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Outdoor Design Photos and Ideas

A rooftop terrace provides an outdoor space overlooking the former monastery grounds.
The verdant enclave provides both moments for pausing and an invitation to stroll. “As we designed, we thought of the landscape as a picture and a place you move through,” says Van Valkenburgh. <span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">More than 60 plant species were used in the layered design.</span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">Gently graded steps covered in pine needles wander through the home’s L-shaped garden, designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. A</span><span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">six-foot-tall wooden fence shields the garden from the street, adding to the feeling of refuge. “The idea behind the garden is the opposite of minimalism,” says Van Valkenburgh. “It’s about complexity and a range of experiences and shifts. These are what make it absorbing.” </span>
Kyu Sung and Jung-Ja take in the view from the rear deck. Behind them is the house Kyu Sung designed for the couple and their children in 1989.
The Metal Clad windows are by Loewen.
To his credit, the original owner and builder of an ’80s-era home in Byron Bay, Australia, kept it “in pretty good nick,” as designer Micka Etheridge puts it. “He’d dusted the window frames once a week for thirty-five years.” Etheridge took that same care expanding the house for its new owners, Cheryl and James Kitchener, who love its greenery and mellow, vintage vibe.
“There’s a tradition on the islands to name things. These houses have already earned the nickname les pintes de lait—the milk cartons,
Vincent (left) and Jan-Nicolas hang out on the main house’s terrace, where they can watch fishing boats catch lobster, halibut, and other sea creatures depending on the season. “We know where our food comes from,” says Jan-Nicolas with a smile.
Lettino sun loungers by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci for Ligne Roset are arranged along another side of the pool deck.
Along one side of the home, Chaya relaxes on a Isabbo sofa From La Redoute and enjoys a sunken pool deck.
Nathalie and Greg perch on the front steps on a sunny summer day.
Richie walks through the shared plaza between the main house and ADU.
Kuo transformed the original back house and attached garage using playful geometries and creative uses of space.
The exterior is clad in black standing-seam metal siding, while a terrace with a family-size sectional sits on the roof. Even on a small lot, there’s room for a backyard with a trampoline.
The front balcony lets light and air into the library, where an AJ table lamp from Louis Poulsen adds extra illumination when Elwin is at his desk.
Derek and his partner, Jean Banks, share the house with their two Spinone Italianos, Ben and Quinn. A Trumpet light from Dokter and Misses hangs next to the arched double doors at the home’s entrance, which is framed by brick that matches the patio.
The atrium is a lovely place to sit outside while still being somewhat protected.
Bordering a six-acre nature preserve, Michael Haverland’s timeless Glass House has a saltwater lap pool, a travertine patio, and a detached 600-square-foot studio.
Nestled in West London, the home is conveniently located near many of the city's top attractions, including Hyde Park, Portobello Market, and Westbourne Grove.
In the family's porch, a natural reed canopy provides protection from the sun. The grounds are covered with gravel.
The glassed-in greenhouse courtyard connects the front and back ends of the 3-bedroom home.
The large terrace captures mesmerizing views of the historic center of Justicia while also offering a private city escape.
Two new structures were also built in the backyard, and connected to the main house via the landscape plan by Lilyvilla Gardens. One is a 485-square-foot guest house, and the other is a 375-square-foot workshop for the owner, who’s a bike builder. They have the same exterior siding as the main house: rough-sawn tongue and groove cedar.
A large deck to the side of the kitchen is accessed via a large sliding door. On calm and sunny days, the residents can sit outside an enjoy views over the water.
The architects worked closely with the client to maintain the openness of the original plan.
The pergola overlooks the pool with the Baltic Sea in the distance. The couple built the home so that there would be as much outdoor space as indoor space.
Jari and Anna furnished their patio and backyard with pieces from their furniture line, Skargaarden.
Once the sun sets, the private side deck with soaking tub offers an idyllic setting for stargazing.
Now, the newly exposed brick wall is like a “very raw piece of the old house,” says Jennifer. A preserved window opening marks where the bathroom used to be, and has been overlaid with mesh so that eventually vines can grow over the wall. Being open to the sky means, “a lot of credit goes to the contractor to make it happen, because of the amount of sealing that has to happen for an exterior space to be carved out of a [former] interior space,” says Jennifer. “It was not an easy thing to implement.”
JJ Joubert
On the balcony, a Hay table is surrounded by Article chairs. The planters are by Portland outfit Wildehaus.
Looking toward the entrance from the residential wing of the house, which is built "like a bridge
The Patton New-Century house is designed for indoor-outdoor living, with the great room and bedrooms looking out onto a pool and outdoor courtyard.
The pool design provides a tranquil spa-like sound of water falling over three negative edges.
An exterior shot of the hillside residence offers a glimpse of the property's spectacular vistas.
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