Example of a mid-sized backyard stamped concrete and custom-shaped lap hot tub design in Boston

Mid-sized trendy backyard stamped concrete and rectangular lap pool fountain photo in St Louis

This Toronto backyard may be small in space but it's big on style. We created two defined living spaces - a dining area on a raised square cut flagstone patio and a sunken living area with a fire table that will add style to any evening ambiance. This space is a perfect extension of the house. It's not only big on style but function as well and makes it perfect for this young family of five. There is a cozy bbq area with bench height stone wall and lounge area for mom or dad, long stretch of grass perfect for throwing the football and dining for the whole family (even the little ones!) When design in small spaces, creating defined rooms and keeping the unity between them can make the space feel larger and much more functional.

Ben Benschinder
Large minimalist brown three-story wood flat roof photo in Seattle

Tamra Mundia CONCEPT DESIGN, INC.
Patio - contemporary patio idea in Orange County with a fire pit and a roof extension

The design brief for this garden was to create an inviting entry with a woodland feel that would complement the home's earthy color scheme and thoughtful architectural details. Majestic Sequoia sempervirens 'Aptos Blue' (Aptos Blue Coastal Redwood), with its pendant deep blue-green branches, shields the expanded porch from the afternoon sun. Selected for its ability to look good in sun or shade, Carex divulsa (Berkeley sedge) makes a lush ground cover, weaving through the trees and along the new slate walk. In fall, muhlenbergia capillaris explodes with feathery pink plumes. Photos by Martin Cox Photography.

This rooftop garden on Manhattan's Upper East Side features an ipe pergola and fencing that provides both shade and privacy to a seating area. Plantings include spiral junipers and boxwoods in terra cotta and Corten steel planters. Wisteria vines grow up custom-built lattices. See more of our projects at www.amberfreda.com.

Photography by Barend Roberts and Victoria Pilcher
Large contemporary two-story exterior home idea

Jerry Finely Photography
Example of a classic stone patio fountain design with a roof extension

This concrete plunge pool installation and finish work involved a collaboration between Soake Pools and Woodburn and Company. Photo credit Vicky Martel, Woodburn and Company

Patio - mid-sized contemporary backyard stone patio idea in Charlotte with a fireplace and a roof extension

Inspiration for a huge modern backyard rectangular pool remodel in Chicago

Amazing interior view from the interior patio connecting the main house with the master bedroom area. The pool becomes the central element that organised the controlled space.

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard gravel hot tub design in Orange County

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

The owners spend a great deal of time outdoors and desperately desired a living room open to the elements and set up for long days and evenings of entertaining in the beautiful New England air. KMA’s goal was to give the owners an outdoor space where they can enjoy warm summer evenings with a glass of wine or a beer during football season. The floor will incorporate Natural Blue Cleft random size rectangular pieces of bluestone that coordinate with a feature wall made of ledge and ashlar cuts of the same stone. The interior walls feature weathered wood that complements a rich mahogany ceiling. Contemporary fans coordinate with three large skylights, and two new large sliding doors with transoms. Other features are a reclaimed hearth, an outdoor kitchen that includes a wine fridge, beverage dispenser (kegerator!), and under-counter refrigerator. Cedar clapboards tie the new structure with the existing home and a large brick chimney ground the feature wall while providing privacy from the street. The project also includes space for a grill, fire pit, and pergola.

Design: Eric Blanz of Blanzscape LLC Photo: Margot Hartford © 2015 Houzz
Example of an island style patio design in San Francisco

Greg Premru
Pool house - large coastal side yard stone and rectangular pool house idea in Boston

Open floor plan great room flows seamlessly to the outdoor patio and pool. Builder – GEF Development, Interiors - Ownby Design, Photographer – Thompson Photographic, Sculpture - Guy Dill.