All Photos/outdoor/locations : back yard/patio, porch, deck : small

423 Outdoor Back Yard Small Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos And Ideas

The House features a seating area and fire pit by the main entrance. "It’s a great way to experience the peace and serenity of the outdoors," says Tarah.
In this home in Venice Beach, California, every interior space is accompanied by an outdoor room. The homeowners often dine on the patio adjacent to the kitchen. The rooms are intimately scaled but feel expansive due to their visual and physical connection to the environment.
Work-at-home architect Oliver Dang, founder of Six Four Five A, built a cozy backyard studio with cedar panels and a vast storage system. Sunlight streams through the angled skylight, warming the birch plywood interior.
The decked patio and pool area is shaded by olive and pomegranate trees.
Fittingly named the Courtyard House, the residence features a large outdoor space tucked underneath the cantilevered upper level, providing a quiet and shaded area for Lalita to enjoy her coffee breaks. Rotated masonry blocks extend from the courtyard wall to create succulent planters.
Emily and Mike created a small courtyard behind the office with custom concrete seating, a stone patio, and a mature tree as the focal point.
Before tackling the house, the couple converted the garage into a separate work space with a long, linear window that echoes that in the main house.
A small deck and a custom concrete planter complete the seating area off of the main bedroom.
They spent a couple months talking through ideas and sharing inspiration from Pinterest: Chris was looking for a muted, Australian-inspired sense of calm. In addition to a refurbished and more livable space, he requested a study, a guest bedroom and master suite, and a large indoor/outdoor space for grilling.
The back of the home and its soaring glass-and-concrete addition create a strong connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces, and the rear garden and the pool feel like "a secret refuge."
A terrace covered by a pergola runs past the private volume (which contains three bedrooms of equal size and a bathroom on the ground floor) to the covered patio, and down the stairs to the pool.
To protect the home from the sun in the summer, the south facade has less windows and a pergola over the terrace.
“We took some pains to save the tree,” says Humble of the mature cherry tree that was preserved in the redevelopment. “We used it to focus all of our new openings.”
The original front porch swing inspired the couple to add one at the back. “We wanted to figure out how to recreate that hangout space in the back, where the kitchen and dining room were,” says Dean.
“We wanted low maintenance,” says Szczerbicki of the home’s exterior, which was clad in cedar and oiled once. “We’ll watch it patina and go gray with time.”
“I designed the pool as a form related to the house, but almost stepping down in scale,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “Australia’s strict regulations around pools create challenges to achieve compliance. Here, we have used some timber battens and continuous bluestone paving to connect the pool to the entertaining area.” The garden is planted with drought-tolerant indigenous plants to support local wildlife.
A built-in box seat on the timber deck adjoining the dining area offers an outdoor space for an enjoyable moment in the sun. This area is shaded by deep eaves formed by the extension of the timber batten ceiling outside.
The timber batten ceiling in the living and dining area extends out over the timber deck and seamlessly folds up into the balustrade of the second-floor balcony. “I tried to use windows as transition elements between materials, such as the bifold glazing from the dining area to the outside that separates the different wall materials abutting it, but with the ceiling finish extending beyond,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “There’s an element of playfulness with the details.”
“Our home is only 234 square feet, but we utilize the great outdoors and rarely feel like it is too small,” Tina says.
Creeping greenery will eventually overtake some sections of the exterior. The Danish sideboard in the living room inside is vintage from Space for Life.
The family’s backyard features a grape arbor and a vegetable garden. “I began gardening so our son could understand where his food comes from,” says Onna.
A heated Helios Lounge bench by Galanter & Jones beckons the owners and visitors out to the more streamlined deck.
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
The end of the pool now provides a much sleeker view. A studio also now tops the garage and provides additional living space which currently has a pool table handed down from Joey's father and is sure to be a hang out for the couple's boys as they grow up.
The high level of finish and the complex engineering of the concrete structure required close collaboration between the builder and Kennon+.
A red ladder, which echoes the vibrant color of the front door, leads to a simple rooftop deck.
Perforated steel screens provide shading and privacy to the interior living spaces. The garden extends from the inner courtyard to the rear yard with open, connected spaces.
One of the owners steps out on the new terrace with one of the many household animals. “We have moved the chicken coop so we can enjoy their busy, chooky lives,” they explain.
A protected outdoor space is tucked beneath the new addition. "When you have an opportunity to breathe new life into a typology, which is indicative of a period, that's a good job to have," says Cuddington.
Sliding glass doors in the smaller volumes lead to a pair of paved patios. A sitting area faces a West Elm Geo fire pit. The Terassi dining table and Lisboa chairs are from Design Within Reach.
The views are spectacular, but drapes can wrap the upstairs for privacy.
The homeowners designed the pool and the geometric barrier, made from a foam-cast cement breeze wall and iron swing gate.
"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.
From the outside looking in, this vacation home's kitchen is perfectly appointed to overlook the sea.
The added porch is a centerpiece of the home’s inside/outside concept.
Architect and surfer Kenichiro Iwakiri renovates a beach house for himself in Shonan, a region of Japan known for its surf spots.
One of the Living Vehicle’s most popular features is its self-supporting deck, which serves as an extension of the indoor living space and can be easily lowered or raised with a garage door–style support spring. The updated deck is now rated for 1,500 pounds.
The three-story structure designed by BattersbyHowat Architects gets nearly wall-to-wall exposure to the south, and the terraces block sunlight when the sun is highest during the hottest months.
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.
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.
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.
The same gray bricks were used inside and out for visual consistency.
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.
007 House by Dick Clark + Associates
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.
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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.