A backyard built around the off-season

Tom and Jennifer spend their summers in Wisconsin. That changed the brief for their Elmhurst backyard: the outdoor space needed to earn its place during spring, fall and the colder months, when the family was home to use it. They wanted somewhere to cook, dine and watch sports, with room left for energetic children.

Hursthouse began with the relationship between house and garden. A poorly placed side door was replaced with a window, and French doors were added to the dining room. The children's play area moved toward the rear, freeing a more generous lawn and allowing several outdoor rooms to sit close to the house.

Letting the interior guide the plan

The fire pit aligns with the family room's bay window. The outdoor dining space relates to the dining room, with a brick inset distinguishing it from the surrounding bluestone. These are not arbitrary divisions: they make the garden understandable from inside as well as from the patio.

A cedar pergola shelters the media area. Its masonry wall carries an outdoor television and speakers while providing privacy and separating the space from the neighboring property. Columnar English oaks add a planted layer above the wall.

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Before: the builder’s patio offered little connection to the family’s indoor rooms. · Hursthouse

Materials that belong to the house

Hursthouse sourced brick to match the original home. Bluestone forms the horizontal surfaces, including the kitchen's serving counter and patio. The kitchen includes a gas grill, rotisserie, side burner and refrigerator, putting food preparation close to the seating.

Infrared heaters under the pergola address the family's interest in using the space beyond summer. Planting follows the same logic: spring-flowering shrubs and late-season hydrangeas provide interest when the owners are more likely to be there to see it.

The before-and-after views show more than an enlarged patio. They show a different connection to the house. Doors, windows, paving and seating work together, so a garden planned for outdoor life also improves the view from the rooms used every day.