garden renno

Working with Ryan Moody Design on the backyard, the couple cleared out the weeds, leveled the space, and added a new ipe and galvanized metal fence. A fire pit designed by David Cooke is surrounded by a bench of ipe. Concrete pavers make up the patio.

A gently winding set of exposed aggregate concrete pads leads to the Wabi House’s front door. Mariscal sought to “hide the house behind a dense forest front yard.” As the crape myrtles grow in, they will further filter the home’s facade.

gardens with cedar fence

corten steel planters provide privacy from the street, fabricated by hogtown sheet metal

Chickens foraging in an enclosed garden with vertical planters.

The yard is at the lowest elevation on the property, and was carved out to have a place for the family to play and relax. The turf is by Heavenly Greens. The space features clear heart cedar boards with a reactive stain by Weatherwood Stains. The 30 foot green wall in implemented in segments and features built in drip irrigation. The mirrored solar reflector, which appears to have just dropped out of planetary orbit, grabs southern light and reflects it into the home and exterior spaces.

Wood adirondack chairs surrounding a stone firepit.

The living room leads to a private outdoor patio. Before the renovation, the slightly below grade area was in plain sight to passersby, as it lays adjacent to the public walkway into the building. This less-than-ideal setup was addressed in the redesign by adding a slatted cedar perimeter fence, along with tall trees and shrubs. Clever hidden doors conceal patio storage under the entry walkway.

Cox initially conceived the deck as a conventional surface for relaxing and entertaining. With the bench, however, he seized an opportunity to create something both functional and visually arresting. “You go down these paths and, as the design mutates, other ideas attach themselves and make it stronger and more interesting,” he says.

The simple wood deck features innovative cutouts that allow full-grown Yucca trees to peek through.

An eight-foot-high sliding glass door leads to the backyard's ipe deck, ideal for informal gatherings. The bench cushions are custom from Studio Collins Weir and the tables and chairs are from Design Within Reach.

Techo-Bloc’s Aquastorm pavers are designed to allow grass to grow between them, creating a unique play between the softness of grass and the functionality of concrete. They’re also anti-flood and permeable, making them as functional as they are beautiful.

Combine native plants with rockscapes to create gardens that don’t need excessive irrigation. Here, Techo-Bloc’s Industria 600 series slab in Greyed Nickel was imaginatively used to create contrast between the more organic stones and rocks, as well as functional walkways for seating and a fire pit.

Large paver patios make excellent walkways.

This home is elevated by the dramatic outdoor space, which uses large-scale Techo-Bloc Para tiles as a starting canvas. A scattering of Techo-Bloc Diamond pavers in colors that echo the home’s exterior palette create a dynamic abstract composition that connects the outdoor kitchen to the fire pit and stone bench.

Hexagonal Pavers glisten in a drought-tolerant garden, creating a stunning contrast against the turf.