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5177 Outdoor Design Photos And Ideas

The new deck is ensconced in the mature landscaping. "It creates this enclosure around the deck that is just really nice," says Rossi. The home also has a 100-square-foot detached studio.
Prior to the remodel, "There was no connection between the beautiful backyard with the interior space," says Rossi. She opened up the kitchen wall and added the tall, salvaged glass doors to remedy that.
The overgrown backyard made way for a new patio for alfresco dining while leaving plenty of space on the lawn for the boys’ soccer games.
The outdoor furniture is by Taller Capitán.
An overall industrial feel is tempered by walls of oak cabinetry, fabricated by MOAA.
A three-story mahogany screen partially veils the backyard retreat designed by Flavin Architects for Ed and Kathy Kelly in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Incorporating a renovated garage, it includes both closed and open spaces and a potted rooftop garden. The garage door is by Garaga and the Exotic Red paint is from Benjamin Moore.
In Sunnyvale, California, architect Ryan Leidner cracked open a 1962 Eichler with a crisp remodel flush with foliage. He replaced the home’s vertical plywood facade with one-inch strips of American red cedar set at two depths. The rhythmic slats conceal a garage door that swings open on a hidden hinge. At the entryway, two massive panes of frosted glass shimmer with light and shadow from the atrium inside. Homeowners Isabelle Olsson and Matthaeus Krenn stand out front.
The living area has a PK22 chair by Poul Kjaerholm and a Float sofa and Zoe rug from Paola Lenti’s outdoor collection. Pietre Del Nord porcelain stoneware from Emser Tile runs from the patio through the house.
The living area has a PK22 chair by Poul Kjaerholm and a Float sofa and Zoe rug from Paola Lenti’s outdoor collection. Pietre Del Nord porcelain stoneware from Emser Tile runs from the patio through the house.
“We drew a lot of inspiration from the house itself, but we tried to push it a bit further. We wanted to figure out a way to open the back elevation completely,” says Leidner.
A pathway winds between a pair of Japanese maples and a myrtle tree that dates to the home’s original construction. The floor-to-ceiling windows and sliders are by Fleetwood.
“The atrium is the first place you enter,” says Leidner. “Traditionally, it’s a hardscaped area with some potted plants, but we wanted it to be more like a full garden, right in the middle of the house.”
Designed by Foundation Landscape Design, the concrete pool surround also features built-in seating that wraps around a fire pit.
Outside, an entertainer's paradise awaits. The backyard includes multiple lounging areas, a salt-water pool, as well as a detached guest house.
The spiral staircase connects both units to the backyard space. "The vertical stair provides an efficient path for her two young nephews to slip directly down from their kitchen to the back yard to play or for group barbecues with the extended family," says the firm.
At night, carefully orchestrated lighting illuminates the house like a lantern in nature.
On the valley side, the terrace steps down as a series of wide bleachers that double as casual seating for enjoying the scenery. The plan also sets the railings below the main floor, so that the interior offers unobstructed views of the landscape.
One of the building challenges was transportation through the steep and windy roads to the isolated site, which is 0.5km away from Cornwall, one of Connecticut's smallest towns.
Carstensen landscaped the backyard and added a simple fire pit circle with chairs. He updated the deck, replacing the vertical posts with screens to create a more open feeling.
"Since we're completely off grid we operate off of hauled water, so we have three 1,800 gallon tanks that get filled up every other week. But for those same reasons, people off the grid don't really have pools because they're hard to maintain, but we did it anyway."
Viewed from above, the house shows off its multiple outdoor entertaining areas and lush vegetation
Tucked behind the living room near the back parking area (screened by a hedge), the pool and small deck become an extension of the great room.
Regarded as one of the masters of post-war Catalan modernism, José Antonio Coderch was born in Barcelona where his father was chief engineer at the city port. He fought in the Spanish Civil War before completing his studies in 1940. Casa Ugalde was one of Coderch’s early residential projects, yet it demonstrated great maturity and ambition. The house is sometimes compared to the work of Oscar Niemeyer in its dextrous use of topography—it combines linear elements with sinuous lines and adeptly fuses indoor and outdoor space.
The stone-edged fire pit is a family favorite. "We do s'mores around the fire every time we go, walk the golf course at night, and love watching the sunsets against the pink mountains," she says.
The outdoor shower is located right off the main balcony and living room.
The roof terrace provides a private place to eat outdoors, as well as a view of the picturesque countryside.
Strategically located on the western rock, the sauna includes a roof terrace with a view of the inner archipelago.
Two parallel pitches expose the central living/dining room to outside air via sliding glass doors. The low openings give the impression of a tent that’s been propped up to reveal what’s going on inside.
Living spaces face the sunny northern garden while storage and service spaces are located to the south of the plan.
The exterior materials are simple and refined. Brickwork and timber-framed openings meet minimal, structural steel awnings, significantly reducing construction cost while also creating a unique pattern and material beauty to display.
"The client’s goals were to create an open and light-filled home that maximized views of the Coachella Valley below and the Santa Rosa mountains to the south and west," says designer Stuart Silk Architects. Thunderbird Heights Residence enjoys a fluid connection between the primary indoor rooms and the outdoor terraces both for entertaining and casual outdoor living.
The same gray bricks were used inside and out for visual consistency.
The entry gate now functions as the front door to the residence. The front courtyard doubles as the garage. On the left, the gray roof of the veranda flows downward to obscure the functional spaces behind it, including wash rooms and a service room.
The focal point of the terrace is one large potted frangipani tree. The planted edge against the brick wall works to visually soften the space.
The clients had a very clear brief for the outdoor areas. The courtyard was to have at least one large palm tree, which would be clearly visible from the living space, and it was important that the space could be viewed from above and also below from the street entry.
The outdoor spaces—including a courtyard with a small pool—were formed by simply removing the original roof toward the end of the construction, allowing dry working conditions for the majority of the construction period.
The smooth cladding on the front facade is Cemintel Barestone. “This is one of our favorite materials,” says Spencer. “It’s a weather-rated fiber cement sheet that doesn’t require painting.” This is contrasted with the darker, textured Equitone through-colored facade panels that ground the home.
To most eyes, Ezequiel Farca’s 1970s-style concrete home in Mexico City looked like a teardown. Even the lot itself—shallow and crammed against a steep hillside—wasn’t particularly alluring. But Farca saw through all the restraints to create a spa-like refuge in one of the world’s most energetic cities. "It’s is such a hectic place. You’re bombarded by so much information the moment you step into the streets," says Farca, who first gained prominence as a furniture and interior designer. "So we envisioned this house as a retreat, a kind of a temple." The rooftop courtyard is lined with a verdant mix of indigenous plants, including banana trees, palm trees, lion’s claw, Mexican breadfruit, and native vines. The chaise longues were designed for Farca’s EF Collection.
After: The rehabilitated stables building now houses a family room, garage, and several bedrooms, and easily connects to the central courtyard.
The Stahl House has been featured in numerous movies and photoshoots and was immortalized by photographer Julius Shulman.
The Northern Lights outdoor hot tub and sauna top off this wooded retreat.
Although the exterior material connects the new addition back to the house, it distinguishes itself in form with an arched, load-bearing roof. The high ceilings allow light into the new kitchen, dining, and work spaces.
During the off-season, the cabins are shut with a wood sliding door shutter system.
Glass sliders lead to a 200-square-foot cedar deck that overlooks the Straight of Georgia.
The slender timber columns supporting the "gallery"—an outdoor living space—are a subtle nod to the surrounding forest.
The large social space at the center of the home opens out to views of the surrounding trees and the pool.
Even in the chilly evenings, guests spend ample time on the deck thanks to a warming fire pit.
A table and chairs encourage alfresco dining on the deck.
Enclosed by thick landscaping, a large circular table provides a private setting for memorable al fresco dining.
A stainless-steel outdoor kitchen awaits.
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Whether it's a backyard patio, an infinity pool, or a rooftop terrace, these modern outdoor spaces add to the richness of daily life. Escape into nature, or get lost in city views. Wherever you are, let these outdoor photos take you somewhere new with inspirational ideas for yards, gardens, outdoor tubs and showers, patios, porches, and decks.