Dream Time: The Romance of Sleeping Outdoors

Sleeping outside has deep roots—cowboy bedrolls, camping traditions, and the sleeping porches of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (Sunset covered them in 1915). Today, open-air platforms offer daytime catnaps or full nights under stars.

Garden Sanctuary: A Teahouse in Mill Valley

Marni Leis built her childhood dream—a 6-by-13-foot screened "teahouse" on a wooden platform near a pond. Gauzy curtains frame the entrance; a shallow gabled roof of translucent fiberglass shelters without blocking light. Furnished with a flea-market chair, old coffee table, and antique daybed in washable fabrics, the space feels nostalgic. "You feel like you could be in another time or place. It's great to get outside away from the noise and be alone with nature."

DESIGN: Marni Leis Design, Mill Valley, CA (415/381-0859)