The view of the sunset from this breathtaking Cat Mountain composite deck. Designed & built by Jim Odom at Archadeck Austin. Photo Credit: Kristian Alveo & TimberTown

retaining walls, raised gardens, wood decking, wood walkway, custom wood structures, cedar fencing
This is an example of a traditional backyard landscaping in Portland with decking.

Photo by Matt Dahlman
Trendy metal exterior home photo in Minneapolis

Pool - contemporary pool idea in Dallas with decking

This stunning outdoor living space is a true backyard retreat. The custom screened porch, designed to look original to the home, exits to a deck and patio, creating smooth transition from home to yard. The wood deck design incorporates an inset hot tub with additional built-in storage. The storage cabinet sits along one side of the hot tub, creating a place to rest food, drinks, or candles while enjoying the water. The outdoor lighting built into the stair risers create a soft, ambient glow while providing a safe environment for people to move about the deck after the sun goes down. The Unilock patio features Holland Stone pavers in Autumn Red and a built-in Brussel Dimensional Stone fire pit in Limestone color. The triangular shape provides a unique look for the wood burning fire pit., and the placement offers warmth and ambiance for anyone in the hot tub or gathered around fire.

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard stone garden path in Orange County.

Mountain style exterior home photo in New York

Ipee', tiger wood, blind fastened deck. Custom pergola and rails. Added mass to this traditional Georgian style home in West Seattle. 2 directional stairwell with mid point landing add interest to the space

Astonishingly beautiful setting and deck for the best in outdoor living.
Inspiration for a contemporary second story glass railing deck remodel in San Francisco with a fire pit and no cover

Ipe hardwood deck and potting bench; Photo-Mark Edgar
Example of a water fountain deck design in San Diego

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Completed in the summer of 2013, this modern garden is located in Highland Park, Texas just north of Dallas. This garden features a modern edge with a swimming pool, concrete terraces, Ipe wood decks, a unique wood fence an outdoor shade structure with fireplace. The garden also includes and outdoor cooking area with Kalamazoo appliances.

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
Design ideas for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard landscaping in Orange County with decking.

Deck and paving
Example of a mid-sized classic backyard deck design in San Francisco with no cover

casual dining under a tigerwood ceiling on an ipe deck adjacent to a light limestone patio with an outdoor kitchen for a chef designed & built by austin outdoor design photo by ryann ford

Indoor-outdoor courtyard, living room in mid-century-modern home. Living room with expansive views of the San Francisco Bay, with wood ceilings and floor to ceiling sliding doors. Courtyard with round dining table and wicker patio chairs, orange lounge chair and wood side table. Large potted plants on teak deck tiles in the Berkeley hills, California.

Woodridge Deck & Gazebo Co.
Deck - mid-sized traditional backyard deck idea in Chicago with no cover

This four bedroom beach house in Washington's South Sound is all about growing up near the water's edge during summer's freedom from school. The owner's childhood was spent in a small cabin on this site with her parents and siblings. Now married and with children of her own, it was time to savor those childhood memories and create new ones in a house designed for generations to come. At 3,200 square feet, including a whimsical Crow's Nest, the new summer cabin is much larger than the original cabin. The home is still about family and fun though. Above the 600 square foot water toys filled garage, there is a 500 square foot bunk room for friends and family. The bunk room is connected to the main house by an upper bridge where built-in storage frames a window seat overlooking the property. Throughout the home are playful details drawing from the waterfront locale. Paddles are integrated into the stair railing, engineered flooring with a weathered look, marine cleats as hardware, a boardwalk to the main entry, and nautical lighting are found throughout the house. Designed by BC&J Architecture.

Atlanta Decking & Fence
Elegant backyard deck photo in Atlanta with no cover