These Homes Master
Indoor-Outdoor Flow
by INHABIT EDITORS
It’s not just what’s inside and outside
that counts — it’s how both come together.
In transitional times of the year, there’s a refreshing feeling that comes with having carefree egress from the inside your home to the grounds that surround it. Indoor-outdoor flow has become an important consideration for homebuyers everywhere, even in places where a cold winter is just around the corner. Here’s a sampling of listings across Corcoran that bring together all the right ingredients.
This singular penthouse perch is a sky-bound escape from the city below. Prewar details in this tower abode include parquet oak flooring, a wood-burning fireplace, and ceiling medallions, each harmonizing alongside modern refinements like built-in bookshelves, a custom glazed steel spiral staircase, and a sauna. Sunlight flows through four exposures, but your best chance to catch some rays awaits on an otherworldly wraparound terrace. The private space comprises around 1,200 square feet and is a plant parent heaven complete with an irrigation system — not to mention numerous spots to sit back and enjoy 360-degree Upper East Side views.
Come morning, noon, or night you’ll want to make yourself at home on this DUMBO condo’s private patio. At 740 square feet, you’ll have space enough for an outdoor dining table or breakfast nook, or even a fire pit. Glass double doors connect right into the bright living room, which carries flawlessly into the dining room and marble bedecked kitchen. Whether you’re entertaining dozens or enjoying some alone time, it’s hard not to imagine playing the home chef on a series of modern appliances before stepping into your personal courtyard for dinner and drinks under the stars.
How does one make up their mind at a place like this 2.5-acre Water Mill wonder? Walk inside, and it treats you to beamed ceilings, gas fireplaces, a gym with a sauna, a wine cellar plus a tasting bar, and even a spacious home office. Meanwhile, you’ve heard of open floorplans, but what about an open yard plan? The property’s exterior is expansive, boasting numerous distinct sections. It’s marvelous to even look at, adorned throughout with vivid flower beds, yet even better to be a part of. Lounge under a pergola, roast marshmallows around a wood-burning firepit, dine al fresco on a covered porch, or take a dip in the heated pool.
This riverfront cottage is the closest you’ll get to life on the water while staying on land with its terrestrial advantages like indoor plumbing, consistent Wi-Fi, and a full kitchen. The house has two bedrooms and one bathroom, plus an expansive stretch of outdoor space that’s divided between a stone patio right on the Hudson and a side yard boasting a play set with swings and slides. The patio is meant for more grown-up pleasures, including an outdoor bar with a porch swing, a fire pit, and a dining gazebo. There’s also a boat launch and the possibility of rebuilding a dock if desired — it’s just quick kayak ride (or walk) to downtown Piermont.
From inside to outside to Intracoastal waterside, this vibrant Palm Beach Gardens estate functions like one fluid space. Multiple walls of floor-to-ceiling glass invite light right into the living room, where you can open up a pair of double doors and create a unified expanse with the exterior. Access a series of lanais by stepping out of the living room, the first-floor primary bedroom, or the second-level media room. The backyard has a pool among the palms, several seating areas, and an outdoor kitchen. Wander at your leisure to a private dock, a breezy boat ride away from the Jupiter and Palm Beach inlets and the Atlantic.
This five-bedroom Windermere estate goes next level on backyard delights. Highlights include a golf putting green on a raised corner of the patio, along with a vanishing edge pool with a fountain, palm trees in the middle, and an integrated spillover spa (and we haven’t even mentioned the private dock that leads directly to Lake Whitney). There’s also a loggia that wraps around the backyard, complete with a full outdoor kitchen, an outdoor fireplace, and plenty of seating, plus a balcony off of the second floor. Inside, there’s a home theater connected with a game room, a separate billiards room with a wet bar, as well as a fully equipped home gym.
In the Oakland Hills’ Upper Rockridge neighborhood, this gorgeous two-bedroom contemporary makes the most of its hilly setting with a terraced garden and a multi-level house with views of the entire San Francisco Bay. Enter the house by climbing through the serpentine garden, then step out onto a patio that includes a koi pond with a water element, an outdoor grill, and a seating area. Upstairs, the living and dining area open with sliding glass doors on to a corner balcony that’s large enough for a dining set.
This seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate is interwoven through one acre of tropical trees and flowers. The multiple buildings on the property not only allows for privacy for each structure, but also maximizes the connection to the surrounding garden. This house feels like a resort, with each bedroom suite connected to the others by ipe decks. The grounds also showcase an alluring infinity pool and a koi pond. Inside, details like woven lauhala ceilings are combined with fully retractable glass doors and jalousie windows that open directly to outdoor showers, a spacious lanai, and gazebos for a seamless indoor-outdoor experience.
If Miss Moneypenny has been investing her MI6 salary in real estate, well, we have to say this is an island lair that might even turn the head of James Bond. This turnkey two-bedroom villa was designed by OBM International with two side-by-side bedroom suites connected by the living, dining, and kitchen area. All three rooms open via floor-to-ceiling glass doors directly onto a spacious deck with lounge chairs, a suspended plunge pool, and magnificent ocean views. It’s sold fully furnished — four-seater golf cart included.
In the Village at Castle Pines, this grand two-story house embraces its scenic location with ample opportunities for indoor-outdoor living. Spectacular mountain views are available from the western side of the house, while the back faces the seventh fairway on one of the gated community’s well-regarded golf courses. The house has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, so there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out, including front and back patios. The garden’s landscaping is well-suited to the mountain climate, with a mix of verdant shrubs and mature trees, as well boasting a small, but dramatic, waterfall. There’s an outdoor grill and multiple covered seating areas to watch the sunset (or sunrise!), while breathing in the crisp, Colorado mountain air.
This beautiful four-bedroom house in The Woodlands makes indoor-outdoor living easy, with a large curved pool and spa, as well as a complete summer kitchen, outdoor fireplace, and a long, covered patio. The second floor also has a covered balcony for additional outdoor seating. And if the weather isn’t cooperating, head inside for entertainment — there you’ll find a game room with a wet bar and a separate mini-movie theater. There’s also a study with a fireplace and built-in bookshelves for your work-from-home days.