“Outdoor living spaces are an extension of your house,” says interior designer Ame Gold. “It is so nice to have a way to enjoy the outdoors but still have a covered space.”
Gold, who designed the home she shares with her family in the heart of Arlington, had two key spaces in mind when it came to outdoor living.
“The front porch spans the entire front of our house,” she says of the welcoming 40-foot-by-8-foot space with natural pine ceilings. The porch’s double set of French doors connecting it to the dining room mean that dinner parties often start or end out there with cocktails or coffee.
A patriotic palette travels from the front porch, with its cheery red Adirondack chairs and blue-striped welcome mat, to the roomy back porch, which is accessible from the family room and fully screened for protection.
“It’s our favorite place to entertain friends or relax with family, so we wanted plenty of comfortable seating,” says Gold. “It’s also wired overhead for music, and there’s a TV tucked away in a corner for sporting events and movie nights.”
A graphic indoor-outdoor rug corrals the back porch’s furniture, an eclectic mix of materials and styles. The sectional, with its vibrant red cushions and blue-and-white accent pillows, seats a lot of people with ease.
“We went with a Northeastern Americana vibe,” says Gold of the design approach. “I love the reds, whites, and blues, and I wanted to make the spaces feel cheerful, curated, and relaxing.”
An overhead fan keeps things cool, and strung ceiling lights add evening twinkle, as well as a bit of festive magic.
Feature image by Robert Radifera courtesy Stylish Productions
This story originally ran in our June issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
