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630 Outdoor Gardens Design Photos And Ideas

If you already have a projector, white sheets and some popcorn are all you need to create your own outdoor cinema. Alternatively, you can set up a backyard screening with a monitor, TV stand, and an extension cord.
A new metal roof syncs with the addition’s metal siding and knits the changes together.
The rock garden on the first-story roof canopy offers contemplative views to rooms on this side of the house.
“The multilayered approach to this house—the use of healthy materials, the prefab, the relation to nature—has definitely changed our practice,” says Laura Briggs, architectural designer.
As the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day usually draws crowds to beaches, parks, and campgrounds—it goes without saying, however, that this year, things will look different. With stay-at-home orders just starting to loosen up in some parts of the country, this long weekend calls for some creativity, and offers a chance to cultivate a greater understanding and appreciation for the holiday’s true meaning. Below, you’ll find some ideas for spending this Memorial Day with family while staying at a safe social distance from others.
The backyard evokes the serenity of a Japanese Zen garden with a beautiful leaning tree and a shou sugi ban shed.
"The H-shaped plan and outbuildings create an assemblage of forms that celebrates the site and creates a continuing sense of surprise," Epstein adds.
A gravel trail winds through greenery into the entryway of the home, reinforcing the parklike nature of the site.
"The patios, yard, and pool were all designed to support an active social life for the homeowners’ children and friends and to make the place a hub of activity," Epstein says.
Raised beds and containers are excellent choices for beginners, as you can avoid remedying your existing soil and ensure your new crops are receiving the appropriate nutrients via new potting soil.
The living roof is planted with a combination of natural grasses and succulents. From the roof, there is a panoramic view over San Francisco to the East Bay. To the west is the instantly recognizable Sutro Tower.
Olympia Prairie Home exterior
One of the home’s water features adorns a space between the bedrooms and main home. "We treat all the water from the house to clean them for irrigating the rest of the house," relates Elizarraras.
The home features expansive views of the open landscape, as well as enclosed courtyards that offer privacy and protection at night.
At the rear of the house, sculptural terraces are softened by plantings designed by Delphine Huetz. The sliding glass doors are by Fleetwood and the Carbon counter stools on the roof deck are by Bertjan Pot for Moooi.
“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.”
Viewed from above, the house shows off its multiple outdoor entertaining areas and lush vegetation
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.
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.
Painted on the glass-enclosed terrace, one of her works adds a pop of color to the stark exterior, as does the garden below. “The garden is a mass of color, like a large outdoor painting,” says Tito.
Artist Cori Creed sits at the center of the vacation home in rural British Columbia that she and her husband, Craig Cameron, built with their friend and architect, Kevin Vallely. Dubbed WingSpan House, the split structure opens up to a large courtyard and stunning views of Skaha Lake. “It’s almost like an embrace,” says Vallely. “It’s like the two wings are capturing the heart of the home.”
The 400-square-foot outdoor space, a rarity in New York City, was designed to feel like a California oasis. "It's the perfect spot to kick back and entertain," Becky says.
designed by Estúdio Minke
designed by Estúdio Minke
In contrast to the street façade, with its ribbon windows and metal screen, the rear of the house opens up to the natural landscape and views of downtown Austin via large windows and cantilevered terraces.
Rear Addition
New Rear Facade
New Rear Facade from Existing Detached Garage
Located in Merida’s historic downtown district, this 1560-square-foot house is an oasis in the city. Indoor/outdoor living serves as the foundation of the project’s design, and regional materials and textures provide a sense of identity.
Another lush patio area just off the kitchen offers a pergola-topped outdoor kitchen and bar. Other features of the backyard include a fire pit, raised-bed gardens, and matured fruit trees.
Built in 1962, Steel House #4 is one of the seven steel-and-glass prefab homes designed by Wexler and Richard Harrison.
The original limestone walls were cleaned up, and the new design bookends the apartment with courtyard spaces.
The central patio acts as an introspection space
The mirrored glass creates a game of reflections between the old and new elements.
The 12 apartments are arranged around the original central patio
Surrounding by palm trees, the backyard features a pool and spa plus multiple spaces for outdoor entertaining. There are also spectacular mountain views.
A built-in fire pit and sunken lounge seating offer a comfortable area to sit fireside. The built-in furniture references the interior design, creating a harmony between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Aegean Pool House’s expansive roof structure shelters the indoor/outdoor living spaces beneath it. A freestanding stone fireplace anchors the west side of the living and dining area.
At a home in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Besonías Almeida Arquitectos were asked by the client to design a home built with exposed concrete that also incorporated wood to "break the monochromatic expression." The resulting design not only incorporated the two materials together, but also inextricably linked them by using board-formed concrete that expresses the texture and grain of the wood boards from the mold, but in a horizontal orientation in contrast to the verticals of the wood panels.
The landscaped property features several lush gardens and paved dining areas. Hidden behind mature beech hedging, this outdoor area offers a sheltered loggia for al-fresco dining.
A fish pond creates a microclimate to help naturally cool the 3,326-square-foot house.
The living area opens to the main garden and a small outdoor terrace via large sliding glass doors.
"Fabio is a triathlete and wanted a lap pool, and it also serves as a sort of plunge pool for the family," Sweet says. "It has a mechanical system that essentially turns the pool into a treadmill for his training." Western red cedar was used throughout the interior ceilings, and polished concrete flooring continues outside as pavers.
Christoph Kaiser, principal at Kaiserworks, reimagined a 1955 grain silo as a 340-square-foot home in Phoenix, Arizona. The corrugated, steel-clad house is 18 feet in diameter and features a 26-foot-high ceiling and a 17-foot operable slot window that fames views of the city. While the exterior displays a wonderfully industrial aesthetic, the interior is surprisingly cozy. "I wanted a warm interior, almost if you designed Wurlitzer to tend to all human needs and then slid it into one cylinder," says Kaiser, who employed built-in furniture, a spiral staircase, and a mezzanine bedroom with an in-wall projector for the ideal movie-watching experience.
Tech CEO and billionaire Elon Musk just listed the smallest of his four L.A. homes—and it's larger than life.
Eichler’s double A-frame models are rarely available and are highly coveted due to their design and extra square footage. Measuring in at 2,000 square feet—not including the spacious atrium—this model boasts five bedrooms and two full baths. The home also features soaring tongue-and-groove ceilings, expansive glazing, and globe pendant lights throughout.
The home has 1,506 square feet of living space and a beautifully landscaped backyard, which features one of the home's highlights—a detached, 120-square-foot studio designed to match the main house.
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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.