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All Photos/outdoor/locations : side yard/patio, porch, deck : wood

194 Outdoor Side Yard Wood Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos And Ideas

A sliding glass door opens onto a terrace.
"Hosting this way kind of forces you out on the limb of human trust, and it’s always amazing to me to see how others receive what we are giving, with such kindness and respect," says Tarah. "One of our favorite quotes came from a guest who said, ‘Is it possible to be homesick for an Airbnb?’ That sentiment was so sweet to us, and has rung true for so many other guests as they have commented on the warmth and welcome they have felt while staying at The Lofthouse."
Exterior
The family’s pristine pool gleams under a pastel sky.
The dogtrot porch was designed with the Houston climate in mind—it’s over four feet off the ground to help with the mosquitos, and it has a lattice screen to minimize the afternoon heat, and ceiling fans to create a breeze.
Founded in 2019, Studio DIAA recently completed a floating home that embraces its placid location along the waterfront in northeast Seattle. Numerous sliding glass doors connect the interior with a wrap-around deck, inviting the homeowners to spend time outside during warmer months.

Photo by Kevin Scott
Close to Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen and the Mad River Glen ski area, Fayston, Vermont, is the prime setting for Little Black House. Giving the retreat its name, Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design only had 1,120 square feet to work with. Sitting just below the top of a hill, the black-stained cabin flaunts a classic gable structure with a stripped-down interior melding white walls and pale wood floors.
Even as the square footage of this cottage in Fayston, Vermont, shrank in response to budget constraints, architect Elizabeth Herrmann remained focused on making the space feel warm and functional for a family of four and their dog and cat. "I think the trick to making small spaces feel much larger is to design the experience of being there,
Once the home’s prefab components had been delivered to the site and assembled, the couple recruited friends and family to help them build the front and back decks out of red mahogany. A custom outdoor dining table is surrounded by Lucinda Black Stacking Chairs from CB2.
The central north-facing courtyard allows natural light and sun to penetrate the home’s core. As the site is relatively small, the more expansive outdoor space is found on the roof terrace.
In accordance with the urban plan by studio Space&Matter, all five piers of the community are interconnected, and neighbors get together to make plans for the plantings.
"The views and access to sunshine were really the key considerations that helped us position the home,
The sunny deck features Palissade dining chairs by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY.
The living area is bordered on two sides by separate courtyards.
Using exclusively native plants, landscape designer Karin Ursula Edmondson created a layered garden of creeping sedges, ornamental grasses, bee balm, mountain mint, shrubby St. John’s wort, fragrant sumac, and more. “The eco-system of the site was so spectacular, it was all I needed for inspiration,” she says.
A vintage 1950s fireplace imported from Surfing Cowboys in Malibu adds heat and style to the side porch.
Folding glass doors open from the living room to the red cedar porch.
A cypress fence and white gravel borders a side yard with a row of grass .
The outdoor living space of the Birch Le Collaboration House features a wood-burning fireplace under large, covered porch.
The western facade features a pavilion-like area, where the family can dine outdoors together. A long, narrow corridor runs along the southern facade, leading to the different rooms of the house.
Windsor Residence by Dick Clark + Associates
designed by Estúdio Minke
When Oslo-based architect Marianne Borge was approached in 2004 by a client who wanted an actual cabin rather than a second home, she was instantly inspired by the challenge of working on a smaller scale. The home, called Woody35, has a distinct shape that makes it stand out from its surroundings despite the modest size of the building.
In the wintertime, the living room is cozy and welcoming with its large fireplace and warm lighting.
The expansive windows in the living room were strategically positioned for sunset views.
A modern stone fence made of galvanized steel mesh filled with stones surrounds the house. “We got the stones from the local stonecutter—they use the stones washed up on the beach, not the stones from the fields,” Lassen explains.
Pool deck and sitting area
View of house from deck
Add/Subtract House by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Charles Davis Smith
Add/Subtract House by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Charles Davis Smith
A private deck along the rear of the home offers space for enjoying sunsets over the water. Although only minutes from downtown Prague, the setting feels much further away.
Lightweight hurricane flaps can be raised and lowered over screened openings to control air flow. “When you’re in the house and the flaps are open, it’s almost like you’re outside,” says Mark. The hammock is from IKEA.
The kitchen is used on occasion to host healthful cooking seminars for parents and children. A bountiful vegetable garden lies nearby.
The workshop zone centers around a large, free-flowing indoor/outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor living area in covered porch.
The lounge deck at the rear yard of Sunset Hills Residence features a swimming pool surrounded by lush gardens. Architect Hsu McCullough's design beautifully merges minimalism with an abundance of nature.
A level, trellised garapa-wood deck connects the main structure to the pool house. "The arbors near the pool knit everything together," says Mikiten. "The deck is constructed over a drainage pit so the wood surface can be completely flush with the interior floor and the surrounding yard, which is critical for a fluid experience by someone using a wheelchair."
The outdoor atrium of Family House Litvínovice is a completely private space that's well-suited for the installation of a hammock, outdoor bath, or shower. A11 designed the home to be an exploration of minimalism and privacy from the outside world.
In southern Osaka, Japan, Horibe Associates designed a 911-square foot house that directs views outwards towards rice fields and woods beyond. However, at the center of the home is an open-air atrium with access from multiple rooms, creating garden-facing rooms that give a serene and nature-focused backdrop that changes with the seasons.
The patio invites dining alfresco under a neon sign custom-created for AutoCamp.
Located in Aarhus, Denmark, Villa R is a minimalist, serene structure clad in zinc panels. "The objective was to create a house that brings the forest inside through large glass panels—and create an ever-changing seasonal backdrop for the interior living spaces," stated the architecture firm, C.F. Møller, of the 3,200-square-foot abode.
Large cedar-clad openings connect the interior living spaces to the courtyard. The bright and airy main living spaces wrap around the courtyard.
Architect Kengo Kuma designed a floating, transparent structure supported by very thin steel columns. Transparency was a common design goal for the entire project.
Inspired by the surrounding landscape of chestnut trees, rocky hillside, and bubbling stream, Portuguese architecture firm 3r Ernesto Pereira chose to blend into, and take advantage of, the local geography rather than fight against it at this sleek, modern home near the coastal city of Porto. At a cost of €100,000 (approximately $125,000) and measuring about 140 square meters, this stunning, wood-and-glass retreat took about four months to construct.
A sunken conversation pit surrounding a fire pit sits adjacent to the pool in this semi-outdoor space at a home in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
A lush, protected courtyard allows homeowners to enjoy the outdoors but maintain privacy.
Treetop views from the rooftop deck, adjacent to the master bedroom suite, offer a nature-fueled respite.
The internal courtyard is the heart of the home.
A covered patio just off the living room is accessible via custom doors. "The use of the large steel sliding and stacking doors allowed the volume to open up and make the home feel much more expansive that it really is," says Knight.
A glass-infill railing allows for uninterrupted views of the surrounding forest.
"The importance of this outdoor connection was a very high priority for the clients," O'Brien explains. "They wanted the boys to be free, but wanted to keep an eye on them without them feeling like they’re being monitored."
A sunny, California aesthetic shines brightly in the outdoor patio.
The rear of the house resembles the feeling of a tree house, suspended high up in the trees blending indoors with outdoors.
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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.

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