Outside In

The Parisian flat that American-born architect Michael Herrman shares with his wife, Cécile, and their 2-year-old daughter, Rose, had been nearly untouched since the 1790s, when it was built. “But I wanted to try and reveal some of its age in a fresh new context,” Herrman said.

A group of Woolly Pocket planters can be put up in an afternoon. Each planter's hook requires one screw to hang.

It is all very mindful. “We proceeded with a philosophy and a vision,” says Chamberlin. “All of us understood that the poetry of what you look at is very important.”

Living green walls may have gotten their start 80 years ago, but they’ve recently become some of the most striking and important eco-friendly features in buildings across the world.

Pleck, a cafe in the Dutch city Delft.

"The three things that come with me everywhere are my books, my music and my plants," Catalán de Ocón says.

A bird’s eye view reveals how the once utilitarian space has been transformed into a gallery setting.

Helsinki architect Ville Hara and designer Linda Bergroth collaborated on a prefab shed-meets-sleeping cabin, which can be assembled with little else than a screwdriver. Bergroth, inspired by nomadic yurt dwellers, wanted an indoor/outdoor experience for her property in Finland.

This view from the upper floor of Hisaka's own Shaker Heights, OH, home from 1965 shows how he used design elements like shaggy rugs and plenty of plants to add texture to his interiors. Photo courtesy of Thom Abel.

Christophe Pillet's Sezz collection with Emeco was held in a gorgeous space in the 10th arrondissement by the Canal St. Martin. Galerie Végétale's lush array of plants, living walls, and succulents formed a scenic counterpoint to the Pennsylvania company's signature sleek aluminum.

"And the tour of Austin, TX begins at the cutest frickin house ever."

The indoor pond maintains a flora-filled interior even when it's snowing outside.

When Carlsen and Richardson moved from San Francisco to Sonoma, creating a space to entertain visitors was a priority; sliding glass doors by International Window Corporation provide a warm welcome.

Four custom-built sliding doors divide indoor and outdoor spaces.

Custom skylights by Berkeley’s DeFauw Design+Fabrication set above scissor trusses let in the sunlight.

This sun room also features a lush assemblage of tropical plants. The Dimanche's were eager to incorporate nature into every room of their urban residence.

“I want to see more Sill stores,” says Blank (seen here), who was inspired to create her own line of planters after being disappointed with the lack of functional, design-forward options on the market.

This living room is filled with an array of plants that include a moss wall, an air plant wall, Staghorn Ferns, a variety of potted plants, hanging ceiling plants, and trees.

Architectural designer Sebastian Mariscal and project manager Jeff Svitak created a house in Venice, California, for Michael and Tamami Sylvester. Known as Dwell Home Venice for its role as an exemplification of modern architecture, the house is an homage to indoor-outdoor living. Photo by Coral von Zumwalt.