15 Cozy Outdoor Rooms

Revel in the views from your outdoor table. If you aren't lucky enough to look out on towering mountains or a body of water, craft a second-best scene by choosing a decorating theme, such as a Mediterranean-flavored table set with bright sari-inspired textiles.

A swinging bed piled with pillows and a plush mattress beckons at reading time. A lantern hung above lets learning last even past dark.

Outdoor furnishings with the same clean lines and sleek styling as this home's interiors blur the boundaries between indoors and out. On this deck and adjoining patio, furniture arrangements define distinct spaces designed for entertaining, eating, and relaxing.

Take advantage of a porch ceiling to lend hand-painted charm to your alfresco space. On this porch a garden blooms on a soft yellow and pale green canvas of traditional beaded-board paneling.

While away a hot summer afternoon relaxing and rocking on the front porch. A line of rockers beckons with promises of cold iced tea and warm conversation with friends.

Set a sweet table on a porch or patio -- no dining set needed. Simply drape a quilt, sheet, or blanket over a small round table and add two similarly sized chairs outfitted with a pair of throw pillows.

Gather friends for dinner on the terrace where garden walls afford privacy and a fountain drowns out neighborhood distractions with its soothing trickle.

Pair seemingly mismatched pieces with confidence. The juxtaposition of polar opposites -- rustic bentwood furniture and refined black-and-white toile fabric -- gives this porch an upscale cabin look.

Create your own Japanese tearoom on a deck or balcony. A woven-grass rug defines the space, while large floor pillows and a bamboo mat welcome visitors. Candles, river rocks, and the scent of rosemary provide Eastern ambience.

This swinging bed, fitted with a twin-size mattress, is perfectly situated to capture lakefront breezes and water vistas.

A bookcase brimming with colorful pottery makes this open-air living area seem as though it belongs indoors. These all-weather accessories pair with teak furnishings and outdoor cushion fabrics to create a room begging to be lived in.

Outfit furnishings with a bevy of pillows and cushions for comfort's sake. Take a fresh look at outdoor fabrics, too. What once was limited to dark hues and wide stripes now gives way to numerous stylish patterns and colors.

Rustic walls, floors, and a large fireplace envelop this open-air room, lending a sense of intimacy to the space. Contemporary chairs and a sleek dining table in teak bring stylistic balance to the room's rough-hewn, camp-like character.

Soften the hard lines -- and seats -- of teak furniture with throw pillows. Fresh flowers soften the space even further, while a rug defines the sitting area in this screened-in porch.