"The Garden Is Never a Separate Project to a Japanese Home" — Here's Why, and What to Learn About Indoor Outdoor Design for Your Own Space

A courtyard garden with two trees, a mossy ground cover and a rock with a vide of a Japanese living room.

The one trait tied to Zen Japanese gardens designed around soothing interior spaces is their effortless extension. Unlike many Western homes where the garden is boundaried in a way that feels distinct from its interior counterpart, Japanese homes blur the lines almost seamlessly. And that's simply because "the garden is not a separate project," says designer Yoko Kloeden.

Typically, Japanese garden ideas are drawn up right alongside the moodboards for indoor spaces. This way, the two zones weave into each other without fighting to feel out of bounds from each other.