Little Outdoor Moments

I have always believed that the best room in any house is the one without walls. In Ojai, I transformed a carport — a concrete slab with a stone arch and nothing else — into a place you would want to have dinner for twelve. Linen curtains tied back against the fieldstone, a long picnic table under a pendant light, the oaks visible through both ends. It cost almost nothing and it changed the entire property. At the front door, I hung an iron hook rail and let the wall tell the story of the people who live there — no art required. A stock tank on a porch becomes the best bathtub you have ever had — just add a hidden hose, a cutting board shelf, and a glass of wine at golden hour. A twenty-six-foot tipi bought from the set of a television show in New Mexico becomes a birthday party, a place where a toddler crawls out through balloons into the desert light. An egg chair from Craigslist, stripped of its metal chain and rehung with natural rope from an ancient oak, becomes the only seat in a meadow that makes you forget your outside.

A hanging wicker chair suspended from a tree branch in a natural outdoor setting with grass, rocks, and trees

Entryway with coat hooks holding a tan hat, a backpack, a blue watering can, a pair of goggles, and a blue striped towel. A sheep skull decorates the wall below the hooks. A lantern is mounted on the wall above. There is a stone wall and wooden door

View through an arched stone entrance into a dining area with a wooden table, floral tablecloth, benches, hanging lights, white curtains, and large windows with curtains showing outdoor trees.

Living room with large window looking out to trees, beige armchairs with patterned pillows, hanging swing chair outside, and white curtains.

Front view of a large beige teepee decorated with white balloons and colorful fabric strips, with children sitting at the entrance, outdoors with trees and a silver trailer in the background.

View through a wooden door into a porch with a yellow wall, potted plant, and outdoor furniture, with a welcoming sign that says 'Welcome to the Zoo' above the doorframe.

Outdoor balcony with a metal container, a glass of red wine on a small tray, a potted plant with large green leaves, a wooden chair, and landscape view of trees, mountains, and a palm tree.

A large, dried, tangled decorative arrangement hanging from a porch ceiling, with greenery visible outside through the screened window.

A table with a colorful, nature-themed tablecloth featuring animals and plants, set outdoors under a tree, with a bouquet of sunflowers, two wooden chairs, and a wide-brimmed hat hanging on one of the chairs.