This is the time we start thinking of transforming our backyards into tranquil oases. The key to doing so lies in seamlessly blending the great outdoors with interior rooms. To keep the two spaces flowing and free of harsh distinctions, a designer must consider all aspects of a home, from its architectural lines and furniture to its amenities, plantings and smallest personal  details.

“If you have a terrace coming off of a living room graced with wood floors, formal furniture and fine fabrics, then the terrace materials ought to complement those,” says Kristopher Dabner, owner of The Greensman, a Kansas City garden design and installation business.

“I have used some great Sunbrella fabrics from the biggest design houses for terrace drapery,” Dabner says. But why stop there? Outdoor-friendly fabrics can also be used to upholster traditionally indoor furniture-a Louis XV settee, for example, or a favorite leather armchair.

Maintaining a smooth transition from interior to exterior also is dependent on the selected vegetation. Ultimately, a client’s personality and intentions for a space are essential in planning, says The Muddy Gardener’s Kevin Yates. “I’ve learned to be fluid [in order] to create environments that the clients like,” he says.

Urban terraces, support drought-tolerant plants that don’t require much water. Perennials, which do not need to be replanted, and durable containers that rarely need to be replaced are other popular and low-maintenance options.

In more suburban areas, garden designers like Bergamot & Ivy in Westport or Lawrence-based Reed Dillon & Associates select well-trimmed plants that draw inspiration from a home’s surrounding architecture and overall aesthetic, further blurring lines and making the space appear larger.

After all, a truly chic terrace looks beyond plant life, taking into consideration the lives of those who spend time there. “When I think of my ideal use for an outdoor space, it involves friends, food and drink, and a feeling of comfort,” says Lauren Moore, a landscape designer with Miller’s Landscaping. “When I picture myself in that type of setting, the inspiration comes naturally.”

Moore says that unique accents-an old metal tub to hold drinks or ice, colorfully patterned cushions or high-quality flooring like cut limestone or flagstone-add personal flair and reflect her clients’ style.

Outdoor Environments Inc. and Portfolio Kitchen & Home focus on similarly “user-centered” design philosophies. Beyond accents and plants, most of these companies’ projects are structural additions to existing homes-from Outdoor Environments’ multi-tiered decks to Portfolio’s outdoor kitchens-so it is important to maintain that “seamless blend” with the architecture already in place.

Outdoor Environments has constructed more than 1,000 decks, arbors, porches and patios throughout the Kansas City metro. Its largest project was a cantilevered deck built over a lake. “The challenge was to place footing piers within the lake surface that would stand the test of time and support a five-level, 3,500-square-foot deck above,” Devuyst says. “We drained the lake by five feet and dug the footings to solid rock. We then raised the piers to three feet above the lake’s high-water line, built a sea wall … and constructed a paver patio area behind the sea wall. [We] built the deck from that point up.”

But even those who don’t own lakefront property can have a water feature: Whether a simple fountain from the sculpture yard at Van Liew’s or a koi pond stocked with plants from Water’s Edge in Lawrence, 50 percent of Dabner’s clients usually end up with some sort of water feature, the designer says.

And there are plenty of options for those who dream even bigger and want to cast a pool in a starring role of their outdoor fantasy.

When it comes to pool design- infinity, or vanishing, edge, which is constructed so that water flows over one side into a catch basin and then recirculated back into the pool; it’s particularly popular in yards situated on hillsides with a beautiful view.

But the infinity edge is starting to give way to a new innovation-the perimeter overflow. With this type of construction, which lends an ultra-luxe atmosphere, the water level in the pool is flush with the edge of the decking. Wet decks and shallow lounging areas are also popular trends. A wet deck gradually slopes from the pool deck into the water, much like a beach, while a shallow lounging area is actually a shelf submerged in 4 to 8 inches of water that is quickly heated by the sun. Perfect for lounging chairs, these areas let less aquatic adults cool off in the pool while supervising their more deeply submerged offspring.

Materials and construction are other keys consideration in pool design. Many local dealers-including Esther Williams Pool & Spa in Olathe and Above & Beyond Pools in the Northland carry pre-fabricated, in-ground pools with vinyl and fiberglass liners. According to the experts at Esther Williams, however, gunite offers a much more elaborate, customized pool design. Reinforced with concrete and plaster, gunite pools are enhanced with tiles, native stone or a pebble-like, decorative concrete aggregate. Glass tiles arranged in elaborate mosaics are especially popular right now; local companies like International Materials of Design can source them in any color, with any kind of detailing or construction-including recycled glass. Even more exciting, recent innovations in aggregates mean that glow-in-the-dark and iridescent pool materials are coming soon.

The final trend in pool construction is an especially appropriate option in the current climate. Shallow lap pools-about 10 meters long by 2.5 meters wide-are winning fans among homeowners who have renounced gym memberships and taken their fitness into their own hands. More economical and easier to maintain due to their smaller size, they can also double as beautiful reflecting pools-especially when due attention is paid to their aesthetics.

And after all, isn’t quiet reflection what having an outdoor terrace, patio or pool is all about? Fortunately, the resources for making that dream of tranquility a reality abound here in Kansas City.

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A few decades can make anything look tired, even a gorgeous pair of French bergeres that were distinctly snazzy several years ago. Who would have imagined that a call to design team Jan Kyle and Doug Wells for help selecting new upholstery fabric would lead to the redecoration of an entire house?

And who would have guessed that the eagle-eyed designers would spot a great rug stored under the grand piano? The rug, a swirl of soft peach, curry, sage green and cream, inspired the silk shantung on the bergeres. Kyle and Wells had the border cut off, making the estate sale find the perfect size for the living room. Its soft palette provides a restful background for a space filled with art.

Whoops! It would be impossible for the existing sofa and the refurbished rug to exist in the same room. The replacement, a decadently comfortable velvet presence with brushed nickel nail heads and a masculine attitude, moved in. A new coffee table, sofa table, lampshades and wall color joined it.

The coffee table, a piece that Kyle and Wells found in Palm Beach, is retro cool. “Brass is back,” Kyle notes, referring to its brass wire frame, which adds a sense of lightness to the room. The sofa table is local vintage, while the lampshades are of-the-moment. The wall color, a soft cream, gives breathing space to the homeowners’ art collection.

A number of Loncasty and Bruffy’s favorite pieces surround the fireplace. Canvases by Agneses Udinotti and Bryan Haynes hang next to works by local artists Kim Casebeer and Alan Chow. Encaustics by Brigitta McReynolds balance the grouping. From the mantle, Bruffy’s collection of miniature figures and a piece by Barbara Doll keep watch on the goings-on below.

All these pieces join together in a happy symphony, overseen by a Steinway piano. Bruffy, artistic director of the Kansas City Chorale, displays the ensemble group’s 2008 Grammy on the piano’s satiny surface.

Looking for a splash of pure color? Look up. Benjamin Moore’s Venetian Gold paint covers the ceiling, washing the room and everyone in it in a flattering peach hue.

But the changes in the living room were only the beginning. The dining room, kitchen and great room followed.

DINING ROOM

The indisputable star of the dining room is a contemporary painting by local artist Brady Legler; its colors informed the choice of paint on the ceiling. Luscious peach velvet covers the black Art Deco chairs purchased from an estate, which, along with a custom-made carpet, cozy up to the homeowners’ existing table. With the judicious addition of black accents, the beloved table holds its own. “A good designer finds solutions,” says Loncasty, the executive director of the Kansas City Chorale. “We were attached to this table, so Jan and Doug found a way to make it work.”

That’s not to say that the homeowners took every suggestion. The bombe chest that greets guests at the door kept its original finish, for example. The still life by Tony LaSalle that hangs above it means there are always flowers in the entryway.

“Jan and Doug respected deal breakers and our budget,” Loncasty says. “They made it simple to work with them.”

To the left of the entry, the leather and chrome on a pair of Wassily chairs anchor more art, including pieces by local artists Gregory Eltringham, Marci Aylward, Tom Corbin and Alan Chow. Added to the mix are canvases by Karl Dahl and Hunt Slonem. A cog lamp, updated with a new shade, casts a golden glow on it all.

“Don and Charles are collectors and had a number of wonderful pieces,” Wells notes. “It’s important to honor the pieces people love and use. We moved things around, refinished an item or two and freshened things up to emphasize their art.”

GREAT ROOM/BREAKFAST NOOK

The great room the design team added an elk hide to the back of a well-loved leather sofa. The two textures complement each other. The great room is also home to a coffee table that once resided in the living room and, of course, more art. The painting above the couch, a piece by Wendy Schwartz, echoes the earthy, warm colors already at play in the room.

Newly installed wallpaper in the breakfast nook reflects those same warm tones, as does the light fixture that hangs above the table. The chandelier, one of Loncasty’s finds at Mission Road Antique Mall, led a pale white existence until Kyle and Wells arranged for a gilded update. Purchased at the Plaza Art Fair, canvases by Cathy Rose and John Whipple add further visual interest to the area.

Loncasty and Bruffy are known for their parties, and their designers made it easier to entertain by cutting shelves into the great room walls. The new storage space holds liquor and glassware.

MASTER BEDROOM

After the party, the master bedroom-a room that Loncasty and Bruffy decorated together over the years-is a serene retreat. The buff-colored, stamped-leather fronts of the antique bombe chests on either side of the simple bed frame add lightness to what can sometimes look like heavy furniture. The painting above the bed is one of the first pieces local artist Joe Gregory ever sold. The carpet, purchased at TK, adds a zing of texture, pattern and visual interest.

Of the project that began with a small request for upholstery, Wells says, “We helped [Charles and Don] mix different metals, textures and decades for a layered look.”

Indeed, layers might just be the theme of the home: something old, something new, something brass, something brushed nickel, local artists, regional artists, and a give and take between homeowners and designers. It’s a collaboration that hits all the right notes.

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