A lovely cedar arbor allows the climbing roses to frame the garden entrance.
Inspiration for a small traditional partial sun backyard stone landscaping in Providence for summer.

Fence Design with Cedar Pergola, copper pipe trellis ,gravel path & bench Jeffrey Edward Tryon
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary shade backyard brick formal garden in New York for fall.

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

Our crews removed decaying concrete paver stoops from each entry. We formed, poured, and pinned into the foundation new concrete stoops, then mortared each with bullnosed bluestone and house brick risers, bringing the exterior materials on par with the home’s craftsmanship.

Detail of a Garage Arbor Mounted on Brick in Utah
Shed - traditional shed idea in Portland

The arbor over the swing is intended to shade the sitting area in this hot yard as the sun comes from the left side of the swing. Evergreen Pandorea vines eventually grew over the top. The style mimicked that of the already existing pergola on the deck. The swing gives the family a resting place to watch people practicing on the putting green.

Dan Wells
Arts and crafts backyard brick patio kitchen photo in Chicago with a pergola

The arbor over the swing is intended to shade the sitting area in this hot yard as the sun comes from the left side of the swing. Evergreen Pandorea vines eventually grew over the top. The style mimicked that of the already existing pergola on the deck. The swing gives the family a resting place to watch people practicing on the putting green.

A custom built patio cover creates a comfortable area to entertain friends, spend time with your family or just relax after a long day...in any weather. Adding a covered patio in your backyard is a great way to extend your outdoor living area while staying protected from the sun and rain. Let us design and build a custom wood or aluminum patio cover for your backyard. That's our motto, Creating Comfort for Outdoor Living...with Affordable Shade! Patio cover products for the following areas: patio cover houston tx, patio cover katy tx, patio cover cinco ranch tx, patio cover woodlands tx, patio cover Baytown tx, patio cover humble tx, patio cover league city tx, patio cover fulshear tx, patio cover richmond tx, patio cover sugar land tx, patio cover rosenberg tx, patio cover cypress tx, patio cover fairfield, patio cover memorial, patio cover jersey village, patio cover tomball, patio cover spring tx, patio cover bentwater, patio cover westheimer, patio cover porter tx, patio cover kemah tx, patio cover Crosby tx, patio cover spring branch tx, patio cover Friendswood tx, patio cover kingwood tx, patio cover liberty tx, patio cover Deer park tx, patio cover magnolia, patio cover Missouri city tx, patio cover pearland, patio cover Rosharon tx, patio cover manvel tx, patio cover brookshire tx, patio cover LaPorte tx, patio cover seabrook tx, Covered patio Houston tx, covered patio katy tx, covered patio cinco ranch tx, covered patio the woodlands, covered patio Baytown tx, covered patio humble tx, covered patio league city tx, covered patio seabrook tx, covered patio LaPorte tx, covered patio brookshire tx, covered patio manvel tx, covered patio Rosharon tx, covered patio pearland tx, covered patio Missouri city tx, covered patio magnolia tx, covered patio deer park tx, covered patio liberty tx, covered patio kingwood tx, covered patio Friendswood tx, covered patio spring branch tx, covered patio Crosby tx, covered patio kemah tx, covered patio porter tx, covered patio bentwater tx, covered patio spring tx, covered patio tomball tx, covered patio jersey village tx, covered patio memorial tx, covered patio Fairfield tx, covered patio cypress tx, covered patio rosenburg tx, covered patio sugar land tx, covered patio Richmond tx, covered patio fulshear tx, outdoor living room katy tx, outdoor living room houston tx, outdoor living room cinco ranch, outdoor living room the woodlands, outdoor living room baytown, outdoor living room richmond, outdoor living room fulshear tx, outdoor living room league city tx, outdoor living room sugar land tx, outdoor living room rosenberg tx, outdoor living room cypress tx, outdoor living room friendswood, outdoor living room memorial, outdoor living room jersey village, outdoor living room tomball, outdoor living room spring, outdoor living room pearland, outdoor living room humble, outdoor living room Pasadena tx, outdoor living room porter, outdoor living room liberty, outdoor living room clear lake shores, outdoor living room seabrook tx, outdoor living room fulshear, pergola Houston, pergola katy, pergola magnolia, pergola league city, pergola Richmond, pergola Baytown, pergola cypress, pergola cinco ranch, pergola tomball, pergola the woodlands, pergola pearland, pergola deer park, pergola humble, arbor Houston, arbor katy, arbor the woodlands, arbor jersey village, arbor Richmond, arbor pearland, arbor friendswood, arbor Baytown, arbor humble, arbor liberty, outdoor kitchen Houston, outdoor kitchen katy, outdoor kitchen the woodlands, outdoor kitchen Richmond, outdoor kitchen pearland, outdoor kitchen kemah, outdoor kitchen tomball, outdoor kitchen league city, outdoor kitchen sugar land, patio roof Houston, patio roof katy, patio roof tomball, patio roof sugar land, patio roof humble, patio roof pearland, carport Houston, carport katy, carport woodlands, carport Baytown, car port fulshear,

Create an inviting outdoor room with the imaginative combination of an airy pergola attached to an arbor with vertical/horizontal lattice panels.
Example of a classic patio design in Boston

A custom pergola frames the stone fireplace and hearth to define a contemporary outdoor dining space. The fireplace design includes large field stones in an irregular pattern that echos the flagstone patio. The pergola consists of four round tapered columns with cedar wood beams and cross sections.

This pergola was designed for this newly constructed yard for various reasons. It helps define the dining area, provides some shade as is and the client will decide whether to add a shade cloth over the top if more shade is desired, and provides heat when the trimline heaters are added after the new electrical panel is installed. The arched and open design keeps the inside of the house bright and provides shade without feeling claustrophobic.

A custom built patio cover creates a comfortable area to entertain friends, spend time with your family or just relax after a long day...in any weather. Adding a covered patio in your backyard is a great way to extend your outdoor living area while staying protected from the sun and rain. Let us design and build a custom wood or aluminum patio cover for your backyard. That's our motto, Creating Comfort for Outdoor Living...with Affordable Shade! Patio cover products for the following areas: patio cover houston tx, patio cover katy tx, patio cover cinco ranch tx, patio cover woodlands tx, patio cover Baytown tx, patio cover humble tx, patio cover league city tx, patio cover fulshear tx, patio cover richmond tx, patio cover sugar land tx, patio cover rosenberg tx, patio cover cypress tx, patio cover fairfield, patio cover memorial, patio cover jersey village, patio cover tomball, patio cover spring tx, patio cover bentwater, patio cover westheimer, patio cover porter tx, patio cover kemah tx, patio cover Crosby tx, patio cover spring branch tx, patio cover Friendswood tx, patio cover kingwood tx, patio cover liberty tx, patio cover Deer park tx, patio cover magnolia, patio cover Missouri city tx, patio cover pearland, patio cover Rosharon tx, patio cover manvel tx, patio cover brookshire tx, patio cover LaPorte tx, patio cover seabrook tx, Covered patio Houston tx, covered patio katy tx, covered patio cinco ranch tx, covered patio the woodlands, covered patio Baytown tx, covered patio humble tx, covered patio league city tx, covered patio seabrook tx, covered patio LaPorte tx, covered patio brookshire tx, covered patio manvel tx, covered patio Rosharon tx, covered patio pearland tx, covered patio Missouri city tx, covered patio magnolia tx, covered patio deer park tx, covered patio liberty tx, covered patio kingwood tx, covered patio Friendswood tx, covered patio spring branch tx, covered patio Crosby tx, covered patio kemah tx, covered patio porter tx, covered patio bentwater tx, covered patio spring tx, covered patio tomball tx, covered patio jersey village tx, covered patio memorial tx, covered patio Fairfield tx, covered patio cypress tx, covered patio rosenburg tx, covered patio sugar land tx, covered patio Richmond tx, covered patio fulshear tx, outdoor living room katy tx, outdoor living room houston tx, outdoor living room cinco ranch, outdoor living room the woodlands, outdoor living room baytown, outdoor living room richmond, outdoor living room fulshear tx, outdoor living room league city tx, outdoor living room sugar land tx, outdoor living room rosenberg tx, outdoor living room cypress tx, outdoor living room friendswood, outdoor living room memorial, outdoor living room jersey village, outdoor living room tomball, outdoor living room spring, outdoor living room pearland, outdoor living room humble, outdoor living room Pasadena tx, outdoor living room porter, outdoor living room liberty, outdoor living room clear lake shores, outdoor living room seabrook tx, outdoor living room fulshear, pergola Houston, pergola katy, pergola magnolia, pergola league city, pergola Richmond, pergola Baytown, pergola cypress, pergola cinco ranch, pergola tomball, pergola the woodlands, pergola pearland, pergola deer park, pergola humble, arbor Houston, arbor katy, arbor the woodlands, arbor jersey village, arbor Richmond, arbor pearland, arbor friendswood, arbor Baytown, arbor humble, arbor liberty, outdoor kitchen Houston, outdoor kitchen katy, outdoor kitchen the woodlands, outdoor kitchen Richmond, outdoor kitchen pearland, outdoor kitchen kemah, outdoor kitchen tomball, outdoor kitchen league city, outdoor kitchen sugar land, patio roof Houston, patio roof katy, patio roof tomball, patio roof sugar land, patio roof humble, patio roof pearland, carport Houston, carport katy, carport woodlands, carport Baytown, car port fulshear,

Example of a classic gravel patio design in Charlotte with no cover

Pergola design by John Algozzini and Cara Buffa.
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard stone patio remodel in Chicago with a fire pit and a pergola

The homeowners desired an outdoor space that felt more rustic than their refined interior spaces, but still related architecturally to their house. Cement plaster support arbor columns provide enough of visual tie to the existing house exterior. Oversized wood beams and rafter members provide a unique outdoor atmosphere. Structural bolts and hardware were minimized for a cleaner appearance. Structural connections and supports were engineered to meet California's stringent earthquake standards. Ali Atri Photography

Example of a classic wood exterior home design in San Francisco

Mid-sized cottage patio photo in San Francisco

Nick Sargent
Example of a trendy pool design in Miami