Heather Cooper Photography
Elegant backyard mixed material railing deck photo in Atlanta with no cover and a fireplace

In a wooded area of Lafayette, a mid-century home was re-imagined for a graphic designer and kindergarten teacher couple and their three children. A major new design feature is a high ceiling great room that wraps from the front to the back yard, turning a corner at the kitchen and ending at the family room fireplace. This room was designed with a high flat roof to work in conjunction with existing roof forms to create a unified whole, and raise interior ceiling heights from eight to over ten feet. All new lighting and large floor to ceiling Fleetwood aluminum windows expand views of the trees beyond. The existing home was enlarged by 700 square feet with a small exterior addition enlarging the kitchen over an existing deck, and a larger amount by excavating out crawlspace at the garage level to create a new home office with full bath, and separate laundry utility room. The remodeled residence became 3,847 square feet in total area including the garage. Exterior curb appeal was improved with all new Fleetwood windows, stained wood siding and stucco. New steel railing and concrete steps lead up to the front entry. Front and rear yard new landscape design by Huettl Landscape Architecture dramatically alters the site. New planting was added at the front yard with landscape lighting and modern concrete pavers and the rear yard has multiple decks for family gatherings with the focal point a concrete conversation circle with central fire feature. Everything revolves around the corner kitchen, large windows to the backyard, quartz countertops and cabinetry in painted and walnut finishes. The homeowners enjoyed the process of selecting Heath Tile for the kitchen backsplash and white oval tiles at the family room fireplace. Black brick tiles by Fireclay were used on the living room hearth. The kitchen flows into the family room all with views to the beautifully landscaped yards. The primary suite has a built-in window seat with large windows overlooking the garden, walnut cabinetry in a skylit walk-in closet, and a large dramatic skylight bouncing light into the shower. The kid’s bath also has a skylight slot with light angling downward over double sinks. More colorful tile shows up in these spaces, as does a geometric patterned tile in the downstairs office bath shower. The large yard is taken full advantage of with concrete paved walkways, stairs and firepit circle. New retaining walls in the rear yard helped to add more level usable outdoor space, with wood slats to visually blend them into the overall design. The end result is a beautiful transformation of a mid-century home, that both captures the client’s personalities and elevates the house into the modern age.

Interior Design: Bruce Kading | Photography: Landmark Photography
Example of a large french country backyard stone patio design in Minneapolis with no cover and a fireplace

Elegantly attired, this spacious outdoor terrace offers 180-degree views through beautifully arched openings. A brick fireplace with cast-stone surround warms the space on cool nights. Project Details // Sublime Sanctuary Upper Canyon, Silverleaf Golf Club Scottsdale, Arizona Architecture: Drewett Works Builder: American First Builders Interior Designer: Michele Lundstedt Landscape architecture: Greey | Pickett Photography: Werner Segarra https://www.drewettworks.com/sublime-sanctuary/

Charles Hilton Architects & Renee Byers LAPC From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

www.RenderingSpace.com Rendering Space provides high-end Real Estate and Property Marketing in the Pacific Northwest. We combine art with technology to provide the most visually engaging marketing available. Homes by Brent Keys homesbybrentkeys.com

Deck - large traditional backyard deck idea in Charlotte with a roof extension

This freestanding covered patio with an outdoor kitchen and fireplace is the perfect retreat! Just a few steps away from the home, this covered patio is about 500 square feet. The homeowner had an existing structure they wanted replaced. This new one has a custom built wood burning fireplace with an outdoor kitchen and is a great area for entertaining. The flooring is a travertine tile in a Versailles pattern over a concrete patio. The outdoor kitchen has an L-shaped counter with plenty of space for prepping and serving meals as well as space for dining. The fascia is stone and the countertops are granite. The wood-burning fireplace is constructed of the same stone and has a ledgestone hearth and cedar mantle. What a perfect place to cozy up and enjoy a cool evening outside. The structure has cedar columns and beams. The vaulted ceiling is stained tongue and groove and really gives the space a very open feel. Special details include the cedar braces under the bar top counter, carriage lights on the columns and directional lights along the sides of the ceiling. Click Photography

Rushmore’s product line up is growing! Combining a see-through unit with Tru-Flame technology allows the most realistic flame to be enjoyed in two rooms of any home. The Rushmore 40 See-Through features a dual burner that creates a lively fire, InvisiMesh that provides a crystal clear 40-inch viewing area, and an optional stainless steel outdoor kit that can add comfort to any outdoor seating area.

This walk-out patio shares a two-way fireplace with the living room, now that's indoor-outdoor living.
Mid-sized transitional backyard concrete paver patio photo in Minneapolis with a fireplace and no cover

The modern outdoor fireplace in this water front home allows the owners to enjoy their patio year round. Modern designer rocking chairs reflect the design of the exterior. Photography by Ryan Garvin.

Interior Design by Blackband Design 949.872.2234 www.blackbanddesign.com Home Build & Design by: Graystone Custom Builders, Inc. Newport Beach, CA (949) 466-0900

Jim Schmid Photography
Example of a cottage hot tub design in Charlotte

Custom stone outdoor pool patio, hot tub, outdoor kitchen, staircase, walkways, patio and gardens. High end outdoor living on the southern coast of Maine.

We are so excited about this stylish Houston patio addition! It's one of our most recent outdoor living space design projects - and one of our new favorites! We particularly love the rustic corner fireplace, the beautiful, vaulted pine ceiling and the Restoration Hardware furniture and accessories. "Even though this space has an outdoor kitchen - often the highlight of our projects - the focus here is beautiful, comfortable outdoor living," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "And I have to say, I think this is one of the most gorgeous spaces we've created for doing that - in style." "This project was special from the start, as we were creating this space for a friend of Wayne’s who had been a long time mentor to his boys growing up," adds Lisha Maxey, owner of LGH Designs in Houston (she coordinated furniture and finishes for the project). "This client was the principal of their high school and knew all of them very well and Wayne, too. This made it very personal, indeed, and we wanted everything to be perfect!" The 23- by 16-foot addition, located at the back of the house in Cypress, looks out onto a manmade lake in the homeowners' subdivision. The focal point? A 9-foot-8-inch-high-by-7-foot-wide corner fireplace in Earth Grey rustic ledgestone from Colorstone in Houston. The fireplace features a custom wooden mantel, stone bench seating and a 52-inch Sunbrite outdoor TV. Another highlight is the flooring - silver travertine tile laid out in a Versailles pattern. "We chose silver travertine in a 'Tumbled' color palette with variations of cream and brown," says Lisha. "So we had those two colors, plus grey, to pull from." The 7-foot-long, stucco outdoor kitchen island's countertops are also noteworthy - Absolute Black granite in a leathered finish offering a modern look and a dark grey hue that works perfectly with the color palette. The kitchen island also houses an RCS 30-inch grill and fridge. The seating area includes a sectional couch, coffee table, two swivel chairs and two ottomans - all from Restoration Hardware. "We used Restoration Hardware's Biscayne sectional, swivel chairs and ottomans in gray, with textured linen weave in Sand and cushions and peacock accent pillows in gray," says Lisha. The coffee table is made of solid teak with a concrete top - as is the matching side table. "We added a console table, also in teak, behind the sofa. And for accents, we added three Amalfi lanterns from Restoration Hardware in weathered zinc." A Sunbrella® Heathered area rug (in Gray) was added to anchor the space and visually tie it together. "The space as a whole leans towards a transitional style, in that it has many traditional cozy comforts and colors, but the furniture gives it a more contemporary look," says Lisha. "The idea from the beginning was to marry these two styles, as our clients wanted a look that would not age and be in vogue for years to come." On the exterior, you can see how we worked to make the addition blend with the existing home - matching the shingles and stucco and continuing the landscaping. 3D graphic renderings and a virtual video tour allowed the clients to know exactly what the space would look like beforehand. "It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process," says Outdoor Homescapes' graphic designer, Kristy Buell Franks. "Floor plans and elevation drawings are good for giving an idea of the overall scope of the project, but it's the 3D renderings that really show what the space is going to look like." The 3D graphics and video tours also help immensely when choosing finishing materials and furniture, she says: "The clients' choices can be put into the design to allow the clients to see how the materials will work with the existing materials on the house and how the furniture will look in the space." What do you like about this space? Post a comment and let us know!

David Papazian
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard stone patio remodel in Portland with a pergola and a fireplace

This cozy outdoor space was made to feel more like a living room, complete with a custom fireplace. The mortared walls and columns give the sense of enclosure while still leaving access to the rest of the yard. Photo by Linda Oyama Bryan

Landmark Photography
Example of a transitional backyard patio design in Minneapolis with a roof extension and a fireplace

Angle Eye Photography
Patio - small traditional side yard brick patio idea in Wilmington with a roof extension and a fireplace