The Top 5 Outdoor Makeovers of 2024
Learn about the details from this year’s most popular landscape profiles, which include 2 by pros found on Houzz
A thoughtfully designed outdoor living area can enhance and transform your home. In this countdown of the year’s most popular makeovers on Houzz, see how landscape pros turned a steep slope, a tiny back patio, an uninviting entry and other underused yards into stylish spaces worth gathering in. Browse the photos, then click the link to read more about each renovation.
4. Modern-Rustic Retreat
A couple who live full time in Toronto were looking for a relaxed and cozy getaway in the country when they discovered an 18-acre property in southern Ontario’s Prince Edward County. Of the site’s many existing outbuildings, this barn stood out as a spot the homeowners envisioned for relaxing together and entertaining guests during the warmer months. They hired Wentworth Landscapes to upgrade the barn area as well as add a pool and design a landscape around it. A revamped covered lounge with roll-down bug screens provides a space for unwinding throughout the year and a framed view of the new pool. Piet Oudolf-inspired plantings and other modern-rustic modern details surround it.
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A couple who live full time in Toronto were looking for a relaxed and cozy getaway in the country when they discovered an 18-acre property in southern Ontario’s Prince Edward County. Of the site’s many existing outbuildings, this barn stood out as a spot the homeowners envisioned for relaxing together and entertaining guests during the warmer months. They hired Wentworth Landscapes to upgrade the barn area as well as add a pool and design a landscape around it. A revamped covered lounge with roll-down bug screens provides a space for unwinding throughout the year and a framed view of the new pool. Piet Oudolf-inspired plantings and other modern-rustic modern details surround it.
Read more about this outdoor space
Shop for patio furniture
3. Stylish on a Slope
These homeowners in Austin, Texas, loved that their home was designed for indoor-outdoor living, but they didn’t appreciate its lack of usable outdoor space. Working with Dick Clark + Associates and Stephen Thomas Construction, they transformed their steeply sloped front yard into a reworked entry and an expanded patio that includes an outdoor kitchen, a covered area and full smart home technology outdoors for fans, heaters, lighting, speakers and misters. At street level, they added a two-car carport and a protected bike garage. And the couple’s French bulldog now has space for roaming free outside.
Read more about this outdoor space
These homeowners in Austin, Texas, loved that their home was designed for indoor-outdoor living, but they didn’t appreciate its lack of usable outdoor space. Working with Dick Clark + Associates and Stephen Thomas Construction, they transformed their steeply sloped front yard into a reworked entry and an expanded patio that includes an outdoor kitchen, a covered area and full smart home technology outdoors for fans, heaters, lighting, speakers and misters. At street level, they added a two-car carport and a protected bike garage. And the couple’s French bulldog now has space for roaming free outside.
Read more about this outdoor space
2. Cooking in Style
A family in suburban Chicago with Brazilian roots hired Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors, a firm they found on Houzz, to bring South American flavor to their underutilized backyard. A gaucho, or Argentine-style, grill was a top priority, and the firm designed an expansive cooking and dining pavilion around the wood-fired, crank-operated grill. The covered area also includes a gas grill, cabinets, a sink, firewood storage, a trash receptacle and a dining area. The counters are honed bluestone, and the base is Wisconsin limestone. The 500-square-foot natural cleft bluestone patio offers plenty of room for outdoor entertaining, with a fire pit lounge providing another gathering destination. The team was thoughtful in designing the space to nod to the home’s traditional architecture.
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10 Outdoor Kitchen Design Features Pros Always Recommend
A family in suburban Chicago with Brazilian roots hired Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors, a firm they found on Houzz, to bring South American flavor to their underutilized backyard. A gaucho, or Argentine-style, grill was a top priority, and the firm designed an expansive cooking and dining pavilion around the wood-fired, crank-operated grill. The covered area also includes a gas grill, cabinets, a sink, firewood storage, a trash receptacle and a dining area. The counters are honed bluestone, and the base is Wisconsin limestone. The 500-square-foot natural cleft bluestone patio offers plenty of room for outdoor entertaining, with a fire pit lounge providing another gathering destination. The team was thoughtful in designing the space to nod to the home’s traditional architecture.
Read more about this backyard
10 Outdoor Kitchen Design Features Pros Always Recommend
1. Fresh Curb Appeal and Community Interaction
After remodeling this home in San Anselmo, California, 10 years ago, design-build firm building Lab returned to upgrade the deteriorating exterior, front yard (with plantings by ORCA) and entry sequence. The central design element is the new front porch, which features an elegant steel deck and living area below. Hanging chairs recall the traditional porch swing, and the homeowners use them to greet and wave to walkers who are on their way to a trailhead up the road. Custom wood tables by ORCA add heft and complement the ingenious black locust patio pavers. The pavers come on gridded 12-by-12-inch sheets with mesh on the back, similar to many tiles. Pea gravel acts as the grout, allowing water to drain through the patio while creating a semilevel walking surface.
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More on Houzz
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After remodeling this home in San Anselmo, California, 10 years ago, design-build firm building Lab returned to upgrade the deteriorating exterior, front yard (with plantings by ORCA) and entry sequence. The central design element is the new front porch, which features an elegant steel deck and living area below. Hanging chairs recall the traditional porch swing, and the homeowners use them to greet and wave to walkers who are on their way to a trailhead up the road. Custom wood tables by ORCA add heft and complement the ingenious black locust patio pavers. The pavers come on gridded 12-by-12-inch sheets with mesh on the back, similar to many tiles. Pea gravel acts as the grout, allowing water to drain through the patio while creating a semilevel walking surface.
Read more about this front yard
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Browse landscape photos
Find a landscape designer
Shop for outdoor products
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Landscape designer Henry Scott of Pehrsson Scott, whom the owners of this home in England found on Houzz, reworked an unusable, sloping portion of their side yard into a contemporary lounge for relaxing and entertaining. Scott also helped site the backyard studio and home office seen here, and plan the design around it. Gray porcelain tiles cover the patio and the steps up to the studio, creating continuity within the space and tying it in with other colors and materials used throughout the project. Olive trees, a row of cypress and other hardy plants lend the Mediterranean-inspired look the homeowners wanted and also tolerate the bright sun this portion of the yard receives.
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