From choosing the proper site orientation, to picking the perfect fabric for the seating, these homeowners took every opportunity to ensure that their outdoor spaces were the ideal venue for relaxing and entertaining. Custom homebuilder Nick Maccarone acquired several beautiful lots in a northeast- side gated community years ago. In 2007, he and his wife Paula decided to build a home for themselves on the remaining property — long and somewhat narrow, but oriented in the best possible way for enjoying outdoor living. “It’s wonderful to have the house to the west and your primary landscape to the east,” says Nick, owner of Maccarone Homes. “The house is throwing shade on my pool by three or four in the afternoon. It means you really can use your patios and entertaining areas most of the year. We all know what it’s like around here in the summer — if you don’t have shade, you quit going outside.” The Maccarones’ home features floorto- ceiling windows facing northeast and straight up Sabino Canyon. The cantilevered porch is 14 feet deep and runs the length of the house. To design a landscape to complement such a sweeping architectural statement, Nick did what he always does. He bought a can of spray paint, drew out what he wanted on the ground and brought in the contractors necessary to make it all happen. “I want a landscape to feel spacious,” Nick says. “There’s as much patio space on the back side of the pool as on the house side with places to sit everywhere. There are different venues for different times of the day or seasons. All my walkways are at least six feet wide. The lawn is beyond the pool. You look across it to the golf course greens, so the landscape seems to go on forever.” Alfredo Parra, a designer for locally owned outdoor furnishing retailer House ’N Garden, was involved in the project. “Designing outdoor spaces for clients is all about giving them beautiful, comfortable, durable outdoor furniture settings that are part of the flow and don’t get it the way of the views — especially those from inside the house,” he says. “Homeowners used to furnish the outdoors with a dining-table-and-chairs set and that was about it,” Parra continues. “But today everybody is more aware of the outdoors as an extension of the interior. The Maccarones wanted their outdoor spaces to have the same style and creativity as their interiors. It doesn’t mean that the furniture has to be the same, but it has to relate to what’s inside.” Because the Maccarones have several outdoor seating, dining and playing areas, Parra’s starting point with each venue was to explore with the couple how they saw themselves and/ or their friends and family using it. “It’s exactly the same as pulling together an interior,” he says. “How can we accommodate their wishes for each space?” How can we make that as aesthetically pleasing as possible?” Parra created unity by choosing foundation pieces — couches, tables and chairs — in earthy colors compatible with those used in the house. For added spice he suggested patterned outdoor area rugs to define the spaces, colored throw pillows, copper side tables, carved wooden screens, and even ornamented table lamps in contrasting materials and hues. Joanne Tudor, who co-owns House ’N Garden with her husband Tom, credits advances in technology with making today’s new, plusher, more complete outdoor rooms possible. “Sunbrella fabric was the game changer when it came on the market more than a decade ago,” Joanne says. “It’s beautiful upholstery fabric made to stand up to the sun. Also, the cushions themselves started being made from dacron hollow fill, which doesn’t absorb moisture like the old fillings that started to degrade immediately. Water goes right through today’s outdoor cushions.” The outdoor fireplace at the Maccarones is a popular gathering place. Nick says he enjoys lighting a fire as night falls — guests who have been lounging by the pool tend to gravitate toward it. But he and Paula also enjoy the fire table that is part of the outdoor living room setting on their porch. The flame at the center of the 24-inch-high rectangular table runs on propane and turns on and off at the flick of a switch. In helping the Maccarones prepare for a recent event, Parra suggested mixing things up by moving the dining table out by the pool. Near it he situated a credenza for dishes and décor pieces for added ambience. Parra also dressed up the lawn where kids could play croquette. “We entertain a lot,” Nick says. “We enjoy that because we have many spaces with plenty of ways for everyone to have fun. When there’s no crowd, it still works because everything is beautiful. We sit on the bedroom patio in the mornings, enjoy our coffee and look at the mountains. What could be better?” Judith Ratliff, MLA, is a Tucson landscape designer. She can be reached at 577-7391 for comments. Sources: house ’n Garden, www.housengarden.com