This Hamptons-Inspired Backyard Channels Summer All Year Long in Minnesota

Designer Bria Hammel created a private paradise with a cozy three-season porch that beautifully transitions from summer to fall. Get her tips on garden design and plant selection that can work in a colder climate.

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September 14, 2022

By: Lauren Oster

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Photo By: Spacecrafting Photography

How to Celebrate Every Season in Your Outdoor Space

In her Minnesota backyard, interior designer Bria Hammel set out to celebrate the space’s warmest and loveliest months by looking to the East Coast for inspiration: “I’ve always been drawn to the ease and simplistic beauty of the Hamptons,” she says. Bria also dreamed of features that would enfold her family throughout the year, and she created a three-season porch for getting cozy as the weather changes. Read on for great ideas on how to transform your own outdoor space from summer to fall and winter.

See More Photos: 35 Before-and-After Backyard Transformations

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Develop a Garden Within the Garden

Bria created a handsome (and deer- and rabbit-proof) 35’ x 35’ raised-bed retreat by pairing pre-treated cedar posts with welded wire garden fencing. It feeds her family and her spirit: “My house sits on an acre lot in the city which can sometimes be hard to come by, so I just love that it feels like we live out in the country with all of the outdoor yard space we have,” she says. “After a day in the office, I can come home and spend time with the kiddos in the garden and it’s just good for the soul.”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Cultivate Your Kids' Green Thumbs

Bria’s not the only one who delights in her garden. “My daughter, Brooklyn, loves to pick all the vegetables with me, especially the tomatoes,” she says. As for those glorious blooms, “I love mixing a variety of hybrid tea roses like 'Champagne Wishes' roses and Barbra Streisand roses. They’re so beautiful when in bloom and bring me so much happiness. I do however have to select my plants smartly (Zone 4) to ensure that they can stand up to our Minnesota winters.”

See More Photos: 10 Ways to Foster Your Kid’s Interest in Gardening

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Choose Perfomance Pieces to Outfit a Covered Porch

“Finding the right pieces for an indoor-outdoor space is important,” Bria explains. “Although [it isn’t] necessarily considered outdoor-worthy, I can still maintain this furniture by easily tossing the slipcover in the wash or spot treat it. The materials are hot/cold weatherproof, so they work perfectly for this covered porch area.” She punctuated the space with details like a limestone fireplace surround, a limestone mantel and a sculptural, six-light antler chandelier.

See More Photos: 40 Screened Porches We Wanna Chill On

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Add Interest to Enclosed-Porch Walls With Exterior Shingles

Bria added texture to the porch walls by installing exterior shingles, “as it’s technically still an outdoor space and [I] wanted to keep these climate-appropriate for all year round.” She chose Sherwin-Williams’ creamy Dover White for the shingled walls and Benjamin Moore’s Nature’s Essentials for the room’s trim. (That handsome golden retriever, in turn, is five-year-old Hunter. A dog really ties the space together, no?)

See More Photos: The Best Neutral Paint Colors for Every Room

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Embellish an Indoor-Outdoor Space With Faux Greenery

The heartbreak of losing interior plants to drying, heated air (and exterior plants to take-no-prisoners Zone 4 winters) are real; this shapely olive tree, on the other hand, is faux. Invest in a high-quality artificial topiary like Bria’s — her own home decor brand, Brooke & Lou, offers an elegant potted version — to make a perennial statement.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Treat the Porch As an Extension of Your Interior Living Space

“I really left this room up to my husband, Charlie, as he wanted a space where he could be outside year-round without actually having to be outside — especially during those chilly Minnesota spring and winter months,” Bria says. “Because of that, we kept the palette very neutral so that the space could be enjoyed by everyone and is essentially just an extension of our home. This space is used every single day, whether it’s for kicking up your feet and watching sports or a peaceful place to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning.”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Add Softness With Pillows, Throw Blankets and an Area Rug

Bringing warmth to a space like this one is all about piling on the textiles. Bria carried her neutral palette through an array of stripes and checks, a delicate white-on-tan floral print, and a sand-colored herringbone throw; those organic tones recur in the white oak beams she installed on the ceiling.

See More Photos: Proof Throw Blankets Can Transform Any Space

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Choose Wicker Pieces With Contemporary Silhouettes

Bria’s coffee table is a far cry from the kitschy, retro pieces one would expect to find on a timeworn beach house patio. This on-trend beauty’s clean lines echo her sofa and chairs’ right angles and evokes the crisp mid-Atlantic style she favors. Reach for a geometric woven piece like this one to add timeless texture to a coastal space.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Style an Outdoor Coffee Table Like Its Indoor Counterpart

“For the most part, the way to style a coffee table on a porch or indoors is very similar. I always like to include a decorative box to hide any clutter like TV remotes when they’re not in use,” Bria says. “I’ll lean on the natural elements of the outdoor porch space and use live potted plants styled on the coffee table too.” These delicate blooms can come into the house for the winter.

See More Photos: 15 Designer Tips for Styling Your Coffee Table

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Skip Window Treatments to Maximize Natural Light

In the absence of window treatments on the three-season porch, every last ray of sun is free to dapple the floating benches Bria installed on either side of the fireplace. Those seats double as stylish storage for firewood: “I just love having this space under the benches full as it adds texture and detail to the space,” she says.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Create an In-Ground Fire Pit for a Minimalist Gathering Space

Bria opted to sink her fire pit into her patio rather than situating it in an above-ground structure. “This design allowed for more space on the patio and created more of a seamless look without having a major focal point,” she explains.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Pair Adirondack Chairs With an Occasional Table

The seats that have become synonymous with a certain kind of East Coast summer idyll are just about perfect — but getting in and out of them doesn’t leave much room to perch a lemonade on their arm rests. Enter the petite table Bria perched between a pair of the chairs surrounding the fire pit: though its slim silhouette has little visual weight, it offers just enough space for the trappings of a get-together.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Stain Concrete to Create a Two-Tone Pool Patio

Stained and hand-cut concrete in contrasting tones frames Bria’s pool for a fraction of what flagstone would have cost. “It was a simple and affordable design tweak to make the pool area feel luxurious,” she says.

See More Photos: 37 Pool Deck and Patio Designs

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Outdoor Furniture Should Be Stylish, Durable and Portable

Powder-coated wicker chaises with mildew-resistant fabric sit beneath luxuriously scalloped, 11’ umbrellas beside the pool. The loungers' durability (and lightness) makes transitioning between seasons a breeze: “[Winterizing is] pretty seamless since all of our outdoor furniture gets stored in our unfinished basement until it’s time to pull it back out in the springtime,” Bria says. “All of these furniture pieces are okay to remain outside with a quality cover though, too.”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Minimize Hardscaping Around the Pool

Planting these chaises beside shrubs in the lawn offers swimmers the lovely sensation of climbing out of the pool, then feeling the grass between their toes. It also integrates Bria’s beloved garden with the lounging area in a way that allows the sights and scents of summertime flora to surround sunbathers.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Think of Your Yard as a Work in Progress

Though Bria’s initial outdoor makeover is complete, the idea of making her space even lovelier lives on. “I’m always dreaming up more ideas and projects for our home,” she says. “I would love to add more plant beds because gardening truly feeds my soul. Eventually I’d also like to build a pool house that serves as a lounge, storage for pool floaties and accessories, as well as an outdoor bathroom.”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Deploy String Lights to Infuse the Patio With Warmth

Bria skipped a single pendant and wove atmospheric bulbs through the joists above her outdoor kitchen. “String lighting at night gives off a warmer, subtle light which makes the space feel so cozy and inviting,” she explains. “The string lights truly light up the entire outdoor space.”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Display Textural Greenery in Outdoor Dining Spaces

Bria clipped branches and blooms from her home’s landscaping, then tucked them into cane-wrapped vases on her bar. Woody sprigs like these are perfect for warm weather that would wilt more delicate stems — and they’re an awfully satisfying opportunity to upcycle.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Call in Hardy Countertops for Outdoor Prep and Entertaining Spaces

A veined, milk-white variety of Outdoor Caesarstone tops the bar area in Bria’s outdoor kitchen. Treated with a resin developed to resist discoloration and damage from UV light and temperature extremes, it’s a canny choice for a Minnesota homeowner.

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Go Ahead and Use White Fabric Outdoors

“I love these outdoor Brooke & Lou dining chairs because they are so comfortable while also looking beautiful. They can easily be hosed down. I use Dawn dish soap to spot clean as well and it returns back to its original, bright white appearance,” Bria explains. People tend to shy away from using white outdoors," she says, "but these pieces definitely prove that you can have pretty whites that are durable for outdoor living!”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

Put Your Entertaining Spaces to Work ASAP

Bria, her family and their friends have been making good use of the transformed backyard. “Since the completion of this pool and outdoor entertaining space, we’ve been hosting every single weekend with sometimes 14–20 children at our house,” she says. “It’s been a lot of al fresco dinners, grilling, nights that almost always end with a bonfire — and a lot of s’mores!”

From: Bria Hammel Interiors

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