Michael Jacob
Inspiration for a contemporary backyard concrete patio fountain remodel in St Louis with a roof extension

Before photo of backyard hardscape project in Santa Clara, California. Photo by Green Sun Hardscapes
Example of a backyard concrete paver patio design in San Francisco

This recessed, wood burning fire pit is a great destination to hang out with friends and family on a cool fall evening. Photography Credit: Wade Griffith

Pool patio in Lighthouse point, Florida with beach entry. Hardscape design and installation by Waterfalls Fountains & Gardens Inc. Planting installation by Ultimate Landscape.

"work in progress" photo of backyard hardscape project in Santa Clara, California. Photo by Green Sun Hardscapes
Inspiration for a backyard concrete paver patio remodel in San Francisco

A 'before' photo of the project, where we began digging up the steep slopes of the backyard in preparation for our hardscaping installation.
This is an example of a mid-sized craftsman full sun backyard concrete paver retaining wall landscape.

Backyard hardscaping renovation project in Toronto, Ontario Before Photo
Example of a small minimalist exterior home design in Toronto

Example of a large arts and crafts backyard patio kitchen design in Seattle with decking and a roof extension

Photos by Steve Chenn
Patio - traditional brick patio idea in Houston with a bbq area

The Laurel was a project that required a rigorous lesson in southern architectural vernacular. The site being located in the hot climate of the Carolina shoreline, the client was eager to capture cross breezes and utilize outdoor entertainment spaces. The home was designed with three covered porches, one partially covered courtyard, and one screened porch, all accessed by way of French doors and extra tall double-hung windows. The open main level floor plan centers on common livings spaces, while still leaving room for a luxurious master suite. The upstairs loft includes two individual bed and bath suites, providing ample room for guests. Native materials were used in construction, including a metal roof and local timber.

Large backyard stone patio photo in Austin

Inspiration for a large partial sun backyard landscaping in Burlington.

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard concrete patio remodel in Vancouver with a fire pit and no cover

This small backyard landscape sandwiched between home and garage, was transformed from a drab weed patch into a stunning outdoor breakfast nook! Porcelain patio pavers were carefully installed for improved drainage to move water away from the home. A new cedar fence was installed between neighboring lots. A custom cedar trellis was installed over the garage facade, to draw attention away from the garage siding, framing windows and foliage. Pretty white planters, large hydrangea blooms, crisp lime green hostas and purple pansies add color and brightness to this shaded retreat. LED lighting and irrigation systems were also integrated into the landscape.

The client purchased this property with grand plans of renovating the entire place; from top to bottom, and from inside to outside. And while the inside canvas was very generous and even somewhat forgiving, the outside space would be anything but. We wanted to squeeze in as much seating space as possible in their limited courtyard area, without encroaching on the already compact-sized pool. The first and most obvious solution was to get rid of the trees and shrubs that separated this house from its zero-lot-line neighbor. With the addition of Lueder limestone pavers, this new area alone would free up nearly 120 additional square feet, which happened to be the perfect amount of space for a mobile gas fire pit and sectional sofa. And this would make for the perfect place to enjoy the afternoon sunset with the implementation of a custom-built metal pergola standing above it all. The next problem to overcome was the disconnected feel of the existing patio; there were too many levels of steps and stairs, which meant that it would have been difficult to have any sort of traditional furniture arrangement in their outdoor space. Randy knew that it only made sense to bring in a wood deck that could be mated to the highest level of the patio, thus creating and gaining the greatest amount of continuous, flat space that the client needed. But even so, that flat space would be limited to a very tight "L-shape" around the pool. And knowing this, the client decided that the larger space would be more valuable to them than the spa, so they opted to have a portion of the deck built over it in order to allow for a more generous amount of patio space. And with the edge of the patio/deck dropping off almost 2 feet to the waterline, it now created the perfect opportunity to have a visually compelling raised wall that could be adorned with different hues of plank-shaped tiles. From inside the pool, the varying shades of brown were a great accent to the wood deck that sat just above. However, the true visual crowning jewel of this project would end up being the raised back wall along the fence, fully encased in a large format, 24x24 slate grey tile, complete with a custom stainless steel, square-tube scupper bank, installed at just the right height to create the perfect amount of water noise. But Randy wasn't done just yet. With two entirely new entertaining areas opened up at opposite ends of the pool, the only thing left to do now was to connect them. Knowing that he nor the client wanted to eliminate any more water space, he decided to bring a new traffic pattern right into the pool by way of two "floating", Lueder limestone stepper pads. It would be a visually perfect union of both pool and walking spaces. The existing steps and walkways were then cut away and replaced with matching Lueder limestone caps and steppers. All remaining hardscape gaps were later filled with Mexican beach pebble, which helped to promote a very "zen-like" feel in this outdoor space. The interior of the pool was coated with Wet Edge Primerastone "Blue Pacific Coast" plaster, and then lit up with the incredibly versatile Pentair GloBrite LED pool lights. In the end, the client ended up gaining the additional entertaining and seating space that they needed, and the updated, modern feel that they loved.

Shrubbery and boulders are a perfect pair for your backyard landscaping.
Design ideas for a transitional backyard river rock landscaping in Salt Lake City.

Photo of a mid-sized modern drought-tolerant and full sun backyard retaining wall landscape in San Diego with decking.

Espelier pear trees, inground herb beds, raised vegetable planters, wood pergola
Photo of a traditional full sun backyard gravel formal garden in Boston for summer.

Before picture
Inspiration for a small modern backyard brick home design remodel with no cover