Take in-person tours of homes featured in Dwell. Sign up for Open House!
SubscribeSign In
All Photos/outdoor/patio, porch, deck : large/pools, tubs, showers : large

Outdoor Large Patio, Porch, Deck Large Pools, Tubs, Showers Design Photos and Ideas

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.
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.
The retouched meadow between the house and its detached garage/guest room was given a stone walking path.
Los Angeles firm Chet Architecture crafts a deeply personal hillside home packed with primary colors—including a custom mural that now holds an even deeper meaning.
Another move that reduces the house's environmental impact is the inclusion of photovoltaic panels on the roof. The panels generate enough energy to offset 95% of the house’s consumption.
Although previous owners built a pool at a lower part of the yard near the piano room, the couple decided to build a new one just off the kitchen. “We thought, it would be amazing to have a pool that was kind of jutting out, with the backdrop of the city,” John says. The patio doubles as entertaining space for summer parties.
Twenty-foot-wide doors from Solar Innovations offer easy access to the deck. “Solar Innovations was the only manufacturer at that time that had a pocket multi-slider with a good ADA threshold,” says architect Erick Mikiten. “They almost look like steel, but are thermally broken aluminum.”
The expansive grassy lawns features several ponds, fountains, native greenery, and even a tea house.
Just inside the living room’s sliding glass door is a Parentesi lamp by Achille Castiglioni, an object Marc has admired since childhood. Below, the pool deck displays a pair of Eos side chairs, lounge chairs, and a square dining table by Matthew Hilton.
Lettino sun loungers by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci for Ligne Roset are arranged along another side of the pool deck.
Along one side of the home, Chaya relaxes on a Isabbo sofa From La Redoute and enjoys a sunken pool deck.
The pergola overlooks the pool with the Baltic Sea in the distance. The couple built the home so that there would be as much outdoor space as indoor space.
Designed by José Guedes Cruz, César Marques, and Marco Marinho of the Portugal-based firm Guedes Cruz Architects, The Wall House is laid out in an open-box plan, and is fitted with plenty of glass windows to enhance the synergy between its interior and exterior spaces.
"The main spaces of the home are flooded with natural light because the homeowners wanted to capture the views of the mountain and have seamless indoor-outdoor living,
The expansive, covered patio that extends from the living space features an outdoor kitchen and adjoining pizza oven. “My favorite aspect of the project was that the clients embraced the idea that home can be more than just shelter,” says architect Cavin Costello. “It can be a place that incentivizes you to socialize, think, eat, work, create, and play differently.”
Ridge Mountain Residence was designed to blend into the existing Palm Springs landscape. Cor-Ten steel cladding provides a naturally weathering material, while the concrete structure and flagstone terrace complement the light tones of the surrounding mountains.
“The intention of the landscape design was to create a tranquil refuge in a vibrant neighborhood for the family to entertain, play, and spend quality time together outdoors,” says the team at The Green Room Landscape Architecture. “The architecture produced multiple lines of sight that penetrate through the home, connecting the front and back yards with similar plant materials, creating a feeling that the house was planted in a scenic Sonoran meadow.”
In New South Wales, an L-shaped prefab designed by ArchiBlox draws in northern light and captures views of the ocean. The residents of the Byron Bay House can judge the surf conditions from their bedroom before heading out to the beach.
"It's a big property, so we had space to spread out,
Hidden from the dense oceanfront in Malibu, California, this restoration by Brininstool + Lynch promises solitude and garden views.
The couple wanted an indoor/outdoor living space that made it easy for their kids and guests to gather for parties and jam sessions.
Studio Bracket Architects amplified the home’s International Style by adding more glass paneling, extending the flat room, and refining the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Overhangs blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces at the Malibu Crest residence.
The pool and fire pit in the courtyard are at the heart of the home. The olive trees and native Ironwood trees planted around these spaces soften the rectilinear architecture.
Before the home was built, the lot was almost entirely grass—however now the landscape is composed of desert and native vegetation. It also includes productive gardens of numerous types, including herb and vegetable plantings and citrus and stone fruit groves. These, in combination with the chicken eggs, provide a healthy, local food source.
Photo: Willem-Dirk du Toit
The pool’s infinity edge creates the illusion that the home floats above the San Fernando Valley.
Wonderous views can be enjoyed from the lounge chairs that line the infinity edge pool.
The Lew House offers a wealth of outdoor spaces to enjoy, including a patio with a pool.
While brick is what was expected for the neighborhood, Mandel used a brick shingle for the extruded extension that occupies what was originally the side yard.
The choice of materials for their tactile qualities extended to the pool. "The same marble that's outside is inside of the swimming pool," says Loperena. "So, you look into it, and you immediately feel cool looking at it. And you go in and you feel it."
The pool helps cool and humidify the air before it’s drawn into the home.
"The pool breaks from the O-shaped plan, drawing you out into the desert toward the mountain views to the south, and is capped by a built-in fire pit bench," say the architects.
The rear facade with custom pool.
The main room’s views of the treetops and Middle Harbour give “the inhabitant a retreat from daily life—a ‘tree house’ of sorts,” says Litera.
In this three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom bungalow, farmhouse style meets Spanish villa. Barn doors complement the earthy red-tiled floors. Share an al fresco meal with friends and family next to the roaring outdoor fireplace, or read amongst the cacti in the shaded garden.
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
The pool and covered patio sit on the corner opposite of the entrance courtyard. The patio can be accessed through sliding glass doors from both the dining room and kitchen, and the master bedroom. Having lived on the site for so long, designer Jamie Chioco was able to quickly make informed decisions about the design—for example, one of the neighbors uses his backyard for large family gatherings and barbecues, and so it was decided early on to not to have many openings on that facade in order to give both homes privacy.
Custom steel corner windows allow the interior to expand into the exterior spaces, making the modest home feel much larger than it actually is.
The concrete aggregate floor runs from the interior out to the patio. The patio chairs are by Chioco Design, and the Ratio cocktail table is by local furniture brand Seer Studio.
12345...7