Inspiration for a large timeless backyard concrete paver patio kitchen remodel in Baltimore with a pergola

The outdoor living area cozies up to a gorgeous stone fireplace. Photography by Michael Partenio
Cottage backyard stone patio photo in New York with a fireplace and no cover

In our busy lives, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating home environment is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Built less than five years ago, this Stinson Beach Modern home is your own private oasis. Surrounded by a butterfly preserve and unparalleled ocean views, the home will lead you to a sense of connection with nature. As you enter an open living room space that encompasses a kitchen, dining area, and living room, the inspiring contemporary interior invokes a sense of relaxation, that stimulates the senses. The open floor plan and modern finishes create a soothing, tranquil, and uplifting atmosphere. The house is approximately 2900 square feet, has three (to possibly five) bedrooms, four bathrooms, an outdoor shower and spa, a full office, and a media room. Its two levels blend into the hillside, creating privacy and quiet spaces within an open floor plan and feature spectacular views from every room. The expansive home, decks and patios presents the most beautiful sunsets as well as the most private and panoramic setting in all of Stinson Beach. One of the home's noteworthy design features is a peaked roof that uses Kalwall's translucent day-lighting system, the most highly insulating, diffuse light-transmitting, structural panel technology. This protected area on the hill provides a dramatic roar from the ocean waves but without any of the threats of oceanfront living. Built on one of the last remaining one-acre coastline lots on the west side of the hill at Stinson Beach, the design of the residence is site friendly, using materials and finishes that meld into the hillside. The landscaping features low-maintenance succulents and butterfly friendly plantings appropriate for the adjacent Monarch Butterfly Preserve. Recalibrate your dreams in this natural environment, and make the choice to live in complete privacy on this one acre retreat. This home includes Miele appliances, Thermadore refrigerator and freezer, an entire home water filtration system, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry by SieMatic, Ceasarstone kitchen counter tops, hardwood and Italian ceramic radiant tile floors using Warmboard technology, Electric blinds, Dornbracht faucets, Kalwall skylights throughout livingroom and garage, Jeldwen windows and sliding doors. Located 5-8 minute walk to the ocean, downtown Stinson and the community center. It is less than a five minute walk away from the trail heads such as Steep Ravine and Willow Camp. Presented by Cristina di Grazia Cristina di Grazia +1 415.710.1048­ +1 415.381.7300­ Decker Bullock Sotheby's International Realty

This beautiful home features a spacious indoor-outdoor living area with a gorgeous gas fireplace adorned with Coronado Stone Products Valley Cobble Stone / Wind River. This space features a great area for family and friends to gather and relax. This home was built by Rosewood Homes

Pool and Deck
Example of a transitional outdoor kitchen deck design in Austin with no cover

Peter Rymwid Photography
Dining room - transitional medium tone wood floor dining room idea in New York with beige walls

Ceiling color is SW 7100 Arcade White and SW 6258 Tricon Black. Sink and faucet are Kohler. Backsplash is from Mirage and the countertops are Caesarstone. Drapery is custom. Photography by Nancy Nolan

nestled at the end of the large family kitchen is this inviting leather covered U shaped banquette. it features a large picture window looking out to the outdoor stone kitchen. the chandelier is from holly hunt ny and the dining chairs are from lee industries.

Covered outdoor dining space with pergola structure, integrated lighting, and seating for entertaining, designed as part of a seamless indoor-outdoor Malibu lifestyle.

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

Glass-enclosed roof access, with Viking outdoor kitchen and dining area in foreground. Photo by Tom Crane.
Inspiration for a timeless rooftop rooftop deck remodel in Philadelphia with a bbq area

This masterfully designed outdoor living space feels open, airy, and filled with light thanks to the lighter finishes and the fabric pergola shade. Clean, modern lines and a muted color palette add to the spa-like feel of this outdoor living space.

This outdoor dining area, set on an Ipe wood deck, offers a picturesque setting for meals with panoramic ocean views, making it perfect for entertaining or family gatherings.

Indoor and outdoor dining room with 24ft. suar slab dining table.
Large trendy light wood floor kitchen/dining room combo photo in San Diego with gray walls

The genesis of design for this desert retreat was the informal dining area in which the clients, along with family and friends, would gather. Located in north Scottsdale’s prestigious Silverleaf, this ranch hacienda offers 6,500 square feet of gracious hospitality for family and friends. Focused around the informal dining area, the home’s living spaces, both indoor and outdoor, offer warmth of materials and proximity for expansion of the casual dining space that the owners envisioned for hosting gatherings to include their two grown children, parents, and many friends. The kitchen, adjacent to the informal dining, serves as the functioning heart of the home and is open to the great room, informal dining room, and office, and is mere steps away from the outdoor patio lounge and poolside guest casita. Additionally, the main house master suite enjoys spectacular vistas of the adjacent McDowell mountains and distant Phoenix city lights. The clients, who desired ample guest quarters for their visiting adult children, decided on a detached guest casita featuring two bedroom suites, a living area, and a small kitchen. The guest casita’s spectacular bedroom mountain views are surpassed only by the living area views of distant mountains seen beyond the spectacular pool and outdoor living spaces. Project Details | Desert Retreat, Silverleaf – Scottsdale, AZ Architect: C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB; Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ Builder: Sonora West Development, Scottsdale, AZ Photographer: Dino Tonn Featured in Phoenix Home and Garden, May 2015, “Sporting Style: Golf Enthusiast Christie Austin Earns Top Scores on the Home Front” See more of this project here: http://drewettworks.com/desert-retreat-at-silverleaf/

A custom-made expansive two-story home providing views of the spacious kitchen, breakfast nook, dining, great room and outdoor amenities upon entry. Featuring 11,000 square feet of open area lavish living this residence does not disappoint with the attention to detail throughout. Elegant features embellish this home with the intricate woodworking and exposed wood beams, ceiling details, gorgeous stonework, European Oak flooring throughout, and unique lighting. This residence offers seven bedrooms including a mother-in-law suite, nine bathrooms, a bonus room, his and her offices, wet bar adjacent to dining area, wine room, laundry room featuring a dog wash area and a game room located above one of the two garages. The open-air kitchen is the perfect space for entertaining family and friends with the two islands, custom panel Sub-Zero appliances and easy access to the dining areas. Outdoor amenities include a pool with sun shelf and spa, fire bowls spilling water into the pool, firepit, large covered lanai with summer kitchen and fireplace surrounded by roll down screens to protect guests from inclement weather, and two additional covered lanais. This is luxury at its finest!

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Photography: Travis Rhoads Photography
Example of a small trendy backyard deck design in San Francisco with a fire pit

Spectacular unobstructed views of the Bay, Bridge, Alcatraz, San Francisco skyline and the rolling hills of Marin greet you from almost every window of this stunning Provençal Villa located in the acclaimed Middle Ridge neighborhood of Mill Valley. Built in 2000, this exclusive 5 bedroom, 5+ bath estate was thoughtfully designed by architect Jorge de Quesada to provide a classically elegant backdrop for today’s active lifestyle. Perfectly positioned on over half an acre with flat lawns and an award winning garden there is unmatched sense of privacy just minutes from the shops and restaurants of downtown Mill Valley. A curved stone staircase leads from the charming entry gate to the private front lawn and on to the grand hand carved front door. A gracious formal entry and wide hall opens out to the main living spaces of the home and out to the view beyond. The Venetian plaster walls and soaring ceilings provide an open airy feeling to the living room and country chef’s kitchen, while three sets of oversized French doors lead onto the Jerusalem Limestone patios and bring in the panoramic views. The chef’s kitchen is the focal point of the warm welcoming great room and features a range-top and double wall ovens, two dishwashers, marble counters and sinks with Waterworks fixtures. The tile backsplash behind the range pays homage to Monet’s Giverny kitchen. A fireplace offers up a cozy sitting area to lounge and watch television or curl up with a book. There is ample space for a farm table for casual dining. In addition to a well-appointed formal living room, the main level of this estate includes an office, stunning library/den with faux tortoise detailing, butler’s pantry, powder room, and a wonderful indoor/outdoor flow allowing the spectacular setting to envelop every space. A wide staircase leads up to the four main bedrooms of home. There is a spacious master suite complete with private balcony and French doors showcasing the views. The suite features his and her baths complete with walk – in closets, and steam showers. In hers there is a sumptuous soaking tub positioned to make the most of the view. Two additional bedrooms share a bath while the third is en-suite. The laundry room features a second set of stairs leading back to the butler’s pantry, garage and outdoor areas. The lowest level of the home includes a legal second unit complete with kitchen, spacious walk in closet, private entry and patio area. In addition to interior access to the second unit there is a spacious exercise room, the potential for a poolside kitchenette, second laundry room, and secure storage area primed to become a state of the art tasting room/wine cellar. From the main level the spacious entertaining patio leads you out to the magnificent grounds and pool area. Designed by Steve Stucky, the gardens were featured on the 2007 Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club tour. A level lawn leads to the focal point of the grounds; the iconic “Crags Head” outcropping favored by hikers as far back as the 19th century. The perfect place to stop for lunch and take in the spectacular view. The Century old Sonoma Olive trees and lavender plantings add a Mediterranean touch to the two lawn areas that also include an antique fountain, and a charming custom Barbara Butler playhouse. Inspired by Provence and built to exacting standards this charming villa provides an elegant yet welcoming environment designed to meet the needs of today’s active lifestyle while staying true to its Continental roots creating a warm and inviting space ready to call home.