Before and After: 4 Backyards That Bring Vacation Vibes Home

“After” photos by Sarah Mattozzi

1. Pool and Putting Green

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three kids
Location: Henrico County, Virginia
Backyard size: About one-third of an acre (1,349 square meters)
Design-build firm: Outdoor Dreams

Before: A lonely trampoline on scraggly grass made for an uninviting hangout for this Virginia family of five and its friends. The homeowners initially wanted to just add a pool and fix up the underdeck area. But during the initial consultation, landscape designer Greg Koehler of Outdoor Dreams let them know that the deck wasn’t in good enough condition to stay.

After: Stairs from the new deck descend to a fully fleshed-out haven with zones for different activities. Along one side of the 16-by-24-foot fiberglass pool — complete with a basketball net — lounge chairs with umbrellas offer comfortable perches for reclining out of the sun. At the far end, a single large patio umbrella stretches over a portable fire table and chairs (not fully seen). The underdeck lounge includes hanging chairs, a ceiling fan and a TV, and a few steps away sits a casual dining area to round out the dining-and-grilling area up top, off the kitchen.

Koehler and his clients used Houzz ideabooks to come up with the pool surround design, landing on a mix of large-scale Blu Grande slabs and small-scale Westmount pavers in a herringbone pattern, both from Techo-Bloc.

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Techo-Bloc cast-concrete stairs lead from the pool surround up to a putting green with both low (light green) and high (dark green) artificial turf. A mini sand trap (not seen) and boulders round out the look. Plants seen on the near side of the pool include ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint (Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’, USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone) and ornamental grasses, while a row of ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’, zones 5 to 8) creates a privacy screen on the far side.

This area previously was a steep slope, by the way. Thoughtful grading allowed for not just the putting green but easier navigation to and from the home’s driveway.

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After: Symmetry and strong lines define the new design, with a graphic neutral palette enhancing the structural look. Here, a concrete patio in a corner off the side of the rebuilt deck has a gas fire pit, comfy and roomy seating and a sun umbrella. The furnishings draw on resort-style cabana stripes and woven materials inspired by the Greek heritage of one of the homeowners.

Gone is the old dog run. Behind the patio now sits a kitchen garden with herbs including lavender, sage and thyme, as well as boulders and ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberry trees (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’, zones 4 to 9). A new fence of stained cedar and powder-coated steel takes care of privacy.

After: A slatted stained cedar wall, which allows some light through, now hides the door and an underdeck storage area. The outdoor dining setup in front has a living room feel and loads of texture, with woven chairs, a terrazzo table and a bordered rug. On the new upper deck is another dining space, this one directly off the home’s kitchen, with black-and-white woven chairs and a sculptural concrete table.

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After: Conjuring a high-end summer camp, the new terraced design harmonizes beautifully with the surrounding native oaks and redwoods. A large retaining wall holds back the slope, and 14-foot piers support the deck. The main deck, made of Dasso fused bamboo, lies off the home’s living room and offers prime views of both the existing trees and new pollinator-attracting and drought-tolerant plants.

An Alaskan yellow cedar tub, 7 feet in diameter, awaits on the midlevel terrace. Nearby sits an outdoor shower (not seen); a simple gravel-and-sand filtration system allows its water to be reused in the landscape. Below the hot tub, pathways lead to an existing chicken coop and an A-frame studio.

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Before: Fencing and a wooden shed cut off the side yard and hindered views, and the base of old aggregate concrete pavers and decomposed granite didn’t feel pulled together.

After: Removing the fence and shed opened up sightlines and gave the space breathing room. A repurposed pine table for casual dining sits next to a U-shaped outdoor kitchen atop new bluestone pavers. In the far back corner, the family can gather around a fire pit in Galanter & Jones’ Kosmos chairs, which offer radiant heat, as well as on built-in benches that create a retaining wall.

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“After” photos by Brandon Hill Photography

4. Terrific Terraces

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their young daughters
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: About half an acre (2,023 square meters)
Designer: José Roberto Corea of Austin Outdoor Design

Before: A steep slope with a crumbling retaining wall didn’t exactly beckon this Texas family outside, and unkempt plantings and an uninspired patio below the porch certainly didn’t help. The homeowners gave José Roberto Corea of Austin Outdoor Design a lot of freedom in redesigning the yard for entertaining and gathering; he ran with it by terracing the yard and creating a series of outdoor rooms recalling a high-end hotel.

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After: A pool and attached spillover spa play starring roles, but the new design has lots more to love. The renovated two-story porch offers more open views, thanks to a structural steel beam below and new thin-profile steel cable railings above. New wood-look composite decking below the porch offers a splash-savvy and stylish base for a lounge and, under a new pergola, a dining area and an outdoor kitchen. Off the pergola, a gas fire table with spacious seating provides another area for lounging. Corea also worked in a play area (around the oak tree above the fire pit lounge) and an outdoor shower (just out of frame at the near end of the pool).

The team preserved the existing live oaks (Quercus virginiana, zones 8 to 10), which contribute sculptural forms and shade.

Before: The original steep slope rendered the far end of the yard barely usable.

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After: Now smoothed out, the area is home to the fire table lounge. The wall at back, made of textured concrete blocks, hides pool equipment and helps define the space. To the left, a steel planter with supports holds a wood bench. To the right and down a few steps is the pergola-covered grilling-and-dining area.

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