There are an infinite number of possible designs, and outdoor fire pits no longer need to be just a round pile of rocks. I work with several basic styles of gas fed fire pits when I design outdoor gardens to enchant my clients. The popularity of fire pits and the fire effects they produce in the garden is one of fastest growing trends in outdoor design. The allure of sitting around a fire ring has been around since the beginning of mankind. Fire provides warmth, light, a cooking source and, of course relaxation. A dancing flame has a mesmerizing affect that encourages you to unwind and settle in. The popularity of fire pits, or conversation pits as they are commonly called, has grown rapidly in recent years. Proper design and construction will ensure a safe and enjoyable feature that will last several decades This fully equipped outdoor kitchen is separate from the rest of the living space, allowing the two areas to be utilized entirely on their own. outdoor kitchens are most efficient when it's zoned into logical uses. your cook space should have plenty of prep space, room to set down utensils and stage ingredients, and a comfortable buffer from the seating island to keep guests protected from the heat.

Sometimes what you’re looking for is right in your own backyard. This is what our Darien Reno Project homeowners decided as we launched into a full house renovation beginning in 2017. The project lasted about one year and took the home from 2700 to 4000 square feet.

Front door of Jasmine home.

Front door exterior of the Kirby home.
Home design - traditional home design idea in Austin

Look at this beautiful backyard putting green. Create your very own backyard retreat with a personal, customized putting green. Visit the AlternaScapes website for more information: www.JustLikeGrass.com.

An open living room area with natural colored flooring, ceiling fan, and numerous windows for beautiful lighting! To design your own Brookshire plan, go visit https://www.gomsh.com/plans/two-story-home/brookshire/ifp.

write your own story. Brooklyn-based designer Ceci Thompson angles a graphic take on keeping it together. Envisioned as one part geometric wall art, one part interactive organizer, four triangles align four different surfaces: cork, white dry erase board, chalkboard and mirror. Jot to-do's, pin photos and check your reflection in any configuration you choose. Arrives ready to make your mark with a dry erase marker, chalk and six magnets.

Stephanie Barnes-Castro is a full service architectural firm specializing in sustainable design serving Santa Cruz County. Her goal is to design a home to seamlessly tie into the natural environment and be aesthetically pleasing and energy efficient.

Whether your landscape style is formal, Mediterranean, modern or eclectic, what really brings it to life are the plants! Sun and shade plantings, drought-tolerant gardens, and exciting container combinations work in harmony with hardscape to create the perfect look for each of our clients based on their own unique style. If time has taken its toll on your garden, we can give you a fresh new look.

Nursery - mid-sized transitional gender-neutral carpeted and beige floor nursery idea in Chicago with blue walls

This is our first time decorating a house. Starting from knowing nothing at all to now having the hard decoration completed, we have experienced every emotion along the way—anxiety, doubt, tiredness, hesitation, joy, satisfaction, and touch. We learned and explored on our own, and bit by bit, we finished decorating our home. We’ve accumulated so much experience in this process, and now we want to share it, hoping it can be of a little help to all of you who are doing your own home decoration. Preparations in Advance 1、Clarify your own ideas: Whether you are looking online, talking to designers, or copying ideas from friends' homes, you should have a clear vision of what your home should look like before designing—such as the style, color scheme, and elements to be used... It is crucial to avoid wanting to install everything that looks good in others' homes in your own. This way, you can clearly put forward your requirements during the design and decoration process, and also avoid frequent revisions to the plan, which may lead to unnecessary rework. 2、Understand your own needs: You need to first figure out the needs of your family, such as how many people live in the house permanently, how many rooms are needed, everyone's living habits, and daily preferences... A home is always for living in, so functionality is always the most important. It is best to list these needs and give priority to meeting them during the design and decoration. This way, you won't find out after decoration that many necessary things are missing, while a bunch of installed things are useless. 3、Determine your budget: There are ways to decorate with more money, and also ways to do it with less. No matter how much money you have, the decorated house can be both beautiful and practical. Therefore, it is essential to decide exactly how much you want to spend on decoration. In every link, such as designing the plan, making a budget table, selecting materials, and construction, you should act in accordance with your own budget. 4、Understand the advantages and disadvantages of your house: There is no perfect house in the world, and every house has its pros and cons. Your design plan should avoid its shortcomings and amplify its advantages. I once wrote an article about the drawbacks of my house ("My house is not perfect, but I still want to find ways to save it"), so we figured out solutions to these problems during the decoration. 5、Learn as much decoration knowledge as possible in advance: Although you can pick up this knowledge in the subsequent decoration process, it is better to learn more beforehand. This will make you much more calm when facing problems. 6、Know your strengths: Before decoration, you must be clear about what you are good at and what you are not. If you are good at design, do the design yourself; if you are skilled at bargaining, go buy building materials on your own; if you have strong hands-on ability, you can even do the decoration and repairs yourself... During the decoration process, you should focus on what you are good at, and leave what you are not good at to others.

Outdoor bocce, basketball, pickleball, and sports courts. Permeable gravel foundations that are wheelchair accessible, weed-free, and easy to install & maintain

Creating your outdoor living space means claiming your own little slice of nature and customizing it to suit your lifestyle and enhance your daily routine. Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than sitting on your favorite patio chair, feeling the warm sun mixed with a cool breeze, and smelling the fragrant flowers blossoming in your garden. Imagine how much more time you would spend outside if you had your very own cabana, bungalow, pergola, sunroom or pool house to enjoy! (800) 789-7510! Www.westernoutdoordesign.com

Creating your outdoor living space means claiming your own little slice of nature and customizing it to suit your lifestyle and enhance your daily routine. Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than sitting on your favorite patio chair, feeling the warm sun mixed with a cool breeze, and smelling the fragrant flowers blossoming in your garden. Imagine how much more time you would spend outside if you had your very own cabana, bungalow, pergola, sunroom or pool house to enjoy! (800) 789-7510! Www.westernoutdoordesign.com

This spa with specialty coping around it is every home owners dream. Walk out into your backyard to your very own retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the day. Equipped with an automatic safety cover and automatic heat/chemical dispersal this spa pretty much takes care of itself!

What fairy tale home isn't complete without your very own elevator? That's right, this home is all the more accessible for family members and visitors.

This is an example of a traditional porch design in Philadelphia.

This new 2,336 sq ft home features a modern design on the interior and a heritage style outside entrance, perfect for sitting on your front porch. This beautiful home has all of the room you and your family need to share space, yet have your own privacy. Photos by Tara Zaal