We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

photos by Trina Roberts 949.395.8341 trina@grinphotography.com www.grinphotography.com
Example of a small classic backyard pool design in Los Angeles

We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

The clients asked us to create a pool which would facilitate her need for wheelchair access. Below the beach entrance is a large cabo shelf as well as a wall tether for securing her chair. They requested subtle colors so we used the Waterfall 'Yosemite' tile color and softer white/grey/beige split faced travertine on the raised bond beam and three water features of 4', and 2 at 1' wide.

We were contacted by a family that had just moved into a home built in the 1960s. The house had that classic “space age” look that was popular in the years that America ran the Space Race with the Soviets. During this time, architects envisioned a future where technology would eventually create a better world, and where Nature would be more or less replaced with human innovation. As such, the contemporary landscape we developed for this home was rather unique in terms of the typical projects we develop. It consisted mainly of a concrete patio and a custom fountain, but it had virtually no vegetation incorporated into its design. This was due to the fact that the homeowners had specifically requested an inorganic look and feel to the landscape that compliment the right-angled geometry and predominantly glass construction of the home. The home was actually built in two linear wings that came together in a sharp right angle, forming a natural courtyard of sorts in the lawn. Since grass was something the homeowners wanted to minimize, we converted this rectangular green space into a contemporary-style concrete patio. We decorated the patio by making diagonal saw cuts in its surface. This had the effect of extending the home’s sense of linear movement by creating intersecting patterns of right angles that mirrored the right angles formed by the house. Then, in the corner where the two wings converged, we removed a rectangular portion of the patio and laid down alternating white and black gravel in a checkerboard of squares. We added just a touch of greenery that lent some--but not too much— of a sense of Nature to the patio and surrounding landscape. We planted a solitary palm tree in the graveled corner, and we placed a contemporary Frank Lloyd Wright planter near one of the far patio corners. Just beyond both wings of the home, we then built small, square planters out of stainless steel edging. We planted Mondo grass in some of these squares, and we filled the rest with moonstones to maintain the sense of minimalism characteristic of custom, contemporary landscapes. We then implemented the second phase of the landscaping project, which consisted of the construction of a highly customized fountain design. The intention in constructing this element was two-fold. First the back of the home had windows so large they looked more like sheer walls of glass than typical windows. Adding a custom, contemporary fountain to the center of the patio would create a feature that would reflect off the glass during the day, and compliment interior lighting when illuminated at night. On a functional level, the fountain was also intended to provide a special recreational area for the children, who loved to play in the water, but who were too young to swim unsupervised in a pool. We decided that the best way to accomplish both tasks was to custom-build a rectangular platform over the fountain jets that could easily support the weight of multiple children. This platform would have to be constructed with both a sturdy frame and a permeable surface that would allow water to penetrate it as it shot up into the air from the jets below. In order to fulfill both functional and safety requirements, we custom designed the fountain platform with two very unique materials. First, we built a frame with very stainless steel bars that would not rust. Then, we selected a very fine mesh made from shredded steel wire that was folded over and over onto itself until all sharp edges were gone. This made the steel feel more like a sea grass rug than a piece of metal when we were finished stretching it over the frame. The design worked beautifully, and allowed part of the water to shoot straight up in streams, but also produced a fine mist that added to the play element of the fountain. To light our custom fountain, we then suspended special luminaires just under its surface to enliven the streams of water and fine sprays of mist that shot up into the night.

Ryann Ford
Design ideas for a modern front yard stone landscaping in Austin.

We took advantage of the tall ceilings by creating a lofted play area above the closet in the kids' bedroom as well as the primary bedroom walk in closet. The lofted space is accessed via ships ladder which can be removed / stored until the kids are old enough to use it unsupervised. Floor to ceiling floral wallpaper act as a backdrop to the vintage painted Jenny Lind bed.

Trendy two-story exterior home photo in Portland

Photo by: Charlie Daniels A cozy patio pairs luxurious outdoor textiles with Chinese artisan pottery to create a quiet retreat.
Example of a trendy patio design in Los Angeles with no cover

photography by Eric Piasecki
Trendy living room library photo in New York with yellow walls

Automatic pool cover, when closed, supports clients’ young children should they walk on it unsupervised. This particular 'rigid slated plastic' pool cover, however, had never been fitted to this type of pool in this part of the world before. www.deckandpatio.com

LEED-H Platinum certified. Florida WaterStar Gold certified. Energy Star and Energy Star IAP+. Florida Friendly Landscape. Photos by Matt McCorteney.
Example of a large tuscan white two-story stucco exterior home design in Tampa with a hip roof

Julie Mikos Photography
Kids' room - contemporary kids' room idea in San Francisco

Bedroom - zen bedroom idea in Hong Kong

THE SETUP This remodeling project transformed a catchall room into a cinema-style theater designed for family entertainment and relaxation. The original space, which housed a small TV, older furniture, and various children’s toys, was reimagined to create a sophisticated, adult-friendly home theater with ample seating and modern amenities. Design Objectives: Create a Dark Theater Space: Ensure the room mimics a traditional movie theater environment. Provide Comfortable Theater Seating: Include enough seating for the family and guests. Integrate a Dry Bar Area: Include a space for snacks and drinks. Optimize Space Utilization: Maintain an open area for additional activities. Design Challenges: Natural light: The room was too bright for a theater setting. Seating: Accommodating six theater seats without obstructing views. Lighting: Ensuring the lighting does not interfere with the viewing experience. AV: Finding a clutter-free solution for AV equipment. Dry Bar: Incorporating a dry bar area without overcrowding the space. Viewing: Ensuring the TV placement allows for comfortable, optimized viewing. THE RENEWED SPACE Design Solutions: Natural Light Control: Installed blackout remote shades on the back window and painted the walls dark charcoal to reduce natural light infiltration. Seating Arrangement: Built a second level for the back row of seating to ensure unobstructed views for all movie watchers. Lighting Design: Installed sconces on either side of the window that shine from the sides (to avoid interfering with the viewing experience). AV Equipment Storage: Utilized existing recess areas with custom shelves matching the cabinetry and concealed cables using a PVC pipe system. Dry Bar Integration: Created a dry bar area on the back wall with a refrigerator, candy storage, and a small counter space for a popcorn machine and ice maker, with locked drawers to prevent unsupervised access. Optimal Viewing Distance: Evaluated multiple floor plans and placed the TV on the most suitable wall to ensure optimal viewing and comfortable reclined seating. Final Thoughts: The completed home theater has been a resounding success, providing a versatile space for the entire family. The thoughtful design and meticulous attention to detail have created a functional and enjoyable home theater that meets diverse needs, from watching movies and playing video games to relaxing and reading. The areas to the sides of the theater seats can accommodate spillover seating or activity zones. The area housing the AV equipment also includes extra shelves for storing snuggle-grade movie viewing blankets. This theater space has become a favorite hangout spot, offering comfort and entertainment for everyone. This is the kid and parent friendly candy-liquor dry bar. It is the home to a mini fridge, ice machine, and popcorn machine. The inspiration behind the custom drawers was the feeling you get walking inot a real theater and seeing all the candy in the glass. Yes, all the drawers actually do lock so the kids can't get into the candy for a midnight snack.

A well-designed privacy fence can make all the difference when it comes to your backyard. In this project, the customer wanted a picture-framed design on the outside and a clean, finished appearance on the inside. With over 250 feet of fence, they'll have more than enough room to let their pups run around unsupervised.