The project collection

Life looks good out here.

Step inside courtyards, pool gardens, porches, and planted retreats. Meet the designers and builders behind them.

Chairs gather around a fire bowl on the lower terrace, with the kitchen and steps behind.

Project Feature

Separate places, one compact backyard

Dining by the house, a lower fire terrace, and an upper putting area give a sloping yard a clear order.

Gardens of Babylon LandscapesNashville, Tennessee

Inside the project

A pool and pale paved terrace lead toward a covered outdoor kitchen, with loungers and planting along the edge

Project Feature

A garden that brings the house outdoors

Bluestone, a formal pool axis, and a covered kitchen give a renovated home an equally considered landscape.

Southview DesignNorth Oaks, Minnesota

Inside the project

Woven lounge chairs face a tall stone fireplace on the lower terrace beneath a furnished upper deck

Project Feature

A lakeside garden designed for a crowd

Catered gatherings, a serving kitchen, and routes from the driveway shape a lakeshore retreat.

Mom's Design BuildEdina, Minnesota

Inside the project

A dark pool reflects a pergola and outdoor seating inside a screened enclosure

Project Feature

A pool garden composed in curves and lines

Geometric water meets a curved lounge, a trellis, and a glowing bar.

Ryan Hughes Design Build

Inside the project

A vaulted porch and timber pergola sit across the pool from lounge chairs on the paved terrace

Project Feature

A vaulted porch anchors a larger outdoor plan

Flagstone, a cooking area, and places around the fire connect covered and open spaces.

Keystone Outdoor LivingMalvern, Pennsylvania

Inside the project

An aerial view shows the arrival drive, planted boundaries, house, and pool arranged across the property

Project Feature

A garden designed from the arrival onward

Stone terraces and planting connect the front approach with a substantial backyard.

McHale Landscape DesignMcLean, Virginia

Inside the project

Timber roof beams shelter cushioned seating and a stone fireplace with the pool visible beyond

Project Feature

An English garden vocabulary for family life

Hedges, defined borders, and terracing organize a generous family garden.

Surrounds Landscape Architecture + ConstructionGreat Falls, Virginia

Inside the project

A curved counter follows the edge of an elevated deck beside a gabled porch and a long exterior stair

Project Feature

A curved bar gives a deck its social center

Covered and open areas share a hillside deck with a distinctive gathering edge.

SelectDecksSewickley, Pennsylvania

Inside the project

Lounge chairs sit beneath a large umbrella beside the pool, with stepping slabs crossing the adjoining lawn

Project Feature

An L-shaped lot becomes a sequence of outdoor rooms

Pacific Outdoor Living organizes a pool, cooking area, and garden around the constraints of an irregular lot.

Pacific Outdoor LivingGreater Los Angeles, California

Inside the project

A white pergola frames a dining table and cushioned seating beside a compact lawn

Project Feature

Small footprint, complete outdoor room

A compact Edina yard makes room for dining, cooking, and a green edge.

Southview DesignEdina, Minnesota

Inside the project

An overhead view shows a rectangular pool and spa set into a pale paved terrace beside the lawn

Project Feature

Water, fire, and a sheltered outdoor room

A glass spa and sunken lounge give an enclosed outdoor environment its focal points.

Ryan Hughes Design Build

Inside the project

A stone-clad covered deck and low patio walls divide sheltered seating from the open lawn

Project Feature

An outdoor room in ashwood, stone, and gray

A vaulted porch and a lower patio give gathering two different settings.

Keystone Outdoor LivingBroomall, Pennsylvania

Inside the project