Yard of the Week: Cozy Spaces in a Beautifully Expansive Yard
A landscape architect designs beautiful outdoor rooms for relaxing, gathering and playing at a San Francisco-area home
This dreamy property in the coastal mountains south of San Francisco already had a pool, lawn areas, gardens and mature trees, including a large Japanese maple and many oaks. The homeowners wanted to make the landscape design more refined, cohesive and colorful, so they hired landscape architect Lisa Howard of Bay Tree Design. At the top of their wish list was providing lots of places where their four boys, ages 4 through 12, could play.
The new design has patios, seating areas, container gardens and more. “My clients love to entertain large groups, but [they] also wanted cozy spots for smaller groups to gather,” Howard says. She created outdoor rooms so guests could spread out during parties. New garden areas allow the homeowners to grow fresh flowers for parties, and herbs for garnishing homemade pizzas.
The new design has patios, seating areas, container gardens and more. “My clients love to entertain large groups, but [they] also wanted cozy spots for smaller groups to gather,” Howard says. She created outdoor rooms so guests could spread out during parties. New garden areas allow the homeowners to grow fresh flowers for parties, and herbs for garnishing homemade pizzas.
Before Photo
After: “This garden was to be a place where different plants would come and go,” Howard says. To create structure, she replaced the mulch and some of the concrete areas with three-eighths-of-an-inch basalt rock gravel and added Cor-Ten steel planters. The planters contain vegetables, herbs and flowers for cutting.
“There was already [hardwood] in the landscape, so we repeated that material throughout the design,” Howard says. Here, she used it to create the piece in the foreground, which covers the air conditioning unit, separates the parking from the landscape and provides a working counter for gardening.
She also added wood platforms between a series of new and existing concrete steps along the edge of the house, to give the exterior and landscape a more organized and intentional look. She added trellises for climbing plants and a steel-and-wood pergola.
(There is a site plan at the end of this story, and this area is marked as number six.)
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“There was already [hardwood] in the landscape, so we repeated that material throughout the design,” Howard says. Here, she used it to create the piece in the foreground, which covers the air conditioning unit, separates the parking from the landscape and provides a working counter for gardening.
She also added wood platforms between a series of new and existing concrete steps along the edge of the house, to give the exterior and landscape a more organized and intentional look. She added trellises for climbing plants and a steel-and-wood pergola.
(There is a site plan at the end of this story, and this area is marked as number six.)
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The pergola frames an inviting spot for hanging out and enjoying the view. Howard added a board-formed-concrete base to the structure, which makes the sitting area beneath it feel like a cozy room. From these seats, the homeowners look out over Portola Valley’s eastern ridge.
“I cannot take credit for the plantings in the raised beds. I provided the structure for the garden, and my client and her gardener, Brook Coffee of Garden Thyme, chose the plants,” Howard says. “These new plantings were a great opportunity to add color to the yard,” with the wood and Cor-Ten steel adding warmth.
Howard returned to the site about two days after everything had been planted, and already several species of birds and butterflies were enjoying it. “The wildlife found this garden immediately,” she says.
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“I cannot take credit for the plantings in the raised beds. I provided the structure for the garden, and my client and her gardener, Brook Coffee of Garden Thyme, chose the plants,” Howard says. “These new plantings were a great opportunity to add color to the yard,” with the wood and Cor-Ten steel adding warmth.
Howard returned to the site about two days after everything had been planted, and already several species of birds and butterflies were enjoying it. “The wildlife found this garden immediately,” she says.
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Before Photo
Before: This photo shows the other end of the yard as it was previously. Beyond it was, and still is, a lawn where the boys like to play soccer.
After: At the far end of the yard, past the pergola, this small seating area overlooks the lawn and the hills beyond. It’s a great spot for soccer spectators. The Cor-Ten steel planters that edge the gravel create another intimate outdoor room with vast vistas out to the hills.
This large Japanese maple tree at the edge of the lawn is a favorite climbing tree for the boys (marked as number seven on the site plan at the end of the story). “I like to study how other countries design landscapes that engage children, and in Europe they talk about how tree climbing engages all the senses and critical thinking skills,” Howard says.
She created this small deck to make the lowest branches accessible for the youngest boys. “Tree climbing fosters a sense of adventure and joy, and can instill confidence, especially for the littlest boy,” she says. The deck also is a spot for watching the soccer games on the lawn, and the opening at the base serves as one of the goal areas.
She created this small deck to make the lowest branches accessible for the youngest boys. “Tree climbing fosters a sense of adventure and joy, and can instill confidence, especially for the littlest boy,” she says. The deck also is a spot for watching the soccer games on the lawn, and the opening at the base serves as one of the goal areas.
Before: This photo looks across the pool to an existing outbuilding (shown in the top-left corner of the site plan). Part of the project was transforming this building into what the homeowners call the teen room. “This is the home where all the kids’ friends come to get together and play,” Howard says. “The teen room gives them a spot that is all their own, and at the same time, it’s close to the house.”
Another issue the homeowners wanted to tackle in this part of the landscape was a disconnected feeling between the house and the pool area, which were separated by the driveway (seen at the top right of this photo).
Another issue the homeowners wanted to tackle in this part of the landscape was a disconnected feeling between the house and the pool area, which were separated by the driveway (seen at the top right of this photo).
After: Howard transformed the top part of the driveway into a sports court (marked as number one on the site plan). The tall posts hold a net that prevents balls from going into the neighboring yard. The sports court can be used for extra parking when needed.
Howard also designed a gravel patio off the teen room. She added new stairs to connect the outbuilding’s patio to the pool, working around some beautiful existing granite boulders. Then she cleaned up the plants around the stairs and path, adding a wood wall on the right and replacing some of the ornamental grasses with lawn on the left. She also added concrete around the pool to give it an even 3-foot border.
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Howard also designed a gravel patio off the teen room. She added new stairs to connect the outbuilding’s patio to the pool, working around some beautiful existing granite boulders. Then she cleaned up the plants around the stairs and path, adding a wood wall on the right and replacing some of the ornamental grasses with lawn on the left. She also added concrete around the pool to give it an even 3-foot border.
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Before Photo
Before: This area to the right of the pool house (at the bottom left of the site plan) was neglected. However, Howard saw it as an opportunity for another small gathering spot.
After: The new patio Howard created is seen in the background of this photo. This is the view from the teen room’s patio to the pool house.
Howard created connections across the landscape with materials. She used scored concrete around the sports court, seen on the left side of this photo. The scoring provides pleasing proportions that break up the concrete and help prevent cracks. Skip down to the site plan to see where she added another scored concrete path across a lower part of the driveway. (Both of these pathways are marked as number three on the plan.) She also repeated the use of wood and basalt gravel.
Howard created connections across the landscape with materials. She used scored concrete around the sports court, seen on the left side of this photo. The scoring provides pleasing proportions that break up the concrete and help prevent cracks. Skip down to the site plan to see where she added another scored concrete path across a lower part of the driveway. (Both of these pathways are marked as number three on the plan.) She also repeated the use of wood and basalt gravel.
Improving the outdoor shower area located off the right side of the pool house was another part of the project. Howard designed a wood surround and added a bench along an existing concrete retaining wall. This is another spot where garden party guests can grab a seat. Also, the bench lifts up, providing storage for pool toys and floats.
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Site plan: On the plan, the buildings are marked in white. The area that runs above the top of the house is the edible and cutting garden (marked as number six), and the lawn is to the right of the house. The climbing tree is marked as number seven. Below it (marked as number eight) is where Howard repurposed old granite curbs from San Francisco streets into steps that lead to the kids’ swing sets and other similar equipment. There is also an existing oak grove there.
To the left, the scored concrete around the sports court creates a connection to the teen room and its patio. Another scored path creates a connection between the home’s entry courtyard and the pool area. Both of these are marked as number three. The pool house is located on the bottom-left side of the plan, with the shower (marked as number four) to its left and the new patio (marked as number two) to its right. Howard also created additional parking to make up for when the area at the top of the driveway is being used as a sports court (marked as number five).
Now the yard has lots of outdoor room where kids and grown-ups can hang out. Howard also created strong connections from place to place. Guests at parties can spread out in the property and find intimate areas for talking. The kids have spaces they can call their own, and they also like to help their mom collect herbs and flowers. All the changes Howard made keep the family engaged with the landscape and foster an indoor-outdoor lifestyle.
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To the left, the scored concrete around the sports court creates a connection to the teen room and its patio. Another scored path creates a connection between the home’s entry courtyard and the pool area. Both of these are marked as number three. The pool house is located on the bottom-left side of the plan, with the shower (marked as number four) to its left and the new patio (marked as number two) to its right. Howard also created additional parking to make up for when the area at the top of the driveway is being used as a sports court (marked as number five).
Now the yard has lots of outdoor room where kids and grown-ups can hang out. Howard also created strong connections from place to place. Guests at parties can spread out in the property and find intimate areas for talking. The kids have spaces they can call their own, and they also like to help their mom collect herbs and flowers. All the changes Howard made keep the family engaged with the landscape and foster an indoor-outdoor lifestyle.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of landscape photos
Hire a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their four sons
Location: Portola Valley, California
Size: Three-quarters of an acre
Landscape architect: Bay Tree Design
Contractor: Paravati Construction
Before: The landscape was disjointed, with the sunken area seen in this photo of the side yard used as a parking spot off the driveway. The planting beds were full of mostly agave and other desert species.
The wife wanted to use the yard for growing edible plants and flowers for cutting, and to have places for small gatherings. “This space needed structure. We also wanted to pull in more color and make this a child-friendly space,” Howard says.