Courtyard Magic

I am obsessed with courtyards. It's always something I'll return to. I'm continually surprised by how rare they are.

The first time I viscerally experienced the magic of a courtyard was on a trip to New Orleans for Jazz Fest in 2010.

A group of friends and I drove down. Jazz Fest is a very "chill" music festival. It's daytime hours, 11am-7pm, there's no overly aggressive music, and it has outrageously good festival food.

A typical day:

Anita Baker wraps a set with her velvety strength, you casually grab an Alligator Sausage Po Boy or Crawfish Etoufee before strolling over to watch The Meters set. Maybe snack on a quick Muffaletta or Pecan Catfish Meuniere, then pop over to the Blind Boys of Alabama.

The best part? You are wrapped by 7pm and are blessed to be only a 10 minute taxi from the French Quarter.

And the French Quarter is where I discovered my love of courtyards. It's by no means perfect, it has it's warts that all overly touristed places have with heavy emphasis on booze.

But there are gorgeous centuries old brick buildings that enclose courtyards surrounding fountains and wrought iron furniture and jazz trios or brass bands. And more remarkable food.

There is something otherworldly and enchanting here. The pictures don't do it justice. It's a palpable vibe you must experience in the flesh. I remember feeling it so strongly in my bones the first time. I couldn't believe this was a real place.

Years later, two East Nashville establishments come to mind as well. If you asked a local here to name a neighborhood bar that is a "smashing success," they would undoubtedly say Rosemary or Urban Cowboy.

Both are built around courtyards. Both are spilling over with people and their dollars on the weekend. They come from all over the city.

The enchantment is real. The combination of slightly humid air, low lighting of trees and plants. Enclosure, brick or gravel underfoot, and curated iron furniture creates a sense of possibility, mystery and optimism that is unmatched by the indoors.

As a designer, and as someone who is a complete nerd for the aesthetics of spaces, this is such a hack. A direct shortcut to what people crave, from India to Barcelona to Mexico City.

So what is it about courtyards that is so wonderful?

Although this poor horse is long dead and about as flat as a sheet of paper by now, I'll once more take the worn switch to Black Beauty by saying: Enclosure.

Security and privacy but still outdoors. We want to feel safe. We want to feel boundaries. We desire to be "nestled." Courtyards check all those boxes.

Biophilia. You like being in the woods. You like sitting under a tree. But you don't have any large plants in your house. Let's get consistent here. Courtyards allow us to be enveloped in the richness of nature, returning us to our roots. You cannot compete with God on design, you can only cooperate.

Multi Sensory. The sounds of the outdoors, birds, tree branches rustling, the trickle of a fountain, the crunch of gravel. The play of shadow and light as you weave through. The feel of the breeze on your face. The smell of the flowers. Music.

Surprise. One moment you are standing in front of the facade of a large building on a sidewalk. 15 seconds later, you are transported through a portal into a highly curated fully immersive oasis, hidden from the street. It's unexpected and it's magic.

Framed View. Because of the walls, and the gates and the arches and the trees, everywhere you look in a courtyard is a "framed view." I realized years ago that every interior photo looks better when it's framed, often by branches of a plant or tree. Courtyards do this when you look through them and they do this when you look up at the sky.

So, if you happen to be working on your home, or a short term rental, or restaurant park development, incorporating the elements of a courtyard couldn't possibly hurt. Embrace the ultimate hidden gem and curate the oasis.

Often overlooked in modern spaces, the magic is still real today. You just have to build a place for it to thrive.