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My Houzz: Neil Patrick Harris Gives His Brother a New Backyard

The actor works with designers to create an inviting deck and pollinator garden, as well as a renovated family room

Mitchell Parker March 12, 2019

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.

Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More

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Actor Neil Patrick Harris always looked up to his older brother, Brian, while growing up in New Mexico. “Considering I was the annoying, performing younger brother, he was kind to me and let me follow around on all of his adventures,” Harris says. “And I really appreciated that.”

Harris — whose television roles have included Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother and the eponymous teenage doctor on Doogie Howser, M.D., and who was host of the 2015 Academy Awards — recently showed his appreciation for his brother by surprising him with a major makeover to his backyard and family room in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

My Houzz: Neil Patrick Harris Gives Big Brother a New Backyard

Actor Neil Patrick Harris stands in front of brother Brian’s home. He renovated the family room and backyard. Photos by Kelli Kroneberger

Project at a Glance
Who lives here: Brian Harris, a solutions manager and the older brother of actor Neil Patrick Harris, and Sacheen Naddy, a pediatric nurse practitioner
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Size: Backyard of 3,550 square feet (330 square meters) and family room of 420 square feet (39 square meters)
Designers: Solange Serquis (landscape architecture) and Lisa Samuel (interior design)

Watch now: See Neil Patrick Harris surprise his brother with a new family room and backyard

Before Photo

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

The Backyard

Before: Brian bought his house many years ago and made some improvements, but the backyard and family room, which is through the sliding glass door at the end of the patio, were mostly ignored.

The yard is large, about 3,550 square feet, but it wasn’t in great shape. A cracked concrete slab led to mostly dirt, rocks and overgrown weeds — not exactly something that inspired Brian and his girlfriend, Sacheen Naddy, who lives with him, to spend much time outside.

Samuel Design Group

After: For help making over his brother’s backyard and family room, Neil searched Houzz for professionals in the Albuquerque area and found interior designer Lisa Samuel, who brought on landscape architect Solange Serquis.

Serquis transformed the backyard by adding a 650-square-foot deck and a custom freestanding steel pergola inspired by a photo she saw on Houzz. “The backyard is absolutely phenomenal,” Neil says. “It feels like you’re in some sort of public park.”

Ebsen outdoor side chair: Safavieh; Modesto outdoor planters in Neptune Blue, various sizes: Mayne; braided willow fence panels on pergola: Master Garden Products; outdoor dimmable LED string lights: Affordable Quality Lighting; stainless steel cooler: Trinity

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Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

Serquis and Samuel worked together to divide the deck into zones for lounging, dining and cooking. “I always thought about having a small deck, but this is like three rooms,” Brian says.

Serquis selected native wildflowers and drought-tolerant plants that would attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and she even set up a small beehive in the yard, something Brian had always wanted. Serquis talked with neighbors and noted various plants in the neighborhood to make sure that the bees could travel and pollinate. “You need all these conditions,” she says.

Outdoor kitchen cart and beverage center with fridge and sink: Leisure Season; flat hose reel with nozzle: Mintcraft

Watch now: See Brian Harris’ shocked reaction to his new backyard

Before Photo

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

Before: The cracked concrete patio sat about 6 inches below the sliding glass door, creating an awkward entry and exit experience from the family room.

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

After: Serquis built the deck right on top of the concrete patio. The deck now sits almost flush with the bottom of a new sliding glass door.

Serquis planted fast-growing grapevines near the pergola columns to eventually grow and cover the frame. In the meantime, woven panels provide shade.

Natural wood window box planter with zinc liner: CYS Excel

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

A concrete fire feature cozies up the lounge area.

Trek Beach sofa in gray and beige: Zuo Modern Contemporary; weathered cloche set: Stonebriar Collection; white clay planters: Kalalou

Shop for products from this project

Samuel Design Group

Here you can see the zones for lounging in the foreground, dining in the middle and cooking at the far end. “I was hoping that it would be nicer than it was, but I never dreamed that it could be this nice,” Brian says.

Prestige 500 propane grill: Napoleon; Calistoga tall rectangular planter in black: Root and Stock

Before Photo

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

Before: When Serquis first saw the condition of the backyard, she wasn’t sure what to think. “There were rocks and weeds — some weeds that got so large, they turned into trees. I don’t know what you call them,” she says.

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

After: An existing cottonwood on the right provides good shade for the yard. Serquis added plantings, mulch, and rock and water features to create a more pleasant experience. Small trees will grow to provide more shade and intimacy.

Watch now: See more of this amazing backyard makeover

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

Serquis added a greenhouse so that Brian can start seedlings and grow plants year-round.

Evelyn potting table in gray: Esschert Design USA; decorative metal garden bucket with wood handle: Home Garden Collections

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

This landscape layout plan shows the arrangement of the deck.

Serquis + Associates Landscape Architecture

This layout plan shows the details of the yard. The curved orange line marks the separation between the mulched area and the wildflower area. The storage shed is on the left, and the greenhouse is the partial blue square at the bottom right.

Before Photo

Samuel Design Group

The Family Room

Before: The family room didn’t have adequate heating or cooling, so it was being used mostly for storage overflow. “It feels like a room that you put stuff in when you’re not sure where it goes,” Neil says.

Samuel Design Group

After: To make the room more comfortable, Samuel first added a mini split unit on the wall to the left to provide adequate heating and cooling, and then added a double-glazed window and a better insulated door to regulate the temperature. “After that, I said, ‘OK, now we have a good foundation to make the room enjoyable,’” she says.

Samuel had conversations with Neil and looked elsewhere in the home to get a sense of Brian’s style. “I knew he had a global vision in his taste, that his taste was eclectic, that he liked the unexpected and his favorite color was cobalt blue,” she says. She used these notions to guide her decisions for furniture, color and style.

Jack tuxedo armchair in navy blue: Jennifer Taylor Home; entertainment console: Hooker Furniture; Nikola table lamp and Anthea table lamp: Bassett Mirror; Leon throw blanket in blue: Five Queens Court; bulb planter in gray and white: Sagebrook Home

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Before Photo

Samuel Design Group

Before: Looking toward the sliding door that leads to the backyard, you can see how the old brick wall and fireplace dominated the room. On the left, a doorway, which included a long-broken door, didn’t offer a lot of connection to the kitchen.

Samuel Design Group

After: Samuel removed the wall and replaced it with wood slats for some connection but also privacy. “You can still have a conversation, and you don’t necessarily see the kitchen clutter,” she says.

Before Photo

Samuel Design Group

Before: Samuel knew that the aged and soot-covered brick had to go. Here you can see the broken door on the left and the temporary sheet replacement.

Samuel Design Group

After: Samuel updated the fireplace wall with gray porcelain tile and blue recycled glass tile from Spain.

Glass tile in blue: Vidrepur; Loft series glazed porcelain tile in Gris: Wallandtile; “Tangled” sculpture in gold: Moe’s Home Collection; Rowan iron vase: Imax Worldwide Home; concrete geometric planters: Anson Design

Samuel Design Group

New furniture creates a comfortable and inviting lounge area for watching TV.

“Neil has been the most wonderful brother that you could be lucky enough to be born with,” Brian says. “For him to give this to me, I’m just so excited.”

Faceted wood coffee table and abstract gold-and-black art: Uttermost; abstract pillows: The Oliver Gal Artist Co.

Watch now: See how Neil Patrick Harris worked with designers to give his brother this renovation

Get the look: Shop for products from this makeover

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