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

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless backyard patio kitchen remodel in Chicago with no cover

Transitional backyard deck photo with a fire pit, decking and no cover

We installed a raised garden bed made of redwood with individual timed sprinklers. This is a great contemporary garden with minimal upkeep.
Example of a mid-sized minimalist backyard concrete patio vegetable garden design in Orange County with no cover

This client's home backs up to a beautiful native Beech and Tulip woodland with an intermittent stream running through the middle of the site. After mistakenly over-clearing the natural forest saplings, the once lush woods was now bare. Called in to help re-vegetate the woodland, we designed and created a new path network through the woodland so that the client could enjoy and experience their new garden. Planted with large masses of native perennials, shade grasses and spring bulbs this back yard is now lush once again. Design and Construction: Till Gardens (www.tillgardens.com - 201.767.5858) Photography: John Knowlton/Till Gardens

Rob Bramhall
Pool fountain - huge modern courtyard concrete paver and l-shaped lap pool fountain idea in Miami

Design and Installation, Ian Moore Design, Inc.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary partial sun front yard water fountain landscape in San Francisco.

Photo: Kimberley Bryan © 2016 Houzz
Inspiration for a large farmhouse backyard deck remodel in Seattle

ErIc Rorer
Patio - mid-sized contemporary one-story and backyard patio idea in San Francisco with a fire pit

Inspiration for a huge tropical backyard stone and custom-shaped natural pool house remodel in San Diego

Patio - mid-sized 1960s backyard concrete paver patio idea in Detroit

Nat Rea
Mid-sized beach style backyard water fountain deck photo in Providence with a pergola

The planning phase of this modern retreat was an intense collaboration that took place over the course of more than two years. While the initial design concept exceeded the clients' expectations, it also exceeded their budget beyond the point of comfort. The next several months were spent modifying the design, in attempts to lower the budget. Ultimately, the decision was made that they would hold off on the project until they could budget for the original design, rather than compromising the vision. About a year later, we repeated that same process, which resulted in the same outcome. After another year-long hiatus, we met once again. We revisited design thoughts, each of us bringing to the table new ideas and options. Each thought simply solidified the fact that the initial vision was absolutely what we all wanted to see come to fruition, and the decision was finally made to move forward. The main challenge of the site was elevation. The Southeast corner of the lot stands 5'6" above the threshold of the rear door, while the Northeast corner dropped a full 2' below the threshold of the door. The backyard was also long and narrow, sloping side-to-side and toward the house. The key to the design concept was to deftly place the project into the slope and utilize the elevation changes, without allowing them to dominate the yard, or overwhelm the senses. The unseen challenge on this project came in the form of hitting every underground issue possible. We had to relocate the sewer main, the gas line, and the electrical service; and since rock was sitting about 6" below the surface, all of these had to be chiseled through many feet of dense rock, adding to our projected timeline and budget. As you enter the space, your first stop is an outdoor living area. Smooth finished concrete, colored to match the 'Leuder' limestone coping, has a subtle saw-cut pattern aligned with the edges of the recessed fire pit. In small spaces, it is important to consider a multi-purpose approach. So, the recessed fire pit has been fitted with an aluminum cover that allows our client to set up tables and chairs for entertaining, right over the top of the fire pit. From here, it;s two steps up to the pool elevation, and the floating 'Leuder' limestone stepper pads that lead across the pool and hide the dam wall of the flush spa. The main retaining wall to the Southeast is a poured concrete wall with an integrated sheer descent waterfall into the spa. To bring in some depth and texture, a 'Brownstone' ledgestone was used to face both the dropped beam on the pool, and the raised beam of the water feature wall. The main water feature is comprised of five custom made stainless steel scuppers, supplied by a dedicated booster pump. Colored concrete stepper pads lead to the 'Ipe' wood deck at the far end of the pool. The placement of this wood deck allowed us to minimize our use of retaining walls on the Northeast end of the yard, since it drops off over three feet below the elevation of the pool beam. One of the most unique features on this project has to be the structure over the dining area. With a unique combination of steel and wood, the clean modern aesthetic of this structure creates a visual stamp in the space that standard structure could not accomplish. 4" steel posts, painted charcoal grey, are set on an angle, 4' into the bedrock, to anchor the structure. Steel I-beams painted in green-yellow color--aptly called "frolic"--act as the base to the hefty cedar rafters of the roof structure, which has a slight pitch toward the rear. A hidden gutter on the back of the roof sends water down a copper rain chain, and into the drainage system. The backdrop for both this dining area , as well as the living area, is the horizontal screen panel, created with alternating sizes of cedar planks, stained to a calm hue of dove grey.

a concrete fire pit with black lava rock surrounded by built-in concrete seating and comfortable chaise lounges perfect for relaxing or entertaining designed & built by austin outdoor design photo by ryann ford

The cedar tub relates to the cedar deck, benches and beam screens. This view is from the door of the ADU looking out into the space. The greenhouse like material we used on the fence acts as a changing art piece where the shadows and lights interact with it. I designed it to be modern Shoji like screens.

Large, award winning, raised deck with built-in seating, lighting, and a large fire pit. Design and Construction by Decks by Kiefer. (Photo by Frank Gensheimer)

Photo by Brian Parks www.parkscreative.com
Inspiration for a large timeless backyard stone patio remodel in Seattle with a fire pit and no cover

This stunning patio is constructed of all natural and local materials. The patio itself is Colorado Buff flagstone, the bench is built of Siloam stone, and the seating boulders and natural gas fire pit are Broadmoor boulders

Martin Mann photographer
Patio kitchen - small coastal backyard tile patio kitchen idea in San Diego with a gazebo