Howard Roberts
Pool - eclectic pool idea in New York

Moving back to the states from suburban London, the owners of this newly renovated house wanted the outdoor space to be as freshly designed as their home, with a sense of privacy for their family to enjoy the spending time together outside. Christine Krause Design Studio set to work opening up the backyard and reviving the shaded, patchy grass by clearing out the overgrown trees and scruffy pines, as well as the outdated planting scheme. Freeing up the area gave room for a new patio crafted from custom rectangular pieces of thermal bluestone set into pea gravel for a modern geometric pattern. The new upper patio features an L-shaped seating wall outdoor dining and entertaining. The seating overlooks the reflective blue of a water rill, recirculating parallel to two staggered rows of planted lavender that mirror the design of the bluestone on gravel. A new pathway leads the children out the yard to play, rounding by the preserved and pruned dogwoods. The contemporary gardens now take inspiration from the owner's’ love of English planting, with boxwood and viburnum, grasses, and perennial garden with a palette of purples, whites and silver grays that they can play with and add on to as they please. This family home now has the coveted English touch in the garden paired with a timeless patio they’ll enjoy for seasons to come.

This overgrown, rectangular yard in San Francisco is home to a young couple, their 3-year-old daughter, and twins that were on the way. Typical of many San Francisco yards, it is accessed from the back deck down a long set of stairs. The client wanted to be able to spend quality time in the yard with her two new babies and toddler. The design includes a play structure, a covered sand box, a small raised planter for playing in the dirt. Due to the limited space, several trellises were added to the side and back fence so that vines could add color surrounding the new play area. Covering an existing concrete pad with cut Connecticut Bluestone enhanced the adult seating area and was surrounded by low maintenance colorful planting beds. A simple but beautiful walkway of stones set in lose pebbles connects these two use areas. Custom lattice was added onto the underside of the deck to hide the large utility area. The existing deck and stairs were repaired and refurbished to improve it’s look and longevity. The clients were very happy with the end result which came in on time and budget just as the twin girls were born.

Mid-sized transitional backyard brick patio fountain photo in San Francisco with no cover

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard stone patio remodel in Toronto with no cover

Jamaica Cottage Shop has designed a building to compete with the pre-fabricated tinker toy sheds found at franchise home supply super stores. We are pleased to offer this popular post and beam design. The 5’0” double doors are large enough to fit a riding lawn mower, ATV, or a couple motorcycles. The versatile shed has been used in many ways from general storage to a play house or turned into a great little potting shed tucked away by the garden.

Howard Roberts
This is an example of an eclectic landscaping in New York.

The Avignon features breathtaking views of Quail West’s Arthur Hills-designed golf course and coveted southern exposure. Fully furnished by Romanza Interior Design, the open floor plan offers a formal dining room, study, second-floor loft and two guest suites with balconies. The kitchen, casual dining area and great room create a large gathering space, with rooms defined by beamed ceilings and archways. The first-floor owner’s suite features a sitting area framed by a rectangular bay window, a coffered ceiling and two large walk-in closets. Sliding glass doors in the master bath reveal a garden area and outdoor shower. The outdoor living areas offer motorized screens and insect control to enjoy uninhibited views of the golf course as you grill from the outdoor kitchen, or enjoy a relaxing swim in the custom pool, which includes a sun shelf and spa.

The Avignon features breathtaking views of Quail West’s Arthur Hills-designed golf course and coveted southern exposure. Fully furnished by Romanza Interior Design, the open floor plan offers a formal dining room, study, second-floor loft and two guest suites with balconies. The kitchen, casual dining area and great room create a large gathering space, with rooms defined by beamed ceilings and archways. The first-floor owner’s suite features a sitting area framed by a rectangular bay window, a coffered ceiling and two large walk-in closets. Sliding glass doors in the master bath reveal a garden area and outdoor shower. The outdoor living areas offer motorized screens and insect control to enjoy uninhibited views of the golf course as you grill from the outdoor kitchen, or enjoy a relaxing swim in the custom pool, which includes a sun shelf and spa.

Lagoon-side property in the Bel Marin Keys, Novato, CA. Entertaining and enjoying the views were a primary design goal for this project. The project includes a large camaru deck with built-in seating. The concrete steps and pavers lead down to the water's edge. I included a sunken patio on one side and a beautiful Buddha statue on the other, surrounded by succulents and other low-water, contemporary plantings. I also used Dymondia ground cover to create a natural pathways within the garden. This project was just completed. More photos will be included in Spring when the plantings fill in. Photos: © Eileen Kelly, Landscape Designer, Dig Your Garden Landscape Design.

Master bath walk-in shower with a hand-cut circular window and ginkgo leaves falling onto the floor.
Walk-in shower - asian beige tile and porcelain tile walk-in shower idea in Portland

The Avignon features breathtaking views of Quail West’s Arthur Hills-designed golf course and coveted southern exposure. Fully furnished by Romanza Interior Design, the open floor plan offers a formal dining room, study, second-floor loft and two guest suites with balconies. The kitchen, casual dining area and great room create a large gathering space, with rooms defined by beamed ceilings and archways. The first-floor owner’s suite features a sitting area framed by a rectangular bay window, a coffered ceiling and two large walk-in closets. Sliding glass doors in the master bath reveal a garden area and outdoor shower. The outdoor living areas offer motorized screens and insect control to enjoy uninhibited views of the golf course as you grill from the outdoor kitchen, or enjoy a relaxing swim in the custom pool, which includes a sun shelf and spa.

The home possesses a myriad of outdoor living spaces including a front balcony and sunken courtyard, side balcony terrace, and rear screened porch and deck above a covered patio. The south side balcony is wrapped with a metal and cedar clad bamboo planter which acts as a privacy screen and shading device. Accessibility was a strong consideration in the design as the homeowners were forward-thinking about aging in place. ADA-sized doorways and thresholds are provided as well as a shelled elevator shaft from the basement level.

Howard Roberts
Pool - eclectic pool idea in New York

Moving back to the states from suburban London, the owners of this newly renovated house wanted the outdoor space to be as freshly designed as their home, with a sense of privacy for their family to enjoy the spending time together outside. Christine Krause Design Studio set to work opening up the backyard and reviving the shaded, patchy grass by clearing out the overgrown trees and scruffy pines, as well as the outdated planting scheme. Freeing up the area gave room for a new patio crafted from custom rectangular pieces of thermal bluestone set into pea gravel for a modern geometric pattern. The new upper patio features an L-shaped seating wall outdoor dining and entertaining. The seating overlooks the reflective blue of a water rill, recirculating parallel to two staggered rows of planted lavender that mirror the design of the bluestone on gravel. A new pathway leads the children out the yard to play, rounding by the preserved and pruned dogwoods. The contemporary gardens now take inspiration from the owner's’ love of English planting, with boxwood and viburnum, grasses, and perennial garden with a palette of purples, whites and silver grays that they can play with and add on to as they please. This family home now has the coveted English touch in the garden paired with a timeless patio they’ll enjoy for seasons to come.

Dimitri Ganas - photographer
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard rectangular and stone lap pool fountain remodel in Baltimore

Howard Roberts
Eclectic pool photo in New York

Pool house - large contemporary backyard tile and rectangular lap pool house idea in New York

This beautiful New York backyard was created by Triumph Pavers using the following products: Pavingstones: The Sherwood Collection, Ledgestone XL in Limestone Quarry Blend Wall System: Olde English Wall System in Limestone Quarry Blend Fire Pit: Pre-Packaged Cambridge Olde English Square Fire Pit Kit Water Feature: Cambridge Rectangular Pre-Packaged Waterfall Kit