Patio Dining

To focus on the view and further designate the outdoor spaces, the team terraced the garden, creating two seating areas-the first directly outside the house, the second just beyond, with a dining table and chaises overlooking a grass-bordered pool. A third tier, not visible here, descends a path to the bayou behind the house. The dining area is removed from the covered terrace to make it "a separate experience from the house," says Rowe.

"Patio dining is so common -- why not utilize the vast green space?" Baldridge explains that it's perfect for entertaining and compares it to having drinks in the living room before proceeding to the dining room for dinner. "In Houston, we have such mild weather in the winter, you can dine outdoors year-round," she says. "Dining poolside is great not only for the sound of the water but also for the cooling breeze."

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