Landscape Design
3 Outdoor Retreats Designed for Comfort and Accessibility
Thoughtful details and aging-in-place features make these outdoor spaces more livable, functional and inviting
A yard that’s easy to navigate and maintain, or that checks boxes to make the golden years truly shine, is a true gift to the body, mind and spirit. So designers created these three outdoor retreats with the homeowners’ specific comfort requests in mind, such as an accessible pathway and reachable plant beds. One even has a special feature that’s tailor-made for celebrating the “back nine” of life. Have a look and let us know in the Comments if any inspire you to boost comfort and ease in your own backyard.
The resin-bound gravel path features gray block pavers that signal a gentle slope while leading past fragrant lavender and catmint and bright orange blossoms to a fire pit area with a bench. Facing west, this spot is ideal for watching the sun set.
The hedge at the back, made up of mixed natives, was existing and borders arable land. A trio of multistemmed silver birch trees, two of which were already there, completes the picture.
The hedge at the back, made up of mixed natives, was existing and borders arable land. A trio of multistemmed silver birch trees, two of which were already there, completes the picture.
Flush with the path and the home’s interior, the patio has generous circulation space and smooth porcelain tiles, with composite decking closer to the house. Dropped planting beds add color and interest without blocking the view of the greater landscape. And toward the back left, a swing set in the shade keeps the homeowners’ 6-year-old daughter and her cousins entertained while in view of the parents.
Read more about this yard
Read more about this yard
Photos by Agnieszka Jakubowicz Photography
2. Aging Gracefully
Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two young boys
Location: Los Altos, California
Architect: Kendra Rosenberg of KNR Design Studio
Contractor: Changras & Frey Construction
One of the homeowners grew up in this Northern California ranch house, and now she and her husband live here with their two young sons. To make it their own, they brought on designer Kendra Rosenberg for a down-to-the-studs whole-home and yard renovation — one that would support indoor-outdoor living and allow them to age in place comfortably after their boys have grown.
Seen here is the new front porch, designed for rocking away the afternoons. Cedar shingles for the siding and walnut slab for the front door bring rich natural beauty to the backdrop, set off by fresh white trim and porch posts. The patio surface is Connecticut bluestone, offering cool contrast. And just inside the two new windows is a bench that the homeowners’ two dogs can perch on to keep a lookout.
10 Tips for Creating a Garden for Aging in Place
2. Aging Gracefully
Porch at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two young boys
Location: Los Altos, California
Architect: Kendra Rosenberg of KNR Design Studio
Contractor: Changras & Frey Construction
One of the homeowners grew up in this Northern California ranch house, and now she and her husband live here with their two young sons. To make it their own, they brought on designer Kendra Rosenberg for a down-to-the-studs whole-home and yard renovation — one that would support indoor-outdoor living and allow them to age in place comfortably after their boys have grown.
Seen here is the new front porch, designed for rocking away the afternoons. Cedar shingles for the siding and walnut slab for the front door bring rich natural beauty to the backdrop, set off by fresh white trim and porch posts. The patio surface is Connecticut bluestone, offering cool contrast. And just inside the two new windows is a bench that the homeowners’ two dogs can perch on to keep a lookout.
10 Tips for Creating a Garden for Aging in Place
At the back of the house are three spots for lounging around and entertaining in comfort: a porch with motorized screens, a pergola-covered dining zone and a small seating area. Plus, the backyard holds one of the husband’s dream features: a putting green. A sand trap adds to the realistic effect.
Rosenberg worked closely with contractors John Changras and Walter Frey on the screened-in back porch, a structurally complicated project that was key to the indoor-outdoor magic. The motorized screens are hidden in soffits and can be controlled via a wall switch or a remote; they fully enclose two sides for pest-free open-air enjoyment.
The porch has three skylights to help light make its way into the home’s interior. Between the porch and the living room, custom-made doors without posts slide and stack into recesses in the walls, so they disappear and create a smooth threshold when open.
Read more about this porch and yard
The porch has three skylights to help light make its way into the home’s interior. Between the porch and the living room, custom-made doors without posts slide and stack into recesses in the walls, so they disappear and create a smooth threshold when open.
Read more about this porch and yard
Photos by Tom Howard
3. Leveling Up
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Twickenham district of London
Size: About 378 square feet (35 square meters)
Designer: Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
Back issues prevent this London homeowner from being able to tend to ground-level plantings, so for her backyard, landscape designer Tom Howard built in planting beds at three heights: 16, 24 and 31 inches. The plants are fairly low-maintenance too; they include pruned holly (Ilex sp.) balls, ferns, different types of sedge, grasses and birch trees. Just out of frame, herbs grow in frost-resistant planters closer to the house.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
3. Leveling Up
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: A woman
Location: Twickenham district of London
Size: About 378 square feet (35 square meters)
Designer: Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping
Back issues prevent this London homeowner from being able to tend to ground-level plantings, so for her backyard, landscape designer Tom Howard built in planting beds at three heights: 16, 24 and 31 inches. The plants are fairly low-maintenance too; they include pruned holly (Ilex sp.) balls, ferns, different types of sedge, grasses and birch trees. Just out of frame, herbs grow in frost-resistant planters closer to the house.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
The pavers are low-upkeep porcelain in Pierre Blue from London Stone, broken up by 10-millimeter white limestone gravel. A built-in bench that’s easy to slide onto curls around a fire bowl, offering a spot for socializing, and the homeowner added a hanging chair to the decked area after these photos were taken.
Howard also included a storage cabinet; it holds outdoor cushions to make the bench even comfier and to keep wood for the fire bowl and pruning shears for the plants handy.
Read more about this yard
Your turn: Have you incorporated any outdoor features that enhance ease? Let us know in the Comments!
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Howard also included a storage cabinet; it holds outdoor cushions to make the bench even comfier and to keep wood for the fire bowl and pruning shears for the plants handy.
Read more about this yard
Your turn: Have you incorporated any outdoor features that enhance ease? Let us know in the Comments!
More on Houzz
Read more landscape stories
Browse outdoor photos for ideas
Find a landscape contractor
1. Circular Reasoning
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of three, including a girl of 6 and a wheelchair user
Location: Bristol, England
Size: The corner plot is kite-shaped; it measures 118 feet (36 meters) at its widest point and is 135 feet (41 meters) long
Landscape designer: Terrey Maufe of Outerspace Creative Landscaping
Smooth, wide pathways make this yard and patio in England welcoming to everyone in the family, especially a wheelchair user. Designer Terrey Maufe, who directs her clients to Houzz ideabooks for inspiration, completely erased the original lumpy lawn and abundant trip hazards. Now, a wheelchair-accessible path bordered not just by lawn and plants but by vegetable and fruit beds slopes up from a patio and stretches into an eye-pleasing full circle.
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