Indoor–outdoor living isn’t a trend. It’s a shift in how we experience space. Rooms open to patios, kitchens slide toward gardens, and air carries you from one moment to the next without asking where “inside” ends or “outside” begins. When the boundaries soften, the home feels bigger, calmer, more alive. At Hommes + Gardens, this philosophy is foundational. Founder Michael O’Brien calls it continuity. Not matching. Not copying. But designing transitions that feel inevitable.
Continuity: Designing Without Borders
“Outdoor moments should feel like extensions of your home,” O’Brien says. He means it literally. A sealed vintage chair on a terrace. A pedestal once in an entryway now living under a citrus tree. Remnant stone from a foyer reappearing in the garden where you least expect it.Each gesture builds a subtle and intentional rhythm.
Comfort as Architecture
Comfort finishes the idea. Durable loungers, outdoor fabrics, pillows with structure but softness, these elements tame hard edges and invite you to stay outside longer. Plants set the tone, but comfort completes the picture. Scent plays its part too: a pot of mint beside a bench, jasmine off the bedroom, a citrus tree near the door. These small sensory decisions turn a space into a memory.
Lighting:
Lighting is its own architecture. Interior lighting has intention, and O’Brien brings that same intention outdoors. He gravitates toward flattering, atmospheric tones that add depth to shadows and warmth to the garden.The right lighting reveals new “rooms” after dark and spaces that feel lived in rather than leftover.
Scale:
Seamless living depends on proportion. In a Sunset Square Craftsman, a once-disconnected backyard became a complete second living room. A pergola, outdoor kitchen, lounging and dining zones I've meticulously created to align with the interior’s scale. The outdoor room didn’t feel like an add-on. It felt inevitable.
Small Spaces Can Do It Too
Even modest yards or patios can feel connected. A simple pergola, set in gravel, framed with a climbing vine, can become its own threshold. A quiet sanctuary for morning coffee, evening reading, or hosting. Once the structure exists, the garden grows around it.
Year-Round Indoor–Outdoor Living
- Fall: wool throws, herbs near the door, soft firelight
- Winter: weatherproof curtains, layered lanterns, rugs that define zones
- Spring: refreshed containers, oiled wood, open doors when sun hits
- Summer: linen covers, shade sails, rolling drink carts
Materiality and Patina
Natural materials deepen with time. Copper that greens. Leather that fades. Stone that softens. These details anchor a space, and they grow with you. Indoor–outdoor living isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.
A Home That Breathes With You
At its core, indoor–outdoor living is about how you feel in the space. How you move, gather, rest, and return to it. When continuity, comfort, lighting, scale, and materiality align, your home doesn’t end at the threshold. It expands, softens, and becomes a place that invites you to stay a little longer.