How to Create Outdoor Living Rooms

With its narrow brick streets and houses tucked between quaint shops, the historic German Village district of Columbus isn't known for elbow room. To Tim Straker, that's part of the charm. "When you live here, you don't have a big lawn to take care of," he says, "but you can have a nice garden and terrace."

Pictured: Annabelle hydrangeas against a brown fence offer a pretty background for the U-shape living room's seating and fire pit.