Example of a mid-sized transitional built-in desk porcelain tile and brown floor study room design in Other with beige walls and no fireplace

Design ideas for a contemporary side yard landscaping in San Francisco.

Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Small trendy l-shaped porcelain tile and brown floor open concept kitchen photo in DC Metro with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, wood countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, an island, white appliances and brown countertops

Example of a classic u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen design in Portland Maine with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, an island and marble backsplash

Best of Houzz Design Award Winner. The pavilion not only provides a shady respite during the summer months but also a great place to relax by the fire during spring and fall. The pavilion is convenient to the home, the pool and the outdoor kitchen. Landscape design by John Algozzini. Landscape design by John Algozzini. The complete landscape can be seen in our projects, listed as Fun By The Farm.

Eric Rorer
Inspiration for a large mid-century modern partial sun backyard outdoor playset in San Francisco.

Example of a classic light wood floor kitchen design in Omaha with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, gray backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Victoria and Albert tub with custom color on the outside of it.
Example of a trendy bathroom design in Phoenix

Master bathroom featuring freestanding tub, white oak vanity and linen cabinet, large format porcelain tile with a concrete look. Brass fixtures and bronze hardware.

Family room with vaulted ceiling, photo by Nancy Elizabeth Hill
Elegant light wood floor living room photo in New York with beige walls

Sinuous Driveway - Acts as the backbone of the garden. Both the lower and upper garden are bordered by Annabelle Hydrangeas and Zelkovas planted along the asphalt driveway making the driveway recede and emphasizing a garden feel to an otherwise functional space. Photo credit: ROGER FOLEY

POTS & HORIZONTAL BOARD FENCE, BRADANINI
Design ideas for a modern backyard gravel and wood fence landscaping in San Francisco.

Remodel by Ostmo Construction. Photos by Dale Lang of NW Architectural Photography.
Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen idea in Portland with quartz countertops, white backsplash, white cabinets, shaker cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, marble backsplash and an island

Photo of a large modern drought-tolerant and full sun hillside gravel retaining wall landscape in San Francisco.

Example of a mid-sized 1960s u-shaped light wood floor, beige floor and exposed beam kitchen design in Other with a single-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, green backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Succulent wall
Photo of a small contemporary backyard landscaping in Orange County.

A gravel path leads the viewer around the south lawn, unfolding changing views at every turn. -Chauncey Freeman
Photo of a large traditional full sun backyard gravel garden path in Other.

We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

A traditional fireplace and classic white painted mantel in the casual living room. Coastal dark wood floors and white walls throughout this classic interior with white painted ceiling beams.