The project collection

Life looks good out here.

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

At dusk, the planted watercourse occupies the foreground, with seating and the distant view beyond.

Project Feature

A hillside garden with somewhere to linger

A planted watercourse, stone paths, and an open terrace give a sloping garden a sequence of destinations.

Pacific Outdoor LivingStudio City, California

Inside the project

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

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 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

A rectangular pool and raised spa meet a narrow lawn and planted boundary beside the house

Project Feature

A compact courtyard keeps its geometry simple

Pale stone and a restrained water feature make a concise pool composition.

Platinum Pools

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

An open pergola and roofed patio frame a lounge area, with lighting set into the low stone boundary wall

Project Feature

Keeping the slab, changing the whole experience

A retained concrete patio gains shelter, lighting, and a more legible arrangement.

SelectDecksMorgantown, West Virginia

Inside the project

A green backyard pickleball court and net sit between a red-earth slope and mature trees

Project Feature

Two kinds of play share a Sedona backyard

A pickleball court and putting green turn an outdoor area into a dedicated recreation setting.

Southwest Greens FlagstaffSedona, Arizona

Inside the project

The curved path runs between clipped planting toward a garden structure. The surface is stamped concrete.

Project Feature

A garden walk that earns its place

A curved stamped-concrete path brings a deck, clipped planting, and a small courtyard into one sequence.

Pacific Outdoor LivingShell Beach, California

Inside the project

A covered terrace fits beneath the house on a planted slope, with stone walls retaining the garden edge

Project Feature

A hillside intervention opens a room beside the house

Gardens of Babylon describes a project where retaining and drainage work made the outdoor living space possible.

Gardens of Babylon LandscapesWest Nashville, Tennessee

Inside the project