Small Modern Patio Design Ideas
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Cascade Outdoor Design
This compact Modern Retreat is big on style! A Pergola extends from the home, anchored by cables. Privacy is provided by an accent wall, which is accentuated by bright benches and a sleek water feature. Artificial turf, stone pavers, and beach pebbles combine to create a functional, comfortable space that is pleasing to the eye.
Photo by Cascade Outdoor Design
June Scott Design
Rock outcroppings make a striking background for new lounge areas in this compact Los Angeles hillside garden. Working with the attributes of the site, we added native plants to drape over the stone, and converted hollowed stone planters into a firepit and water feature. New built-in seating and a cozy hammock complete the relaxing space, and dramatic lighting makes it come alive at night.
Photo by Martin Cox Photography.
Howells Architecture + Design
This project reimagines an under-used back yard in Portland, Oregon, creating an urban garden with an adjacent writer’s studio. Taking inspiration from Japanese precedents, we conceived of a paving scheme with planters, a cedar soaking tub, a fire pit, and a seven-foot-tall cedar fence. A maple tree forms the focal point and will grow to shade the yard. Board-formed concrete planters house conifers, maples and moss, appropriate to the Pacific Northwest climate.
Photo: Anna M Campbell: annamcampbell.com
Flavin Architects
Modern glass house set in the landscape evokes a midcentury vibe. A modern gas fireplace divides the living area with a polished concrete floor from the greenhouse with a gravel floor. The frame is painted steel with aluminum sliding glass door. The front features a green roof with native grasses and the rear is covered with a glass roof.
Photo by: Gregg Shupe Photography
Conscious Environments Inc.
A modern dining area features an "opening-closing" louvered patio cover w/ outdoor kitchen, raised planters, and accent lighting.
Exterior Worlds Landscaping & Design
Our Houston landscaping team was recently honored to collaborate with renowned architectural firm Murphy Mears. Murphy Mears builds superb custom homes throughout the country. A recent project for a Houston resident by the name of Borow involved a custom home that featured an efficient, elegant, and eclectic modern architectural design. Ms. Borow is very environmentally conscious and asked that we follow some very strict principles of conservation when developing her landscaping design plan.
In many ways you could say this Houston landscaping project was green on both an aesthetic level and a functional level. We selected affordable ground cover that spread very quickly to provide a year round green color scheme that reflected much of the contemporary artwork within the interior of the home. Environmentally speaking, our project was also green in the sense that it focused on very primitive drought resistant plant species and tree preservation strategies. The resulting yard design ultimately functioned as an aesthetic mirror to the abstract forms that the owner prefers in wall art.
One of the more notable things we did in this Houston landscaping project was to build the homeowner a gravel patio near the front entrance to the home. The homeowner specifically requested that we disconnect the irrigation system that we had installed in the yard because she wanted natural irrigation and drainage only. The gravel served this wish superbly. Being a natural drain in its own respect, it provided a permeable surface that allowed rainwater to soak through without collecting on the surface.
More importantly, the gravel was the only material that could be laid down near the roots of the magnificent trees in Ms. Borow’s yard. Any type of stone, concrete, or brick that is used in more typical Houston landscaping plans would have been out of the question. A patio made from these materials would have either required cutting into tree roots, or it would have impeded their future growth.
The specific species chosen for ground cover also bear noting. The two primary plants used were jasmine and iris. Monkey grass was also used to a small extent as a border around the edge of the house. Irises were planted in front of the house, and the jasmine was planted beneath the trees. Both are very fast growing, drought resistant species that require very little watering. However, they do require routine pruning, which Ms. Borow said she had no problem investing in.
Such lawn alternatives are frequently used in Houston landscaping projects that for one reason or the other require something other than a standard planting of carpet grass. In this case, the motivation had nothing to do with finances, but rather a conscientious effort on Ms. Borow’s part to practice water conservation and tree preservation.
Other hardscapes were then introduced into this green design to better support the home architecture. A stepping stone walkway was built using plain concrete pads that are very simple and modern in their aesthetic. These lead up to the front stair case with four inch steps that Murphy Mears designed for maximum ergonomics and comfort.
There were a few softscape elements that we added to complete the Houston landscaping design. A planting of River Birch trees was introduced near the side of the home. River Birch trees are very attractive, light green trees that do not grow that tall. This eliminates any possible conflict between the tree roots and the home foundation.
Murphy Mears also built a very elegant fence that transitioned the geometry of the house down to the city sidewalk. The fence sharply parallels the linear movement of the house. We introduced some climbing vines to help soften the fence and to harmonize its aesthetic with that of the trees, ground cover, and grass along the sidewalk.
Richard's Total Backyard Solutions
The perfect balance of recreation, relaxation, and resistance with this Endless Pools® R200. This R200 features an End2End roll-away swim spa cover, a spa-side caddy and custom swim spa steps. Elevate your swim experience at night by turning on the spa jets and e with stunning underwater LED lights. We also extended the living space of this backyard patio by adding comfort deck to the swim spa and pergola area. The perfect backyard Staycation for endless fun year-round!
#hottubs #pools #swimspas
Sidell Pakravan Architects
The garden transforms a a leftover space between a tall house and steep slope on Buena Vista Hill into a landscaped plant-lined gathering space with seating and a small fountain.
The existing space consisted of a small patio and series of poorly placed retaining walls. Two curved walls are preserved and reconfigured into a wide amphitheater-like seating area. A set of horizontal steel planters conform to the curve of the long existing wall, drawing the eye across the garden. The matte steel finish provides a muted reflection of greens that is constantly changing the position of the sun.
Plants were chosen for their drought-tolerant qualities and variety of colors and shades.
Square One Architects
The small rear patio is related to the internal spaces thus maximizing the sense of space. The wooden bench has been designed to conceal a practical low storage unit.
Regenesis Ecological Design
Custom designed COR-TEN pots sit in a planted border of Sedum 'Coral Reef', Dianthus 'Firewitch', and Fragaria chiloensis (Beach Strawberry).
TRU Landscape Services
This walkway used to be dirt with big concrete blocks for stepping stones. What a difference! An interlocking pavers walkway will change the way you move around your home. They cancel problems with mud, cheap stepping stones, and tame your Orange County landscape. This walkway was laid in a "herringbone" pattern. TRU Landscape Services
Land & Water Design
We took a small non-defined space and created an enjoyable backyard integrating an existing flagstone patio with a new lower flagstone patio, complete with new stucco retaining walls, raised planters, fire bowls and fire table. The main focal point of the patio is the new water feature, a series of basalt towers sitting on a bed of black Mexican beach pebbles. The landscaping & outdoor lighting complete the package. Small yard with a million dollar view of the golf course and Lake Manassas in the background.
Small Modern Patio Design Ideas
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