Great ideas for outdoor rooms

Reinvent your yard with a new deck, patio, cottage, dining room, or curl-up space

19 favorite garden cottages and sheds

Creative ideas for backyard retreats, detached home offices, and reinvented sheds

John Granen

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Summer living room

Although it is new, the structure looks old, thanks to recycled wood and comfortable furnishings. Painted platters and an old chandelier give the room a funky elegance.

"This space appeals to the little kid in all of us who always wanted a tree house," says designer Carleen Cafferty. "It's a cozy space, not a formal room. The denlike spaces are the rooms people gravitate to."

Read more about this backyard family room