Inside Out

A Maryland property seamlessly blends interior and exterior spaces.

- HEATHER LUSK

The interior of a home often is the star of a design, but on Flat Run Farm, the exterior is as much a focus as the interior. The main home was designed to promote views of the expansive property while ensuring a continual flow between the indoors and outdoors.

"We're known for connecting the indoors to the outdoors no matter what the property's style," says Jim Rill, owner and principal of Rill Architects, who developed the design. "We're always thinking about the house not being just the house, but the entire property."

Jim notes that the indoor areas of the home-a blend of farmhouse and log cabin-flow visually and functionally to the outdoor areas, which include gardens, courtyards and terraces. "You feel connected to the outside when you're indoors, and vice versa," he says.