Two small Virginia businesses—each artisan-driven and each highly successful—have joined forces to create custom-designed, handcrafted tables. McKinnon and Harris has been making high-end outdoor furniture in Richmond since 1991. New Ravenna has been producing exquisite glass and stone mosaics on the Eastern Shore since 1992. Now they’ve teamed up to turn out high-performance aluminum tables from McKinnon and Harris, topped with natural stone mosaics from New Ravenna. “They have the same pursuit of excellence that we do, with a respect for creativity and the arts,” says Will Massie, cofounder ..read more

By the poolside, there’s a slide—sleek, shiny, and sculptural—that makes you break into a big smile as soon as you see it even if you have no intention of gliding down its glistening length. For lounging in the bath, there’s an elegant hammock-shaped tub that looks as though it’s floating in thin air. These fun and functional forms are the brainchild of Splinterworks, a U.K.-based luxury brand whose designs, according to founders Miles Hartwell and Matt Withington, pair a theatrical flair with exquisite visual tricks. “Our slides, which are custom, respond directly to the site, so we can work ..read more

So much of the beauty of a coastal home lies in its proximity to nature. Crisp ocean breezes, the sweet scent of salt water, the warmth of the sun—these are the things that draw so many people to the idea of a home at the beach. Even better, coastal homeowners get to enjoy that outdoor beauty for far more of each calendar year than others who live in colder climes.  To truly get the most out of living near the ocean, why not extend your home’s livable space to the outdoors by creating a backyard patio oasis? With a few of the following creative ideas, you can transform your backyard pati ..read more

Summer is the perfect time of year for outdoor entertaining, with lingering daylight encouraging relaxed outdoor entertaining. Chances are good that you’ll be firing up the grill up for these summer gatherings. We consulted six chefs from leading coastal establishments to guide you along the path to grilling perfection. CHEF CESAR ZAPATA, PHUC YEA & PHO MO, MIAMI At Phuc Yea, Colombian chef Cesar Zapata serves up a modern interpretation of Asian/Latin fusion cuisine – a lively mash up of fresh and colorful Vietnamese ingredients pumped up with a spicy, bold richness of flavors of Zapata’s ..read more

Calls of ‘opa’ are being heard around exclusive second home communities as developers add more pickleball courts. The pandemic led to growth in pickleball, and high-end homeowners want a piece of the action in their own backyards. According to Sports & Fitness Industry Association, in 2021, pickleball grew to nearly 5 million players in the U.S., an incredible two-year growth rate of 39.3%, and real estate developers are making sure to bring this popular new amenity to their current and prospective homeowners.  Here are six oceanfront residential resorts that currently offer or are b ..read more

Sponsored Content When James and Martin purchased their dream retirement home on Florida’s central coast, they knew they would be spending most of their time outdoors, enjoying the salt air and endless sunny days. “Living in the northeast for so many years, we were exhausted by the brutally cold winters and muggy summers. We daydreamed about stepping outside to feel the sun on our faces and float in the pool at any time of the year,” James recalls.   “We finally found our oasis and the time to enjoy it, so we wanted to make the outdoor space as livable as the inside,” Martin adds ..read more

Anyone who’s ever spent time in New England knows that it has one of the most polarized climates in the country. With brutally dry winters peppered with snowstorms and humid, sticky summers with temperatures that regularly soar into the nineties and beyond, it’s not an easy place to own outdoor furniture. And near the beach in New England, specifically in a seaside village called West Barnstable on Cape Cod, the humidity situation is all the more dire. Bags of potato chips go stale in thirty minutes. But one homeowner was able to install an award-winning outdoor kitchen with the help of Natur ..read more

Touting high performance, flexibility, craftsmanship, and good looks, today’s outdoor grills—many endorsed by celebrity chefs and social media influencers—are built to rival indoor ranges. As the centerpiece of outdoor kitchens, these sleek machines that do everything from sear to simmer are welcoming sinks, fridges, and a host of fancy extras, like kegerators, with open arms. Rapidly, outdoor kitchens have become exterior rooms, and attractive ones at that. Aesthetically, these coveted entertaining areas are hitting high notes, as interior designers work their magic on curated courtyards and ..read more