Yard of the Week: Terraced Rooms for Outdoor Living
A sloped backyard in California gets zones on different levels for dining, working, lounging and entertaining
When a family decided to upgrade their San Jose, California, backyard, they had specific goals in mind: They wanted spots for dining, relaxing, playing and working — all while enjoying the natural beauty of drought-resistant plants around them. Natalie Tan Landscape Architecture designed the new outdoor space, and Blue Sierra Landscape Construction brought it to life.
Because of the yard’s natural slope, Toto’s crew had to grade the entire site and build new retaining walls to establish flat, usable areas. Once they had a clean slate, the team created outdoor rooms on multiple levels. Among the additions are benches where the homeowners can sit and enjoy their outdoor space.
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The crew built sandblasted poured concrete planters throughout the yard. They rounded the coping to define the planter beds and soften the hardscape’s overall look. The concrete has an ultralow surface roughness and was sandblasted with dark glass beads to create a weathered finish.
The plantings are mostly drought-resistant, as the homeowners requested, and are watered by new automatic irrigation systems. The plants are complemented by decomposed granite flooring, which is low-maintenance and also works with all the concrete.
The plantings are mostly drought-resistant, as the homeowners requested, and are watered by new automatic irrigation systems. The plants are complemented by decomposed granite flooring, which is low-maintenance and also works with all the concrete.
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Covered Outdoor Kitchen and Dining Area
To create the modern pergola on the top level, Toto’s team used redwood four-by-fours and installed a custom hand-cranked retractable awning for shade.
For the flooring, they chose sandblasted concrete with saw-cut joints. “We use a machine to cut all the concrete to make it look more modern than just the regular joints most people do,” Toto says.
To create the modern pergola on the top level, Toto’s team used redwood four-by-fours and installed a custom hand-cranked retractable awning for shade.
For the flooring, they chose sandblasted concrete with saw-cut joints. “We use a machine to cut all the concrete to make it look more modern than just the regular joints most people do,” Toto says.
The fully equipped outdoor kitchen includes a 42-inch grill with a burner on the side, a fridge underneath and stainless steel storage cabinets. Everything is clad in western red cedar, and the area is well-lit for evening cooking and entertaining. Black quartz counters top the cabinets.
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
Behind the outdoor kitchen, this planter is filled with foxtail agave (Agave attenuata), Cedros Island verbena (Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’), ‘Terracotta’ yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Terracotta’), blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) and a fruitless ‘Wilsonii’ olive tree (Olea europaea ‘Wilsonii’).
The concrete provides a beautiful contrast against the colorful flowers, and adds depth and dimension.
The concrete provides a beautiful contrast against the colorful flowers, and adds depth and dimension.
Fire Pit Lounge
A lounge with a natural-gas fire pit and built-in bench sits a few steps down from the pergola and outdoor kitchen. “We embedded a floating bench into the concrete retaining wall with some structural metals and made the bench out of ipe wood, because it’s very durable,” Toto says. “Then we installed some lighting under the bench to enhance that feature at night.”
String of bananas (Senecio radicans), yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Terracotta’ and ‘Paprika’) and foxtail agave add color and interest behind the floating bench. In the corner of the fire pit area, the crew planted ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Bush Nugget’).
A lounge with a natural-gas fire pit and built-in bench sits a few steps down from the pergola and outdoor kitchen. “We embedded a floating bench into the concrete retaining wall with some structural metals and made the bench out of ipe wood, because it’s very durable,” Toto says. “Then we installed some lighting under the bench to enhance that feature at night.”
String of bananas (Senecio radicans), yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Terracotta’ and ‘Paprika’) and foxtail agave add color and interest behind the floating bench. In the corner of the fire pit area, the crew planted ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Bush Nugget’).
Along the retaining wall leading to the fire pit area, the team planted ‘Muskogee’ crape myrtle trees (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Muskogee’) and blue oat grass.
Lower-Level Retreat
The yard’s lowest level features a grassy area and a new redwood bench. “The bench works two ways: as a retaining wall to hold off on that planting area, and as a bench for them to sit and hang out,” Toto says.
Large ‘Muskogee’ crape myrtle trees tower over a mix of yellow yarrow (Achillea sp.), ‘Kiwi’ aeonium (Aeonium haworthii ‘Kiwi’), blue oat grass, Cedros Island verbena and a paperbark maple (Acer griseum).
Beyond the planting bed, the team extended the existing retaining wall and stained the redwood fence to match the surrounding landscape features. Each level of the yard offers another spot for unwinding and appreciating the garden. The homeowners also grow tomatoes and other produce in a raised bed on the other side of the property.
The yard’s lowest level features a grassy area and a new redwood bench. “The bench works two ways: as a retaining wall to hold off on that planting area, and as a bench for them to sit and hang out,” Toto says.
Large ‘Muskogee’ crape myrtle trees tower over a mix of yellow yarrow (Achillea sp.), ‘Kiwi’ aeonium (Aeonium haworthii ‘Kiwi’), blue oat grass, Cedros Island verbena and a paperbark maple (Acer griseum).
Beyond the planting bed, the team extended the existing retaining wall and stained the redwood fence to match the surrounding landscape features. Each level of the yard offers another spot for unwinding and appreciating the garden. The homeowners also grow tomatoes and other produce in a raised bed on the other side of the property.
Here you can see how the yard is illuminated at night. “We typically use FX Luminaire lighting, and everything can be controlled via smartphone. This was something [the homeowners] really wanted to have. We gave them different downlights, step lights and even string lights — controlled remotely,” Toto says.
The crew poured concrete pavers in place to define an attractive walkway in the yard’s lower grassy section.
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The crew poured concrete pavers in place to define an attractive walkway in the yard’s lower grassy section.
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Backyard Home Office
The concrete path leads to a new detached home office, which was another must-have for the homeowners. The team installed a 10-by-12-foot prefabricated Studio Shed structure and then customized it by adding sliding glass doors and linear western cedar slats. The office has electricity, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a television. “It gave a bit more character to the property, and now the owner can work outside while the kids play on the lawn,” Toto says.
The concrete path leads to a new detached home office, which was another must-have for the homeowners. The team installed a 10-by-12-foot prefabricated Studio Shed structure and then customized it by adding sliding glass doors and linear western cedar slats. The office has electricity, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a television. “It gave a bit more character to the property, and now the owner can work outside while the kids play on the lawn,” Toto says.
‘Kiwi’ aeonium and ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass contrast nicely with the concrete and wood accents in the backyard. “The homeowners wanted to be able to spend time outside while enjoying nature, and now that everything is blooming and maturing, the plants give them that,” Toto says.
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with children
Location: San Jose, California
Size: A third of an acre (about 14,500 square feet)
Designer: Natalie Tan Landscape Architecture
Builder: Blue Sierra Landscape Construction
“When we got there, the yard was very outdated. It was pretty much a jungle with old concrete, so the homeowners weren’t enjoying their backyard at all,” says Jesús Toto, project manager at Blue Sierra Landscape Construction, which completed the five-month project in 2020.
The homeowners requested shade, a fire pit and multiple lounging areas. “Their overall vision was for us to create different zones that the family could enjoy,” Toto says.