Discover new design ideas every day. Sign up for Dwell’s newsletter
SubscribeSign In
All Photos/outdoor

Outdoor Design Photos and Ideas

The new xeriscaped front garden, designed by local landscape studio Colwell Shelor, creates a desert habitat for local fauna and an inviting space for the homeowners to relax in Adirondack chairs by Loll Designs.
A recirculating water feature adds atmosphere to the backyard with its edibles garden, Hay patio set, and outdoor kitchen and dining room, the latter protected from the sun by an extension of the home's eaves.
Architect and homeowner Christopher Alt designed the home's pivoting sun shades with Thermory wood slats and FritzJurgens hardware.
A firepit is surrounded by what the owners think is their biggest splurge: Kalon Rugosa chairs for $11,263.
"Even though everyone we worked with told us that it was OK to go with smaller pants because they grow so quickly, we were still surprised to see just <i>how</i> quickly a lot of the native plants grew,
Architect Santiago Constantino De Angoitia designed and built an adaptable home for his mother to age in place in on the same lot as his childhood house in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
The courtyard improves cross ventilation, captures natural light, and creates a thermal buffer between the two wings.
The home’s sculptural massing is softened by a series of interior gardens.
Exotic hard woods were purchased from a family nearby in the mountains and used to build the home — Cedro Cimaron for the beams, Chico Zapote for decking, and blonde Macuil for trim, doors and other accents throughout the home.
From the house, there’s 170-degree views of the ocean, as its perched above the palms. Its height allows the family to feel the ocean breeze, and the unique design of the roof allows passive cooling.
One of the splurges of the project, two walls of combed Alaskan Yellow Pine backing the patio, provide an interesting visual contrast to the dark Hardie siding. West Elm furniture adds a modern touch.
An outdoor shower features two tones of tile from Clay Imports. The smaller, blue squares are the same ones used for the pool's trim.
While Bhavani's older son swims as a sport, the entire family—including Lollipop the Pit Bull mix—loves an afternoon in the pool. The architect and her husband chose gravel and hardscape for the backyard, so they didn't have to constantly water a lawn in the Austin heat.
A covered walkway connects the main house (at left) with a flexible-use ADU. The smaller structure was initially offered to Bhavani's parents, but they opted to live under the same roof as the rest of the family.
The raised, covered porch is reminiscent of a Japanese <i>engawa</i>, a veranda-like transitional space that connects the home to the landscape. The renovation expanded views to the lake with new windows in the primary bedroom and bath, and sliders that replaced a standard solid door in the living area.
The couple worked with Third Nature Studio and Modernscapes to refinish the yard, which now sees lots of family get togethers. "The goal was to make the house and the yard all of a piece,
Margaret and William Jensen bought their 1956 Eichler in the Highlands neighborhood in 1988, and lived in it for 35 years before starting a remodel in 2023. The landscaping was completed by Third Nature Studio and Modernscapes.
The renovation added two sliding-glass doors and a new concrete patio.
SHED Architecture + Design helped the owners of this two-acre Silverdale property develop a master plan. It included remodeling the existing 1930s brick house into a two-bedroom guest house for their adult children, then building a second home for themselves (and more guests).
The fixed glass was swapped out for stacking glass doors that open the house to the garden.
The L-shaped Nook House creates private courtyards on the 7,600-square-foot Seattle lot, now home to three structures built over 27 years. AEP Span Nu Wave corrugated siding in black requires zero maintenance, while Loewen aluminum-clad mixed grain fir windows and doors anchor the high-performance envelope.
The second-level terrace was designed to take advantage of Austin’s southeast to northeast prevailing winds.
Homeowner Paul Vanden Bout's favorite spot in the home is the terrace overlooking the Sierra Norte mountains. Here, he and wife Rachel Vanden Bout enjoy a nightly ritual of taking in the view over a cocktail.
An outdoor spa screened by breeze blocks extends off the bathroom in the primary suite.
Paul and Rachel Vanden Bout recently left Virginia to join their son and daughter-in-law—NV Design Architecture principals Tom Vanden Bout and Brenda Nelson—in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The homeowners outfitted the patio with a banquette as well as a beer fridge and bar for parties.
Kris and Kev also wanted a cedar hot tub integrated into the deck.
A rooftop garden and seating area where the family sometimes gather together or with friends.
The view from the aquaponics vegetable garden toward the wing at the far end containing the living room, master bedroom and roof terrace from bottom to top.
A large timber-framed window and sliding glass door connects the inside and outside living spaces.
A 1954 home by Calvin Straub is the centerpiece of a San Marino property developed by Alice Fung and Michael Blatt of Fung + Blatt. Working with the architects, Elysian Landscapes oversaw the design of the gardens.
The temple-like house was influenced by Aztec and Mayan architecture, a combination Wright described as "California Romanza."
The kitchen opens to the dining area, with a table and benches from Facebook Marketplace. The firepit chairs are from Polywood. The circular window has a custom exterior copper trim by Mission Iron Works.
Kevin and Katie enjoy happy hour on their new covered patio. The plantings were inspired by the garden in Mexico where they got married. During the pandemic, "We were like, I want to go on vacation, but we can't, so let's just make our backyard a vacation,
Fung and Blatt worked slowly on the project over five years. But it was a rhythm Mary and Carlton appreciated, as it allowed for the design to emerge in close dialogue with the site.
Most homes in the area have woodburning <i>parrillas</i> to make <i>asados</i>, or barbecues. Ochoa designed his own to be open on both sides, which provides extra heat to the patio during colder days. The deck is made of lapacho, and the ceilings are covered in straw. “It has a Japanese style, and also a beachy style,” says Ochoa.
A side view of Facundo Ochoa’s 1,900-square-foot house, situated on a forested lot near a surfable beach in eastern Uruguay. To create a solid foundation, Ochoa laid ballast over the sandy soil. During construction, he got the idea to cut dozens of eucalyptus trunks to delineate part of the sloping perimeter. “A lot of details were decided on-site,” he says.
The floors are made of white travertine imported from Spain.
Karen White, David MacNaughtan, and their sons, Griffin and Finlay, hang out on the front deckof their narrow home in Toronto’s leafy Roncesvalles neighborhood. A narrow modernist composition of glass panes and purple brick, the house slips like a bookmark between two older buildings, a bright three-story abode on a lot narrower than most suburban driveways.
The cabin is a glowing jewel at night on a hilltop on the remote Keats Island in British Columbia, Canada.
The traditional wooden hot tub in this interior patio is from El Tonel. Whitewashed pine slats line the walls.
A simple, hardscaped back patio is the site of many summer parties. The steps lead down to the firepit, where one feels increasingly embraced by the forest.
The retouched meadow between the house and its detached garage/guest room was given a stone walking path.
A screen porch just off the dining room was added, enhancing the home's indoor-outdoor feel.
Casa Rumeu was designed by Correa Milá Arquitectes in 1963 for the Rumeu family. While it is within walking distance of the center of Cadaqués, it feels separate, surrounded by olive groves. Part of the remodel entailed creating more garden spaces, "especially within the olive tree plantations, which are an important component of the estate’s overall charm,
Orlando designed a custom semi-circular eave to protect the aluminum door frames from sun and rain. It is fabricated from a metal frame covered with cementitious panels.
A pair of freeform polycarbonate overhangs help to protect from sun and rain.
The tiny cabin currently sits on a friend’s property, but it’s designed to be mobile, should the couple need to move it. “It can be dragged away with nothing more than a tractor,” says Nathalie.
The houses are set on a three-acre plot of fertile volcanic land, ideal for growing fruit and vegetables.
"I like that my daughter can come down here to play, and we can also entertain easily,
The family spends much more time together in the rear yard since the renovation.
Haines House by Christopher Polly in Newtown, Australia
The garden is planted with araça, bacupari and aroeira trees, all native varieties.
“We’re always throwing events,” says Paul, so the indoor/outdoor style was a great fit for them.
The primary bedroom cabin sits in a natural clearing amongst the trees, allowing for a water view and copious sunlight. The boulder-studded coast offers gently sloping paths to the ocean for a quick dip.
“You can’t help but relax being in the country,” says Nigel. Jane laughs and jumps in: “Though it’s hard work. We’re always doing something.”
A small backyard camper makes for a fun hideaway when friends and family come to visit.
12345...113