The Outdoor Room

Jamie started in the eternal city, Rome, and then travelled through Lazio and Umbria. Five ideas • Spillover plants • Water feature • Parterre patterns • Terra cotta • Pizza oven In Italy, outdoor living is part of every day life, after all, that's where we get the term 'al fresco' from and this is exactly what Jamie saw all over bella Italia!

Jamie visited London, Windsor and The Cotswolds. Five ideas • Arbour • The secret garden • Funky flower pots • Plants as screens • Knot garden The English are passionate about their gardening and enjoy making the most of their outdoor areas – with both the shared public parks as well as the private and secret gardens that are typically found in London's boroughs. Tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Notting Hill is Stanley Crescent Garden, shared by a lucky group of residents who all have a key to this beautiful garden. The garden is enjoyed my all the locals and features some classic English garden traits including a traditional arbour.

Robyn and Joe Holland from Melbourne love safari style. Their backyard shed is packed with Joe's collection of African animal carvings and he's still on the hunt for a rhino. So it's off on an African safari for Jamie to bag ideas for this garden makeover. Stacked stones, water-wise plants and mud brick walls bring Africa home from the savannah and into this suburban backyard. Victoria's own African chef, Johnson Njuguna barbecues the perfect dish to go with a Friday night beer, Nyama Choma, meat with polenta and salsa.

John and Helene have a big family, and their back yard has been overtaken by playground equipment. They have been providing so much for their kids, that they have neglected to find a space for themselves. That is about to change. Jamie recalls a trip he had to England recently, and feels it is the perfect inspiration for the homeowners back yard. A visit to Sir Elton John's garden inspires screens of green fabric in the likeness of tall and tapered hedges. Birdcages in the marketplaces of London are turned into a unique way to showcase traditional English flowers. A white washed deck provides a space for the homeowners to enjoy a spot of tea, while a traditional English arbor provides shade for the new dining area. An enormous hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace becomes the template for a smaller version to create a sense of wonder for the entire family to enjoy over and over again in their newly designed Outdoor Room.

Maria and Blair have owned their home in Sherman Oaks, California for nearly seven years and they have completely neglected to garden or decorate the landscape of their backyard. They have very eclectic tastes, are well travelled across Asia and would like their backyard to reflect a specific style already established inside their home. In addition, they have recently adopted a two-year old boy named Nam who will also require enough space left to play. Jamie's recent trip to India provides the inspiration for what will deliver the perfect design for Maria, Blair and Nam's backyard. A raised, rectangular-shaped swimming pool surrounded by marble tiles and over 150 marigold plants are the first steps to establish a serene, sanctuary feel which Jamie believes the homeowners will appreciate. A series of wood carved Mughal arches surrounding another raised deck with a dining table and a floating daybed sits just beyond the pool to provide the homeowners with the perfect environment for entertaining guests or simply to relax in. And yet, the yard has just enough space leftover for Nam to play while being protected by a nearly invisible, childproof pool fence in this India inspired Outdoor Room.

Alex and Gloria love hosting parties and cooking outdoors, but are too busy with their hectic work schedules to even think about working on their tiny backyard. They want a space where they can cook and invite people over, without their backyard feeling too cramped. Jamie has recently taken a trip to Egypt, which has inspired him to create a tropical oasis for Alex and Gloria's backyard. A water feature runs through the middle of their new backyard, replicating the water channels that run through the city of Cairo. Earthy toned fabric adorns a trellis, to replicate the neutral color palate of the desert. Egyptian papyrus and palm trees surround the yard give the yard with shade, while the back wall of concrete blocks creates the sense of repetition seen in Egypt. A dining area and barbeque complete the look of their newly designed Outdoor Room.

Nick, Anna and their son Miles, of Eagle Rock, California; have a rotting, wooden deck with no organic connection to the rest of their dirt-covered back yard. They are an artistic family who love to garden and practice eco-friendly habits. Jamie takes it upon himself to visit the city of San Francisco to draw inspiration for a new design in Nick, Anna & Miles' backyard to better reflect their personalities and tastes. Seven grass-covered dirt mounds are planted randomly throughout the yard to reflect the seven surrounding hills of San Francisco. The hills are accompanied by gabion, rock pathways to help prevent erosion. Bright, vivid colors are randomly painted on several posts, windowsills, a new play shed and the spiral staircase to help mirror the diverse colored homes in the streets of San Francisco. In addition to these elements, Jamie and his design team each contribute their own personal art sculpture to top off this San Francisco inspired Outdoor Room.

Rob and Rosie want to make their outdoor courtyard more livable for themselves and their 3 year old daughter Raina. But with Rob recently losing his job, and then his sister and Uncle to cancer, the backyard has been an afterthought. They would like a space where their daughter can ride her bike around and play, and room for them to entertain without their space feeling like it is just a pile of dirt. Jamie feels that their courtyard style backyard is something similar to what is popular in Puerto Rico, so he decides to go to San Juan to get some inspiration. The vibrant colors and plants that adorn the walls of the homes in Puerto Rico surround the walls of the family's new courtyard. Traditional turned wooden spindles that adorned the windows of the homes in Puerto Rico now break up the bright colors of the walls. A wooden shade covers the family's new dining table, and there is a new bike path for the 3 year old Raina to ride around. A deck built around their hot tub creates the newly renovated look of the family's urban oasis.

Kevin, Gina and their son Gunnar, of Van Nuys, California; are afflicted with severe privacy issues in their backyard. Initially, they bought the home based on a beautiful tree located in the center of it all. Jamie discovers a common theme between the tree, some cobblestone and a plastic moose head; which in turn, sends him off to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to find inspiration for this new outdoor room. An intricate, wood-carved pavilion with massive stone pillars embrace the winter lodge motif discovered in Jackson Hole. Conversational benches are strategically placed in front of the pavilion, while forest-themed plants and cobblestones are incorporated into the woodwork. A state of the art hot tub is installed into a pre-existing spa / bar area. And even little Gunnar is thrilled to find a mini-fort tucked inside this Jackson Hole inspired Outdoor Room.