The project collection

Life looks good out here.

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

A timber pavilion with a stone cooking area glows beside the swimming pool after sunset

Project Feature

When the pool moves to the side yard

A constrained site leads to a pool garden with a strong architectural edge.

Mom's Design BuildCarver, 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

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

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

Warm-toned paving surrounds a rectangular swimming pool beneath an open sky

Project Feature

The terrace gives an existing pool a new setting

A pool renovation focuses attention on the space around the water.

Pacific Outdoor LivingAtascadero, California

Inside the project

A recessed spa and fireplace occupy separate terraces below the house, with steps connecting the levels

Project Feature

Terraces that leave room for the view

Stone, a spa, and places to gather are composed around a lakeside outlook.

Southview Design

Inside the project

The house, pool, and separate furnished terraces step across the garden toward the waterfront

Project Feature

A lake garden with several places to pause

Terracing, pergolas, and open lawn share a Lake Minnetonka setting.

Mom's Design BuildMound, 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

Curved planting beds and low clipped shrubs meet the lawn in front of a white house

Project Feature

A contemporary house, carried into the garden

Travertine terraces, water, and edible planting accompany a modern renovation.

McHale Landscape Design

Inside the project

A pool and spa occupy the center of a courtyard enclosed by the house, with a sculptural fire feature at one end

Project Feature

The house gathers around the pool

A central courtyard brings water into the home's everyday outlook.

Platinum Pools

Inside the project

A long illuminated pool draws the view between the waterfront garden and the house at night

Project Feature

Keeping the bay in the picture

A waterfront pool, spa, and pergola are arranged around a long outlook.

Ryan Hughes Design Build

Inside the project

The overhead view shows a compact pool and spa set into a broad terrace beside a roofed outdoor room

Project Feature

A raised pool meets the house at its level

A substantial elevation change shapes a pool with a close relationship to the home.

Platinum Pools

Inside the project