairs and magenta playroom, the outdoor space is just as vivid. Multi-hued tiles next to built-in benches and lemon yellow lounge chairs add consistent doses of color against the bright white walls surrounding the pool.
What makes
it great:
The Pop Star
Los Angeles
Stylist and artist Chloe Fleury
Location
Kartell Prince Aha Stool by Philippe Starck, Wayfair ($160)
Gubi x Noah MR01 Initial Outdoor Lounge Chair, Gubi ($2,799)
Business & Pleasure Beach Towel, Huckberry ($79)
pool parties
Get the Look
04
03
02
01
Backyard Bliss
Owner
The WFH Wonder
Bellport, New York
Cofounder of Collab Society Pamela Berick
Location
Berick and her husband made a pretty epic deal:
She could have her country cottage if he got a backyard office. The latter—a shed purchased
from a local builder—has just enough room for a desk and a daybed and has since become a space for both parties, depending on who has more meetings. Beyond, a concrete plunge pool and a
plot of Berick’s beloved dahlias are reminders to enjoy some midday downtime.
What makes it great:
Owner
What makes it great:
This dreamy yard was really a product of necessity. During the pandemic, the family’s dining room morphed into a playroom, leaving no space for actual dining. Spitler’s solve: A 6-by-6-foot outdoor table, made of fir and inspired by Donald Judd, for socially distanced suppers. Meanwhile, a sleek daybed, a firepit, and a stock-tank pool ensure the area is usable every other hour of the day.
The Dinner Special
Austin, Texas
Sway Studio cofounder Consuelo
Pierrepont Spitler
Location
Owner
What makes
it great:
The courtyard’s gnarled, 100-year-old olive tree signaled to Lawson that this home was “the one.” It also leads you into the heart of the Spanish Revival house, so when the doors are open, the patio becomes an extension of the living room. “I can lie on the couch and watch TV, but it’s like I’m outside,” Lawson says. “I can feel and hear nature; this is a sanctuary from the city.”
The Two-in-One
Los Angeles
Lawson-Fenning cofounder Glenn Lawson
Location
Owner
What makes it great:
By prioritizing camaraderie over cars, Fabrikant turned this garage into an entertaining haven. The resulting pool house may not have the amenities you’d typically expect (no foam noodles here), but it excels at keeping guests happy. Think: double roll-up doors, cabinets with his favorite serveware, and shelves lined with his wife’s delightful cow collection—guaranteed to make visitors smile.
The People Pleaser
Westhampton, New York
Fashion designer Steve Fabrikant
Location
Excel Outdoor Shower, Finnish Design Shop ($267)
Breton Black Metal Outdoor Sofa, CB2 ($839)
Splatter Medium Basin,
Crow Canyon Home ($40)
BACKYARD BLISS
Get the Look
03
02
01
Decked-Out
Owner
What makes it great:
At 32 feet wide and 16 feet deep, the couple’s deck can handle yoga sessions just as effortlessly as weekend cookouts. The flooring is made of hard-wearing, easy-to-clean composite boards, while the slatted larch-wood walls and round cutout beckon you to come join the fun. To keep the revelry going into the evening hours, the pair hardwired a pendant light over the dining table during construction.
The Life of the Party
London
2LG Studio founders Jordan Cluroe
and Russell Whitehead
Location
Owner
What makes it great:
It’s hard not to feel one with nature when your patio is strategically positioned to watch the sun set over the mountains, and you have your choice of front-row seats: an alfresco claw-foot tub or outdoor kitchen-bar. Before it gets too dark, everyone pitches their tents underneath the swooping oaks in the grass beyond. In the morning, the flowering apple, pear, apricot, avocado, and walnut trees provide breakfast.
The Super Natural
Ojai, California
Clothing designer Heidi Merrick
Location
Owner
The Surf Turf
Montauk, New York
Hotelier Sean MacPherson and Lingua Franca founder Rachelle Hruska
Location
Who needs a palatial Hamptons estate when you could have this couple’s “cross between a fort and a surf shack,” as they lovingly describe it? For fuss-free, post-beach hangouts, they keep it casual by using ocean finds like driftwood and smooth painted stones as place settings and layer colorful Moroccan pillows and blankets over the sofas.
What makes it great:
Deck Folding Chair by Carl
Hansen & Søn, DWR ($445)
80-Quart Patio Cooler by Permasteel, Amazon ($150)
Mesa Tabletop Firepit,
Solo Stove ($80)
DECKED-OUT DECKS
Get the Look
-est
-doors
HELENA OUTDOOR LOUNGE CHAIR, CB2 ($799)
Glencoe Reversible Planter,
CRate & Barrel ($150)
Concrete Pedestal Coffee Table, West elm ($600)
Skagerak by Fritz Hansen Riviera Sunbed, 2Modern ($2,206)
Funboy Inflatable Pool, Amazon ($49)
PC Portable Lamp,
HAY ($99)
Bannon Wall-Mount Service Sink, Wayfair ($995)
Anton Outdoor Teak Dining Table, West Elm ($1,519)
Adirondack Lounge Chair,
Design Within Reach ($895)
Hurricane Candleholder
Set of 3, Amazon ($30)
101 Dining Table,
RAD ($1,985)
Duo Quilted Blanket by Ferm Living, End Clothing ($135)
Photography by Nicole Franzen
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PABLO ENRIQUEZ
STYLING BY TIFFANY HOWELL
Photography by Belle Morizio
Photography by Nina Choi
Styling by Benjamin Reynaert
Photography by Thayer Gowdy
Courtesy of Studio Proba
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEELA CYD
Photography by Yoshihiro Makino
Styling by Julia Stevens
Photography by Minta Mia
Photography by Kate Jordan
Styling by Naomi Demañana
Photography by Nick Glimenakis
Styling by Paris Fabrikant and Julia Stevens
Courtesy of 2LG
Photography by Trevor Smith
Photography by Mikkel Vang
The biggest change the couple made to their apartment was adding floor-to-ceiling glass doors along the exterior; highlighting the veranda that runs the length of the entire flat; and effectively expanding the kitchen, living room, and bedroom footprints (that is, when the doors are left open). Interior designer and photographer Bertolini paved the terrace with unpolished slabs of travertine and planted tall maple trees, Mediterranean myrrh, and hydrangeas, giving the space the feel of a treehouse in the middle of the city.
What makes it great:
Milan, Italy
Location
La Dolce Vita
Marco Bertolini and Fabio Sapienza
Owner
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PABLO ENRIQUEZ
STYLING BY TIFFANY HOWELL
What makes it great:
Calderone laid the foundation for a French château look to the tune of just $7 per square foot. “Those checkered floors make my heart go pitter-patter,” she says of her terrace’s blue-gray marble and sandy travertine tiles, sourced through a stone company in New Jersey. Her second scrappy score? The marble top on the 1930s Art Deco coffee table—it’s a leftover chunk of stone from someone else’s kitchen renovation.
Location
EyeSwoon founder Athena Calderone
Brooklyn
The Euro Trip
Owner
Photography by Belle Morizio
What makes it great:
When Domino’s chief creative officer moved uptown, she took her “garden in the sky” with her. The lush space, 16 floors up, is her personal farmers’ market—tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, cucumbers, herbs, and pears all happily grow there under the city sun. And when Berry and her family need a break from the heat, they retreat underneath her pagoda-style umbrella, which has withstood the windiest of days.
Location
Kate Berry
New York City
The Garden in the Sky
Owner
Photography by Pablo Enriquez
Styling by Tiffany Howell
What makes it great:
Velvet can so be for outdoor spaces. When this New Jersey native moved to Miami, she worked with Tiffany Howell of Night Palm Interiors to kit out her balcony in plush oversize lounge chairs for taking in the east-to-west ocean views in “’80s Miami sex den” style. Don’t worry; the fabric is all-weather in case of thunderstorms.
Location
Agent Nateur founder Jena Covello
Miami
The Dream Weaver
Owner
Photography by Marco Bertolini
Get the Look
City Terrace Views
What makes it great:
The floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which highlight the veranda that runs the length of the entire flat and effectively expand the kitchen, living room, and bedroom footprints. Bertolini paved the terrace with unpolished slabs of travertine and planted tall maple trees, Mediterranean myrrh, and hydrangeas for a treehouse feel in the middle of the city.
Location
Photographer Marco Bertolini and Fabio Sapienza
Milan, Italy
La Dolce Vita
Owner
Photography by Leela Cyd
What makes it great:
Velvet can so be for outdoor spaces. When this New Jersey native moved to Miami, she worked with Tiffany Howell of Night Palm Interiors to kit out her balcony in plush oversize lounge chairs for taking in the east-to-west ocean views in “’80s Miami sex den” style. Don’t worry; the fabric is all-weather in case of thunderstorms.
Location
Agent Nateur founder Jena Covello
Miami
The Dream Weaver
Owner
Courtesy of Studio Proba
What makes it great:
When Domino’s chief creative officer moved uptown, she took her “garden in the sky” with her. The lush space, 16 floors up, is her personal farmers’ market—tomatoes, eggplants, green beans, cucumbers, herbs, and pears all happily grow there under the city sun. And when Berry and her family need a break from the heat, they retreat underneath her pagoda-style umbrella, which has withstood the windiest of days.
Location
Kate Berry
New York City
The Garden in the Sky
Owner
Photography by Thayer Gowdy
What makes it great:
Calderone laid the foundation for a French château look to the tune of just $7 per square foot. “Those checkered floors make my heart go pitter-patter,” she says of her terrace’s blue-gray marble and sandy travertine tiles, sourced through a stone company in New Jersey. Her second scrappy score? The marble top on the 1930s Art Deco coffee table—it’s a leftover chunk of stone from someone else’s kitchen renovation.
Location
EyeSwoon founder Athena Calderone
Brooklyn
The Euro Trip
Owner
Photography by Nina Choi
Styling by Benjamin Reynaert
City Terrace Views
01
02
03
04
Get the Look
City Terrace Views
What makes it great:
The transformation of the “blank canvas” that was Fleury’s mid-century Mar Vista home didn’t stop inside. Beyond the cobalt stairs and magenta playroom, the outdoor space is just as vivid. Multi-hued tiles next to built-in benches and lemon yellow lounge chairs add consistent doses of color against the bright white walls surrounding the pool.
Location
Stylist and artist Chloe Fleury
Los Angeles
The Pop Star
Owner
Photography by Nick Glimenakis
Styling by Paris Fabrikant and Julia Stevens
What makes it great:
For the first time, artist and Studio Proba founder Alex Proba, known for translating her colorful abstractions onto rugs, countertops, ceilings, and exteriors, had a swimming pool as her canvas. Using water-based paint, Proba and her assistant spent two days on the blush backdrop, followed by six 12-hour days on the swirly shapes and speckled details. Now the owners can literally dive into a masterpiece.
Location
Marrow Fine owners Tim and Jill Sassone
Palm Springs, California
The Shape-shifter
Owner
Photography by Yoshihiro Makino
Styling by Julia Stevens
What makes it great:
Drawing on the rustic minimalism she fell in love with in Portugal, Gowdy eschewed an in-ground pool and went with a stock tank, the only place you want to be on a 105-degree summer day. Plus not digging a hole allowed
room in her budget for a storage unit, photo studio, and outdoor shower.
Location
Photographer Thayer Gowdy
Ojai, California
The Desert Oasis
Owner
Photography by Minta Mia
What makes it great:
The outdoor space was the very first spot the couple decided to furnish in their Hamptons home—that’s how much they knew they’d be using it. When the fencing was still lacking a certain something, Campanaro bought a few gallons of white paint. She emulated the dipped stools the duo had spotted online and applied the paint only halfway up the pickets. The look worked so well that she kept the division going onto the house, too.
Location
Eskayel founder Shanan Campanaro and her husband, Nick Chacona
Hamptons, New York
The Split Decision
Owner
Photography by Kate Jordan
Styling by Naomi Demañana
Pool Parties
01
02
03
04
Get the Look
BACKYARD BLISS
What makes it great:
The courtyard’s gnarled, 100-year-old olive tree signaled to Lawson that this home was “the one.” It also leads you into the heart of the Spanish Revival house, so when the doors are open, the patio becomes an extension of the living room. “I can lie on the couch and watch TV, but it’s like I’m outside,” Lawson says. “I can feel and hear nature; this is a sanctuary from the city.”
Location
Lawson-Fenning cofounder Glenn Lawson
Los Angeles
The Two-in-One
Owner
Photography by Mikkel Vang
What makes it great:
This dreamy yard was really a product of necessity. During the pandemic, the family’s dining room morphed into a playroom, leaving no space for actual dining. Spitler’s solve: A 6-by-6-foot outdoor table, made of fir and inspired by Donald Judd, for socially distanced suppers. Meanwhile, a sleek daybed, a firepit, and a stock-tank pool ensure the area is usable every other hour of the day.
Location
Sway Studio cofounder Consuelo Pierrepont Spitler
Austin, Texas
The Dinner Special
Owner
Photography by Trevor Smith
What makes it great:
Berick and her husband made a pretty epic deal: She could have her country cottage if he got a backyard office. The latter—a shed purchased from a local builder—has just enough room for a desk and a daybed and has since become a space for both parties, depending on who has more meetings. Beyond, a concrete plunge pool and a plot of Berick’s beloved dahlias are reminders to enjoy some midday downtime.
Location
Cofounder of Collab Society
Pamela Berick
Bellport, New York
The WFH Wonder
Owner
Courtesy of 2LG
Backyard Bliss
01
02
03
101 Dining Table,
RAD ($1,985)
Hurricane Candleholder
Set of 3, Amazon ($30)
Duo Quilted Blanket by Ferm Living, End Clothing ($135)
80-Quart Patio Cooler by Permasteel, Amazon ($150)
Mesa Tabletop Firepit,
Solo Stove ($80)
Deck Folding Chair by Carl
Hansen & Søn, DWR ($445)