5 Spaces That Celebrate the Great Outdoors

Because we all know Mother Nature is world’s best decorator.

In Western Canada we’ve made a name for ourselves when it comes to bringing the outdoors into interior design, and part of this is letting the foliage, forest and water views do the talking. Here are a few favourite spaces that make the most of our natural surroundings. (Photo: Janis Nicolay.)Coastal Oasis. Carrie McCarthy of Carrie McCarthy Studio and Tanja Hinder of Marrimor complement a 180-degree nature scene with a natural, earthy palette of linens and woods. We love how this Gulf Island bedroom looks like it’s suspended into the trees, keeping any sign of urban life hidden out of sight.MORE: 21 Great Spaces to Inspire   (Photo: Ema Peter.)Oceanfront Dream. This kitchen space from McLeod Bovell Modern Houses takes ‘open concept’ living to the next level with 14-foot ceilings that open up onto a terrace that runs the width of the room (that also includes office, dining and lounge areas). See more photos of this West Vancouver home here. (Photo: Ivan Hunter.)Wooded Wonder. Easily one of our favourite spaces from the past year, this dining area from Splyce Design‘s Nigel Parish traded windows for walls, in a cantilevered design that extends a full 15 feet past the foundation to give it that floating-in-the-forest look. Parish, our Designer of the Year 2015 winner for Interiors, is known for his deft incorporation of the outdoors—see more of his award-winning work here. (Photo: Martin Tessler.)Secret Garden. The oversized glass door in this Arthur Erickson Eppich House opens up onto a terrace, but the sweeping view brings the outside in, even when the door is closed. Find more views of this legendary West Vancouver home reno here. (Photo by Martin Tessler.)Wild Escape. Architect D’Arcy Jones, said to carve out houses from the inside, built this Vernon home to frame the most appealing views, while still preserving its site in its natural condition. Throughout the house you can see cutouts and big windows that make the interiors feel integrated with the outdoors. This is even more impressive when you take into account Jones’s strategic placement of storage in the space (see it above the fireplace and living room window), which blocks out the sun and helps keep the main room cool (miraculously this Okanagan house functions without air conditioning). MORE: 14 Rooms with Amazing Views (Photo: Martin Tessler.)

Want more beautiful homes? Never miss a thing with our WL Newsletter!