Yes, and those small enclosed courtyards can sometimes get quite hot.

I would also ask: how would you like to use the space? As an outdoor dining area? Or as a "sitting room?" Do you cook? An herb garden is a lovely idea, but if you live on take-out, doesn't make a lot of sense. Do you even like to garden? Is there a hookup for a hose? I think I see one, but you will definitely need one if you plan on growing anything out there.

There is a hook up for a hose and also water lines for plants. This courtyard is right outside our formal dining room and right outside our kitchen table. So I don't think we would want another table out there. Seems a bit much to me. I actually don't think we would ever sit out there and use it. We use our backyard area because of the pool etc. It would be more to just look pretty through the windows and French doors.

Large pots with plants will be great. Take the photos to a garden center. Your problem will be finding things that will take the heat, and overhead noon sun, but will be in shade most of the day. Miniature citrus trees would be beautiful, smell wonderful when blooming, and give you fresh fruit. You can plant lemon, lime, kumquat, or guava in pots.

Our home is Mediterranean style. Thank you for the photo ideas. :)

Here are more pics of the courtyard and the front of our home.

What state do you live in?

Omg deco enthusiast, that last pic has me drooling!

I'm in California.

I would add a loveseat or bench and two chairs with all the plants suggested to make peaceful spot.

I like the water feature idea surrounded by planting seeds so it can b seen from every angle.

Pic

For a fountain in the center- would I make it as tall as the Windows or taller/shorter?

Definitely needs water

Succulents.

And if you're wild about fruit - one that's suited - maybe?

USDA zones: 9-10 Water requirement: Moderate, more often in hot climates.

Light requirement: Full sun or part shade especially in a container in hottest climates.

Looking out at night, it can look dark and uninviting outside -- I'd invest in an expert in lighting:

Contacting a local landscape designer may be the best thing you can do. He/she will have experience with local plants and will have many ideas for the interior courtyard of your beautiful home.

If it's it's not full sun all day, I would put in some large pots with hydrangeas and/ or topiary box trees. They are easy to maintain and need very little maintenance. Lavender and rosemarie bushes would be nice if it's really sunny, and a tall, nicely shaped tree to give it all some height. Olive perhaps...........

PS: .......... And of course a little round table and a couple of chairs to finish it off.

I would need to seek professional advice for this courtyard, so don't have much to add except that it needs some softening up.

But what I wanted to say was how cool to have such a thing! I have always wanted a courtyard in the middle of my house!! Beautiful! Have fun with it and enjoy it!

I have something similar at my house and I absolutely love how it creates additional living space outdoors and looks pretty from inside the house. I've attached some photo's of what ours looks like. You can see some of these photos were before I finished the space (added the outdoor area rug last and it really pulled it together). Good luck creating your own oasis!

I probably don't need to even say this, but keep it simple, clean and unclutered. If you get too much "stuff" of any kind out there it will not only be a visual distraction but need constant maintenance. What about making the floor a feature somehow, like with polished concrete or beautiful tile. Maybe once you have that, the ideal solution will be more clear. Perhaps an in floor fountain, with lights for night would be nice.

Hi! What a feature to have in your home. First I would add several very tall trees in pots to provide shade and block the sun, definitely a water feature to cool and add humidity and mist, then possibly some sort of wood platform to walk on so it is cooler and dirt can fall through. Then just lift up and vacuum away. The rest will come to you. Add the trees first. They will change everything and you may not need as many plants.

oh my god, I am SO so jealous of your courtyard!! I would use it to create a 'chill out' space. just add seating {with chairs facing each other} over a patterned outdoor rug, and some plants. if you like a moroccan vibe, do a search for "riad"- hope this helps! ☻

Another element in designing a water feature is acoustics! If you enjoy the sound of a gentle water feature, it will enhance the ambiance in all the rooms that open to it. It adds another dimension to the peaceful sanctuary of home, and can be especially inviting when entertaining "Mediterranean style."

I agree with some of the above comments about incorporating a water feature. A fountain would bring so much harmony and add a fantastic detail to your courtyard. We have hundreds of fabulous options at Outdoor Fountain Pros. We also offer free shipping and no sales tax within the US. Here are a few options I think would look amazing:

Pergola!!! And some big pots with vines and flowers to creep up and give you calming shade. These mid-house courtyards can drain focus and, I hesitate to say, "energy" if they are not incorporated somehow into the flow of family life. Places to sit and be private but still a part of the house. A great chaise lounge, a deep chair and a small table between for drinks. It makes me smile.

The architecture is rather complex and varied, so I'd go with the advice above to keep it simple. A few very large pots with very large plants (suited to your climate) and placed against the blank spaces between windows would give dappled shade and visual softness. Do it in stages; start with these before adding anything else. Consider them a starting place, add other things, if any, gradually.

A temporary low-budget solution for night lighting is white twinkle lights hidden in the branches. A cliche, perhaps, but not noticeable by day, charming at night, cheap, until the mature identity of the space emerges and you know how more expensive light installations will look. Your hardware store owner can pull them out of deep storage at any time of year.

The enclosing walls will trap and amplify sound, so beware of too loud a fountain that may drive you crazy. A simple wall fountain with a single dribble would be adequate, as well as a visual focal point. Or-- given the asymmetry of the space -- perhaps a free-standing one of the birdbath-style and scale.

Above all, take your time, consider it a fun project rather than a nightmare chore, and you'll have great results eventually!

You have a lovely home! Congratulations! The courtyard has great potential too!

Since you mentioned that the courtyard is completely closed in. I'm taking from that there isn't any gate or opening to the yard? It must be accessed from inside your house, right?

I'm also going to guess that you'll have gardeners and pool service? Whether it's a weekly gardener or someone in your family that does the yard work, please take this into consideration with all of your planting and future gardening needs for this courtyard. Any tools, fertilizer, etc. will need to be brought into/through your house for maintenance. If you do have gardeners, will you be home to let them into the courtyard to trim and maintain plants? They'll have to haul out any trimmings, etc.

Very low maintenance plants, water feature and landscape options would be best :)

Omg, I would love to have a courtyard in the middle of my house, what a fantastic space.

First and foremost, you need furniture. I would put down an area rug and then create a seating arrangement. Plants, plants, plants. An umbrella if you need it. And I think a water feature would be lovely. I would create some type of "shelving" (maybe a free standing wrought iron piece or maybe rustic wood on the walls) so that you can have decorative pieces displayed. And of course lighting for enjoying it in the evenings along with your outdoor candles.

Good point Lisa Williams re tending an interior garden. I don't think it's that complicated and hardly needs a pro to suggest plants. If you think of Greece or Italy or Israel where similar climates and courtyards are common, they all plant herbs, geraniums and bougainvillaea, because they bloom for a long time, work in hot, dry places and thrive in pots. Keep the pots similar in style and it will look great and not cost you much. And if you don't like it you can change it!

The outside of your home has too much "tan on tan." To make it more fun & cheerful it need a touch of complimentary contrast.

*paint the doors & window frames medium brown. Don't go too dark or it will clash against the house & roof colors.

*If you have an electrical outlet, twinkle lights on a timer are a whimsical & cost efficient choice. You want the courtyard to be appealing both day & night.

*Plants that have medium green leaves & flowers in colors such as pink, purple, red, orange, vibrant yellow. Don't buy anything too pale or it will get washed into the house colors.

*Pots for plants; stay away from light tan pots, because it would be over saturation as the walls already have that color. Also avoid black pots, the contrast would be too harsh.

***Always research the plants. Vines & trees are a great suggestion. However some vines are invasive & will destroy surroundings.

Be careful in tree choices as roots can destroy concrete. Some decorative "bushes" at the nursery are actually baby trees! As they grow the roots will lift the foundation of your home.

I live in the central valley & its too hot for succulents. The are drought tolerent, but NOT HEAT tolerant. More suited for the bay area.

have I already mentioned how lucky you are to have that?! what I forgot to mention is the colors- I would reverse them. we have a Mediterranean home that was tan when we bought it and one of the first things I did was have it painted white with a light tan trim. not sure how well my photos show it, but the difference is day and night.

here it is tan

here it is in white

lastly, I would paint the doors and anything that's currently the darker tan color black. you can kind of see how beautiful the contrast of black is with the white here, which shows our gate...

I would cover the entire area in white river rocks and in the middle do a water feature, I really liked the large tall vases, (in a natural or really bright color) that had fountains 3 in the center in a line. Finally for easy access back and forth a steady path stepping stones square. Virtually maintenance free~ the rocks bring in a filtered bright light during the day. A visual day and night with the fountains and easy access back and forth if needed. oh and a low/uplights for evening.

tall cactus for plants. ok now I'm done~

I would forego the water feature unless you want something to have to clean out all the time. It would look nice to have some very large, about 3 ft tall glazed pots with weeping fig trees in them through the middle of the courtyard. Maybe 2 of them and let them get big!! Also some European fan palms in large pots would look great. Then smaller pots that go well with larger ones with
Flowering plants like bougainvillea or dwarf roses. They bloom constantly!!! And maybe an iron or bronze console table against the wall
With succulents in pots.

These pots from authenticprovence.com are very nice and come in so many colors and sizes .

They will last forever.

I love everyone's ideas! Thank you so much. So, on the walls that flank the window (attached picture) I have decided to (with consult of local nursery) to do white bougainvillea up the trellis' in rectangle planters and some fill/spill plants around the base of the bougainvillea. Here is my problem- I CAN'T FIND ANY BROWN RECTANGLE PLANTERS! Who knew those would be so hard to find?!?!? I found a couple that where modern style, which doesn't work with our Mediterranean style home. Any suggestions?

Look on the website I mentioned. They have square ones in all colors. And all materials.

They have rectangular ones also. Then check out Al's garden art also.

Nice planters with lemon

Looks like a beautiful place to entertain. I might pick-up another wine barrel, add a wood surface, and use it as either a buffet or bar. Find your inspiration piece and go from there. Best of luck - beautiful home.

What kind of plants you use likely depends upon your geographic location / weather.

This trellis design includes wheels for moving it about for convenient placing and/or cleaning. To decide how large to make the planters and trellis, first find a rectangle shaped plastic planter that will line the wood box. You could choose a vine or something that would grow tall -- indoor plants, such as snake plant suitable outdoors for warm summer months wouldn't withstand cold winter months outdoors so you might consider shrubs suitable for your area instead..

http://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/1df19b130d67077c_4-5213/traditional-outdoor-pots-and-planters.jpg

Lucky you to have such a lovely, little courtyard.

I agree with Marco about the sound of the fountain. Personally, as lovely as a fountain is, I find that the constant sound of flowing water gets on my nerves. It could also prevent you from hearing what is going on in the house; people trying to talk to you from another room, music playing, your cell ringing, a baby crying etc... As absolutely beautiful as a fountain is, you really need to consider the effect of constant 'white noise'.

I would add that one should consider the different levels of the space; floor, the space between the floor and eye level and then above that...which includes walls. I love the idea of a decorative (Moroccan?) tile floor, fruit trees, groupings of plants in beautiful, large pots, vines (a Bougainvillia?) and maybe a small pool with or without fish with moving water (no swamps please); not so deep that it could be a hazard for children though. Two feet high would be idea so you won't fear falling into it and yet you can sit on the edge of it.

There should be a focal point such as a sculpture such as a cherub (that won't topple over if pushed by a child), a pool, a wall sconce...or since you don't want to actually spend time out there, you might still want to consider a simple wrought iron bistro set. It looks inviting and who knows, you might enjoy having morning coffee out there on occasion.

Painting the walls could make the space seem more intimate and easier on the eyes than stark white.

Providing trees, vines that will grow to provide colourful flowers and a dappled effect will make the space really lovely from every room.

A lighting specialist is a good idea proposed above

I think if you have ideas that you take to a planner, your taste can be infused into the space. . Personally, I would enjoy the creative process and the feeling of having created it myself.

ENJOY the process and the end result.

Sounds beautiful! I would recommend NO fish; they become another responsibility to feed, etc. when you go on vacation or even on a day to day basis. My husband built a water feature and we put in 3 little gold fish from Walmart that we paid 38 cents each for. They've grown to 10x their size and now we have to worry about having someone feed them when we go on vacation. They're nice to watch, but that $1.50 investment has cost us much more than we bargained for!

Here are some pics of our courtyard. Z

https://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/category/collections.jsp?categoryId=cat3870175

http://www.phoenixprecastproducts.com/outdoor-precast-planters.html

Dazymazy I don't see any pictures. Did you forget to post them?