The project collection

Life looks good out here.

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

The completed deck and lower terrace remain connected to the house, with open lawn in front.

Project Feature

An existing deck becomes an outdoor room

A fireplace and open pergola reshape an elevated deck, while a lower terrace gives the garden a second gathering place.

Mom's Design BuildEdina, Minnesota

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

Illuminated pools, broad steps, and fire bowls descend toward a pavilion and waterfront terrace at night

Project Feature

Four levels of water, one outdoor composition

An expansive Florida waterfront project uses changes in level to organize its outdoor world.

Ryan Hughes Design Build

Inside the project

A white porch shelters a dining table and seating, with the open lawn continuing around its sides

Project Feature

Four skylights over a compact gathering space

A modest deck and porch balance overhead shelter with daylight.

Keystone Outdoor LivingMalvern, Pennsylvania

Inside the project

Porch columns frame a view across the lawn toward the house, with planting beds on either side

Project Feature

A pool house that looks both ways

A pool, pavilion, and sport court share a carefully organized landscape.

McHale Landscape Design

Inside the project

A screened porch connects the house to a curved paved patio with a low seating wall

Project Feature

A three-season room meets a curving patio

A porch conversion and an outdoor gathering area offer different ways to enjoy the yard.

Archadeck of ColumbusDublin, Ohio

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

A screened porch opens onto a raised deck, with a short stair connecting it to the lawn

Project Feature

A porch and deck with several ways into the yard

A gabled screen room connects to an open deck and several garden routes.

Fence & Deck ConnectionAnne Arundel County, Maryland

Inside the project

A timber shade screen and overhead canopy frame white chairs and potted plants on a paved terrace

Project Feature

A compact Santa Maria yard finds its center

A pergola, a defined patio, and a restrained set of surrounding elements make the gathering place clear.

Pacific Outdoor LivingSanta Maria, California

Inside the project

A cedar gazebo shelters cushioned seating beneath mature trees beside a stepping-stone path

Project Feature

A cedar gazebo gives a lawn a destination

A roofed sitting place becomes the organizing element in a West Nashville garden.

Gardens of Babylon LandscapesNashville, Tennessee

Inside the project

Skylights brighten an enclosed porch with white lounge chairs, a fireplace, and a separate dining table

Project Feature

A porch for a narrow, sloping site

Retractable screens and linked outdoor levels make a constrained yard more useful.

Mom's Design BuildEden Prairie, Minnesota

Inside the project

A timber pergola shelters a deck beside the house, with broad curved steps leading into the garden

Project Feature

Working around the things that cannot move

A deck, pergola, hot tub, and stone paths fit around underground constraints.

Southview DesignNorth Oaks, Minnesota

Inside the project