The Art of Outdoor Living: Gardens for Entertaining Family and Friends

by Scott Shrader, Jean-Louis Deniot (Foreword), Lisa Romerein (Photographer)

For anyone who wants to live well in their garden, here is a guide to creating stylish and livable outdoor spaces--for entertaining, playing, and relaxing.

Pools made private by lush plantings, bedrooms open to the back yard, bar seating by the outdoor oven. California native and exterior architect Scott Shrader is known for creating covetable outdoor rooms for clients including Ellen DeGeneres and Patrick Dempsey. In his first book, he shares the grounds of twelve beautiful properties, all designed to be lived in and enjoyed as extensions of the homes they surround, rich with creature comforts. Shrader shows us how to connect the landscape outside with interior decor; resulting in an exterior environment that flows naturally, stylishly and serenely from this core. He also inspires us to think of the way these outdoor spaces will be used, and plan ahead for ways to keep our family and guests fed, warm, and entertained in them. Folded in between the featured gardens--which range in style from Hollywood Regency to Modern Moroccan--are meditative essays on topics including Sustainability, Lifestyle, and Pathways, as Shrader reflects on the ways that gardens change constantly in small ways, shifting mood with the light and the weather, transforming dramatically with the cycle of the seasons and the passage of years. These are modern, chic gardens and outdoor entertainment spaces specifically designed for cooking, entertaining, playing, and relaxing.

Genres: Gardening, Coffee Table Books, Design

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and designs - his focus is on simplicity with a muted color pallette - gray bricks, lots of greenery, not many flowers and texture. Great for inspiration.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your usual House and Garden makeover or do it yourself book. These are stories of specific and rather grand family gardens and gathering spaces by a designer with big vision and maybe even bigger budgets. The photos show what can be achieved with thought and care and even a bit of restraint and a lot of focus. The grand scale of it all could be dismissed by some as pretentious. I found the places lovely and spacious. While not my usual modern style, the generous living areas sparked some serious garden envy.
Not content with just gazing at the pictures this is one design book where I read every word. I browse through a lot of design books but few make it to my Goodreads list. This was a favourite.

[Rosemary Race · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow!

Fancy having the opportunity to write a book dedicated to one garden, such devotion, description, photography and lust.

Yes lust I'd dream for a 'perfect, manicured whimsical garden, not elegant 'rooms' hardly just a garden it's so well developed, rounded, unexpected at every turn and access from on high to slumber the delights of what's below you a another greenery stretching to oblivion it seems to entertain friends, family and work colleagues or business deals so peaceful and enticing. Thoroughly enjoyed this book between drinks. (Sparkling Apple Juice - Mornington Peninsula variety) could grow a few apples in the garden too.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photography is nothing short of perfection. I found the writing by the author to be pretentious. The properties are incredible and so over the top, there is nothing here for a typical American gardener. I found myself wondering if these homeowners are lovely in their cavernous home places in remote valleys. The last two properties were my favorites, but I wouldn’t want to emulate or live in either of these settings. A book strictly for gawking, which is not what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn.

[Kim Spier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful coffee table book about gardens in Southern California. But it’s more than that- it’s a thoughtful gardener’s plans and musings on gardens, plants, history and strategy. It’s beautiful and special. A great book if you like design and plants and subtle elegance.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed full of the most beautiful outdoor living spaces. I was excited to turn each page in anticipation of the next. A feast for the eyes!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the designs. Really gives you ideas for designing your own space using just neutrals. Such as the trees, herbs, ect. I’m a flower person but this is really a beautiful idea