By Julie Moir Messervy
When it comes to our homes, author Julie Moir Messervy believes that we too often think about the inside of them, and don’t consider the space we have beyond our walls. “Home…encompasses the land around the house as well,” she writes. “When we turn down our street and pull into our driveway, we’re home….When we sit out on our deck, grill hot dogs on the barbecue, or play ball on the lawn, we’re home.”
In this book, Messervy—also the author of Outside The Not So Big House—makes sense of the art of landscape design as it applies to each individual in the context of his own home. She does so by giving readers a six-step process to “creating the landscape you love.” First, we are to examine the “lay of the land” and explore ideas that will work well with what the natural landscape has provided. After that, Messervy directs us to narrow our focus, establish what she calls “comfort zones,” create appropriate movement within the space, and determine focal points. Lastly, she turns our attention to the details that make the landscape come alive for us.
In addition to these six steps, Home Outside features stunning photography, before and after images, diagrams, and case studies to inspire the reader to create his own outdoor haven.
The Taunton Press/249 pages
