Inspiration for a large backyard concrete paver and rectangular pool house remodel in DC Metro

A large outdoor living area addition that was split into 2 distinct areas-lounge or living and dining. This was designed for large gatherings with lots of comfortable seating seating. All materials and surfaces were chosen for lots of use and all types of weather. A custom made fire screen is mounted to the brick fireplace. Designed so the doors slide to the sides to expose the logs for a cozy fire on cool nights. Photography by Holger Obenaus

Completed in the summer of 2013, this modern garden is located in Highland Park, Texas just north of Dallas. This garden features a modern edge with a swimming pool, concrete terraces, Ipe wood decks, a unique wood fence an outdoor shade structure with fireplace. The garden also includes and outdoor cooking area with Kalamazoo appliances.

Covered structure with gas fireplace, outdoor tv. outdoor speakers, outdoor kitchen with bar, waterfeature with pondless effect, architectural slabs, brick patio, brick retaining wall, outdoor living space, oudoor dining area, outdoor lighting, granite countertops, outdoor overhead heater, exterior design, breezeway, privacy screening.

Stone, shake, multiple metal roofs and gables all combine for a truly unique exterior. At almost 3500 square feet, this home is stunning inside and out. Entertaining is a breeze with the open kitchen, dining and great room, as well as on the screen porch with fireplace, cathedral ceiling and grill. A flexible bedroom/study has its own bath and is an ideal guest suite. The master bedroom is positioned in the rear of the home and features a window seat, built-in shelves and a vaulted ceiling. His-and-her walk-in closets and a dressing room add special touches. A luxurious master bath completes the master suite. Downstairs, the basement level includes two guest rooms, each with their own full bath and a wine cellar. A large storage area and rec room complete the basement. Built by Keener Homes, Inc: http://www.keenerhomes.net

There are an infinite number of possible designs, and outdoor fire pits no longer need to be just a round pile of rocks. I work with several basic styles of gas fed fire pits when I design outdoor gardens to enchant my clients. The popularity of fire pits and the fire effects they produce in the garden is one of fastest growing trends in outdoor design. The allure of sitting around a fire ring has been around since the beginning of mankind. Fire provides warmth, light, a cooking source and, of course relaxation. A dancing flame has a mesmerizing affect that encourages you to unwind and settle in. The popularity of fire pits, or conversation pits as they are commonly called, has grown rapidly in recent years. Proper design and construction will ensure a safe and enjoyable feature that will last several decades This fully equipped outdoor kitchen is separate from the rest of the living space, allowing the two areas to be utilized entirely on their own. outdoor kitchens are most efficient when it's zoned into logical uses. your cook space should have plenty of prep space, room to set down utensils and stage ingredients, and a comfortable buffer from the seating island to keep guests protected from the heat.

Heather Cherie Photography
Large minimalist screened-in back porch photo in Other with decking and a roof extension

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

The owners wanted to keep the long wall of windows but still needed a full working kitchen along with ample seating for relaxed entertaining. The new floor plan design made more effective use of the space, accommodating multiple needs into the kitchen. The new layout created an open galley kitchen with a 13 1/2′ Island and seating at each end, accommodated by a cool-grey custom banquette with 2 tables. A SubZero refrigerator and wine cooler along with dual Miele dishwashers and speed oven help complete the kitchen.

Arcadia Outdoor Kitchens
Small minimalist backyard patio kitchen photo in Miami

The upper level of this gorgeous Trex deck is the central entertaining and dining space and includes a beautiful concrete fire table and a custom cedar bench that floats over the deck. The dining space is defined by the stunning, cantilevered, aluminum pergola above and cable railing along the edge of the deck. Adjacent to the pergola is a covered grill and prep space. Light brown custom cedar screen walls provide privacy along the landscaped terrace and compliment the warm hues of the decking. Clean, modern light fixtures are also present in the deck steps, along the deck perimeter, and throughout the landscape making the space well-defined in the evening as well as the daytime.

Justin Muir
Design ideas for a contemporary landscaping in New York.

Covered structure with gas fireplace, outdoor tv. outdoor speakers, outdoor kitchen with bar, waterfeature with pondless effect, architectural slabs, brick patio, brick retaining wall, outdoor living space, oudoor dining area, outdoor lighting, granite countertops, outdoor overhead heater, exterior design, breezeway, privacy screening.

This custom Dallas backyard cabana features a gable with hip roof, as well as an attached shed roof atop the eat-in space. Speaking of space, this cabana boasts separate areas for cooking, eating, and TV viewing and conversation. These homeowners can host outdoor dinner parties, without relying one iota on interior kitchen or dining amenities. The outdoor kitchen area includes a Turtle grill and freezer with stainless steel accessories, such as a towel holder and access panel with drawers. The kitchen is outfitted with extra electrical outlets for added convenience. In addition, the space features a cozy custom stone fireplace.

Photography by Tim Schultz
Bathroom - traditional white tile and subway tile bathroom idea in Seattle with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, a two-piece toilet and yellow cabinets

Soft lines were desired in a limited space surrounded by easements, building and pool setbacks. Simple architectural curves complemented the architecture of the home. This allowed the client to have a walk around the pool and provide maximum pool surface area. The spa side dry steps allowed access to the pool steps 18" lower than the patio. The spa provides a strong visual from the family room and balancing the project the fire bowl and rainfall provides a strong visual from the arbor, grill counter, bar and master bedroom. We added a door from the master bedroom to allow access directly to the fire pit on that cold winter night. The fire bow wall provides a screen for the utility transformer and location for the rainfall. Landscaping softens the lines of the hardscape fence, and house walls. The firelight along with the low voltage lighting accent the space at night. The step lights allow for safe travel over the changes in elevation to the pool. The stone veneers match the existing grill and bar counter and the flagstone coping step treads and wall caps match existing stone kitchen patio. The concrete paving pattern was selected to match the pattern of the existing stone kitchen patio as well. The trip to the city zoning board was well worth the reward of providing everything the client wanted in a limited space. Project designed by Mike Farley. Check out Mike's reference site for more info and videos at www.FarleyPoolDesigns.com.

1950s backyard stamped concrete and round lap pool fountain photo in Los Angeles

Perched on Lake George in the Adirondacks, this sophisticated outdoor kitchen masterfully blends into its natural surroundings while maximizing functionality for entertaining. The thoughtful U-shaped design ensures that everyone—whether cooking, prepping, or socializing—shares in the magnificent lake views that inspired the space. The aesthetic harmony is achieved through carefully selected materials: rustic blue outdoor-rated NatureKast cabinetry echoes the lake's hues, while timber frame beams and outdoor-rated white quartz countertops create a seamless transition between built and natural environments. Deep drawers and roll-out cabinetry provide abundant storage while maintaining the space's elegant profile. The layout is a study in purposeful zoning: one area dedicated to prep work, another to cooking—featuring a grill, smoker, warming drawer, and space for a portable pizza oven, all serviced by a ceiling-mounted hood. The opposite side houses a two-drawer refrigerator, under-counter refrigerator, wet sink, and waste management. Connecting seamlessly to the indoor kitchen through pass-through windows with adjacent counter space and storage, this outdoor entertainment hub transforms lakeside cooking into an immersive experience. Every element has been carefully considered to create a space that's both functional for serious cooking and perfect for casual gatherings, all while celebrating its stunning Adirondack setting

Rob Bramhall
Small minimalist backyard concrete paver patio kitchen photo in Miami with no cover