Elements: Custom-built concrete & steel firepit, floating stucco bench, wood garden steppers, hot tub with custom wood surround, garden lighting and bluestone patio.

Full renovation project in Los Angeles. Mulholland/Laural

Eden Builders

Sonoma Vineyard Estate

ROCHE+ROCHE Landscape Architecture

Marion Brenner

North York - Contemporary Urban Retreat

Jennifer Hayman Design Group

Sandy beach garden

Living Gardens Landscape Design

Our homeowner was looking for a garden that she could entertain in, but that was also safe for her young grandson. We built a patio cover for dining, a lounging area with a gas burning firepit, and created a sandy beach play area complete with shells, pebbles, and a hummingbird water spout for making sand castles. Newly planted, these plants still need to grown in. We used pea gravel for the main area, natural washed concrete for the pathways, and Mexican beach pebbles between the concrete pads.

Contemporary Landscape with Basalt Columns Water Feature

Accent Landscapes

A spacious patio with natural gas fire pit, built in bench seating, and a water feature surrounded by a lush lawn and lots of plantings create an outdoor space anyone is sure to enjoy.

Reservoir Overlook

SiteCreative Landscape Architecture

Photographer: Greg Premru

Contemporary Landscape

Janice Parker Landscape Architects

The lawn panels are formal yet relaxed, striking the perfect balance of comfort and warmth. Photo credit: Neil Landino

Big opportunities for outdoor entertaining in a small yard

Bradford Associates, LLC

If designed carefully, a small yard can be organized into outdoor entertaining spaces for many activities.

Custom Steel Fire Pit

Eden Garden Design

A custom steel fire pit surrounded by natural limestone boulder and steel retaining walls. Photographer: Greg Thomas, http://optphotography.com/

Modern Irvine

Studio H Landscape Architecture

A prefabricated concrete fire pit surrounded by built-in bench style seating and pottery with citrus on an ipe wood deck. Low water-use succulents neighbor the deck , planted in the decorative pebble. The shade sail was added at a later time due to the sun reflecting off the windows and burning the artificial grass. Studio H Landscape Architecture

CR Project

Green Acres Landscaping & Aquascapes

Plants, Water, & Stone

California Naturescaping

Small Terrace,BBQ, fire pit area

LDAW Landscape Architecture, PC

BBQ area

Contemporary Casual

Roxy Designs

Photo: John Wang

Contemporary residence

HrH Architecture

Maryam Moayery Nia

Screened Porch with Deck and Stone Patio

Land Art Design, Inc.

Designed and built by Land Art Design, Inc. In this project, we matched the existing roof line to blend the new addition seamlessly. The screened porch provides these homeowners with a year-round view of their wooded landscape . A flagstone patio and EPI deck with wrought iron railing creates several distinct spaces for outdoor dining and entertaining.

San Clemente Simplicity

Living Gardens Landscape Design

Urban Sancturay

BIOPHILIA design collective ltd.

A house designed for indoor and outdoor living. Top floor master is surrounded by a green roof and generous patio space. Outdoor patio space features a concrete and Corten water feature beside a Corten fireplace. Naturalize garden paths circulate through lush gardens of ornamental grasses and pollenating perennials.

Rustic Peastone Patio & Garden - World's End, Hingham

User

The goal of this landscape design and build project was to create a simple patio using peastone with a granite cobble edging. The patio sits adjacent to the residence and is bordered by lawn, vegetable garden beds, and a cairn rock water feature. Designed and built by Skyline Landscapes, LLC.

Contemporary Garden Design Ideas with a Fire Feature

Get Inspired by Contemporary Gardens on Houzz

A lot of the time when you get home from a long day at work, all you want to do is wind down. Where better to do this than in your very own contemporary garden at home? If you do it right, a great garden design can send you right into holiday mode. But where to start? There’s so many styles to choose from when it comes to garden design. Whether you want to create a tropical, modern, contemporary, beach style or country garden - or something else entirely - the large garden image gallery on Houzz has got you covered. Get inspired and collect your ideas to narrow down your desired garden style and features.

How to Create a Contemporary Garden for Your Home

Depending on which style you’re going for, be sure to know what makes a contemporary garden and if it’s appropriate for your climate. You may want to consider adding a deck or other landscaping features, but the plants you choose will mostly dictate your style and what kind of ongoing maintenance is required. Don’t worry if your backyard isn’t very spacious - there are many plants that can thrive even in a small space and allow you to turn your space into a little paradise of your own, regardless of size.

Decide which plants to use

The greenery you choose is critical to your look. For example, if you’re trying to create a tropical garden palm trees and bamboo are your go-to options. Other popular options are golden cane palm trees and fern for ground cover. From there you can add some colour with bright flowers like frangipani, hibiscus or bromeliads. All these are actually quite hardy plants, so once established, your tropical garden is actually quite easy to maintain. Use this structure and apply it to your style. Research which plants you need to set your base for a contemporary garden and go from there.

Add some decor

If the plants don’t quite do it for you yet, or if you want to add some extra wow-factor, consider adding some extra features. Even if you can’t accommodate a swimming pool, hot tub or pond, you could look at smaller water features. Simple rocks can also have a great effect, while statues and gnomes will add some extra character. Don’t forget to add some furniture so you have a nice place to sit and enjoy your garden!

Need some help?

Once you know what you want your garden to look like, it may be hard to make it a reality on your own. If that is the case for you, consider consulting a professional to help you with your contemporary garden design. Every photo you find on Houzz will lead you to the local pro that did the job, so you won’t have a problem picking the perfect person to help! Whether you need a gardener in Brisbane, a landscape architect in Melbourne or a fireplace installer in Sydney, you can be sure to find one on Houzz.