Succulents, grasses and low-water shrubs with vivid foliage give this coastal garden a rich, textured look with minimal maintenance. Exterior colors and furniture selection by Julie McMahon. Photos by Daniel Bosler

Photo of a traditional side yard stone and wood fence formal garden in New York.

Brian Madden
Example of a classic three-story stone gable roof design in New York

Photo by Fredrik Brauer
Example of a mountain style deck design in Atlanta

We planned a thoughtful redesign of this beautiful home while retaining many of the existing features. We wanted this house to feel the immediacy of its environment. So we carried the exterior front entry style into the interiors, too, as a way to bring the beautiful outdoors in. In addition, we added patios to all the bedrooms to make them feel much bigger. Luckily for us, our temperate California climate makes it possible for the patios to be used consistently throughout the year. The original kitchen design did not have exposed beams, but we decided to replicate the motif of the 30" living room beams in the kitchen as well, making it one of our favorite details of the house. To make the kitchen more functional, we added a second island allowing us to separate kitchen tasks. The sink island works as a food prep area, and the bar island is for mail, crafts, and quick snacks. We designed the primary bedroom as a relaxation sanctuary – something we highly recommend to all parents. It features some of our favorite things: a cognac leather reading chair next to a fireplace, Scottish plaid fabrics, a vegetable dye rug, art from our favorite cities, and goofy portraits of the kids. --- Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/functional-ranch-house-design/

A carpet of grass and bluestone provides a relaxing outdoor sitting room - family & friends can sit in the shade while watching tennis on the adjacent court. Photography by Charles Mayer.

Containing family room and bar with space for entertaining, the new building shares a number of both new and renovated outdoor spaces, while both are completely screened from the street by landscaping and trees. The height of the chimney forms an anchor for the design, allowing the main volume of the room to wrap around it. Casey Dunn Photography

Photo by Jamie Sentz
Elegant dining room photo in Baltimore

These beds are raised using stone tread stock set on edge and then back filled with an amended soil mix. Raising the beds makes turning the soil and working in the beds easier. The soil of the raised beds also warms up faster in early spring, allowing the beds to be planted a little earlier in the year. Seen in these beds are tomatoes, peppers and broccoli.

As children, we dream of outdoor hideaways to explore and create new worlds. As adults, we need the same. Dive into a good book, relax in silence and solitude. This is the place outside of your home that IS home.

Ward Jewell, AIA was asked to design a comfortable one-story stone and wood pool house that was "barn-like" in keeping with the owner’s gentleman farmer concept. Thus, Mr. Jewell was inspired to create an elegant New England Stone Farm House designed to provide an exceptional environment for them to live, entertain, cook and swim in the large reflection lap pool. Mr. Jewell envisioned a dramatic vaulted great room with hand selected 200 year old reclaimed wood beams and 10 foot tall pocketing French doors that would connect the house to a pool, deck areas, loggia and lush garden spaces, thus bringing the outdoors in. A large cupola “lantern clerestory” in the main vaulted ceiling casts a natural warm light over the graceful room below. The rustic walk-in stone fireplace provides a central focal point for the inviting living room lounge. Important to the functionality of the pool house are a chef’s working farm kitchen with open cabinetry, free-standing stove and a soapstone topped central island with bar height seating. Grey washed barn doors glide open to reveal a vaulted and beamed quilting room with full bath and a vaulted and beamed library/guest room with full bath that bookend the main space. The private garden expanded and evolved over time. After purchasing two adjacent lots, the owners decided to redesign the garden and unify it by eliminating the tennis court, relocating the pool and building an inspired "barn". The concept behind the garden’s new design came from Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello with its wandering paths, orchards, and experimental vegetable garden. As a result this small organic farm, was born. Today the farm produces more than fifty varieties of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers; many of which are rare and hard to find locally. The farm also grows a wide variety of fruits including plums, pluots, nectarines, apricots, apples, figs, peaches, guavas, avocados (Haas, Fuerte and Reed), olives, pomegranates, persimmons, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and ten different types of citrus. The remaining areas consist of drought-tolerant sweeps of rosemary, lavender, rockrose, and sage all of which attract butterflies and dueling hummingbirds. Photo Credit: Laura Hull Photography. Interior Design: Jeffrey Hitchcock. Landscape Design: Laurie Lewis Design. General Contractor: Martin Perry Premier General Contractors

Dominic Bonuccelli
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern detached studio / workshop shed remodel in Seattle

Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz
Photo of a mid-century modern landscaping in San Francisco.

An arched wood bridge over a dry stream leads you to the Tea House. Barren Strawberry is the groundcover in the foreground.
This is an example of a large asian partial sun backyard stone garden path in Milwaukee.

Example of a beach style patio design in Los Angeles

woodland garden path edged with soapstone, soapstone patio for reading nook
Photo of a traditional shade stone garden path.

David Heald
Pool - farmhouse stone and rectangular pool idea in New York

In Seattle's Fremont neighborhood SCJ Studio designed a new landscape to surround and set off a contemporary home by Coates Design Architects. The narrow spaces around the tall home needed structure and organization, and a thoughtful approach to layout and space programming. A concrete patio was installed with a Paloform Bento gas fire feature surrounded by lush, northwest planting. A horizontal board cedar fence provides privacy from the street and creates the cozy feeling of an outdoor room among the trees. LED low-voltage lighting by Kichler Lighting adds night-time warmth . Photography by: Miranda Estes Photography

Photographer: Michael Del Rossi
Modern black one-story flat roof idea in Boston