The Cambridge Blog

At Cambridge Homes, we believe that attractive & comfortable outdoor living spaces contribute greatly to the graciousness of living in our luxury patio homes.  Designing an outdoor living area that “lives” well and creates pleasing views from inside the home can be both challenging and fun.  What one needs is INSPIRATION.

Here’s one of the places where I find mine:

Since the first time I saw it, one of my favorite paintings has been The Open Window by Henri Matisse.

I think often of this painting and believe it has much to teach - especially when planning an outdoor living space.  Among the lessons it has taught me are these:

1. CONTINUITY of COLOR
2. Windows as “PICTURE FRAMES”
3. The Importance of MOTION/MOVEMENT/ANIMATION
4. Soften with VEGETATION

Let me elaborate on each:

One of the things I love most about this painting is the use of similar colors in both the room in which we, the viewers, “stand”, and in the view beyond the window.  This CONTINUITY of COLOR brings the outdoors in and the indoors out, tying the two together in a very pleasing way.

  

Another profound lesson of the painting is the use of the window as a “FRAME” for the view beyond.  When planning your courtyard, think of each window and door as the “FRAME” for your view from inside your home.  The brick wall of your neighbor’s home provides a handsome canvass on which to create the picture.  Consider attaching attractive and unusual items to the wall to create visual interest.

                               

Even though the painting itself is static, one experiences a feeling of MOTION in the view - the sailboats on the water beyond appear to be bobbing on their moorings.  Including motion within the view from your window will contribute as much appeal to your composition as it does to Matisse’s.  There are two especially effective ways to create motion in your courtyard.  One is to attract “wildlife” to your patio.  Monarch Butterflies and Hummingbirds are delightful, animated additions to your courtyard that add movement and interest, as well as excitement and fun.  Brightly colored, flat-topped flowers attract a variety of butterflies, and Hummingbirds as well.

       

Because it engages the senses in multiple ways, another effective way to create MOTION is with moving water.  Visually, the sparkle of the sun’s reflection on the water adds a subtle excitement to the experience, and the sound of moving water is soothing and refreshing.

Even though the prominent view from the Matisse’s window is of water, you’ll notice that VEGETATION, in the form of flower pots on the window sill and vines growing around the window itself, contribute to the attractiveness of the view.  As in the painting, vegetation in our courtyards helps “soften” the outdoor space in much the same way that draperies around a window help soften an indoor space.       

Because the view from  Matisse’s window is high above the ground, no beach is visible.  If the window had been lower, Matisse probably would have included interesting stones and boulders on his beach, since strategically placed rocks and boulders can add a great deal of interest, as evidenced in the photos below.

I hope this little tutorial from a painting by one of the world’s great artists is helpful as you plan and implement your own outdoor living space and the “view” of that space from the windows of your home.  Undoubtedly there are other lessons to be learned from Mattise’s painting, and I’d love to hear what you discover.

For more information about attracting butterflies and birds to your garden, refer to the following websites:

The National Wildlife Federation - www.nwf.org

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas in Austin - www.wildflower.org