Front entryway

Project Name: Dawnsknoll

Across from the the master suite loft, a roof deck emerges from the sculptural roof. Complete with built-in seating, the large outdoor space provides a relaxing spot to enjoy views of the neighboring greenspace, Hampton Park.

A mature Japanese maple was preserved during construction. The way we designed the entry sequence, with the front door not facing the street, but rather facing the Japanese maple tree relates to his concept of ‘entrance transition.’ A mature Japanese maple tree was preserved during the construction.

“The darker, midnight blue exterior paint color was used on all of the existing building elements to create more of a dynamic contrast with the new structure, which was painted white," says Ryan. Tomatoes, little gem lettuce, green beans, a tobacco plant, and a few strawberry bushes (tended by the kids) grow in the courtyard.

Landscape designer Bernard Trainor’s creative use of poured-in-place concrete pavers—such as off the living room, where they break up a low-maintenance lawn of June grass—give the irregularly shaped lot a sense of order. Foxtail ferns and blue chalk sticks, a succulent, lend dashes of color to the entry courtyard, while thyme makes for a fragrant accent between the pavers.

The outdoor fire pit.

Semi Outdoor bathroom

Beyond the large pedestrian gate, “which is really the home’s front door,” says Gottschalk, “the house begins to reveal its strong indoor and outdoor relationship. Blurring the boundary between the two is a key design element.”

Unlike other new houses in the Garden Oaks/Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, the Gottschalks embraced a simple, functional pavilion.

Usha and Mike Kreaden had a virtually blank slate when it came to the garden outside the 1958 Joseph Eichler house that they bought in Silicon Valley two decades ago.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden in the Mill Valley home of Dwell founder Lara Hedberg Deam and architect Chris Deam. Photo by Dustin Aksland.

Pavers and succulents in a yard in Malibu, California, help save water.

Stepstone's narrow concrete pavers add a graphic touch to the garden.

Expansive glass doors open onto the main courtyard.

Stone stairs on the perimeter of a main courtyard ascend to a rooftop garden. Large windows on the other side of the living area overlook an enclosed water feature with a statue of a monk.

The glazed facade is broken up by classic midcentury lines.

Entryway outlined by a steel beam