Sitting just north of the Bow River this yard is perfect for entertaining or curling up by the fire with a good book. Bordered with Swedish aspen, these homeowners are given the privacy that often has to be sacrificed with inner city living. From the stone walkway in the front to the multi-level patio and floating cedar bench in the back, this retreat is a perfect example of contemporary landscape design in the center of Calgary's inner city! Photo Credit: Jamen Rhodes

Given a challenging lot configuration and topography, along with privacy issues, we had to get creative in designing this home. The home is divided into four basic living zones: private owner’s suite, informal living area, kids area upstairs, and a flexible guest entertaining area. The entry is unique in that it takes you directly through to the outdoor living area, and also provides separation of the owners’ private suite from the rest of the home. There are no formal living or dining areas; instead the breakfast and family rooms were enlarged to entertain more comfortably in an informal manner. One great feature of the detached casita is that it has a lower activity area, which helps the house connect to the property below. This contemporary haven in Barton Creek is a beautiful example of a chic and elegant design that creates a very practical and informal space for living.

A back yard clad with cabanas is one to be coveted. This back yard has a vacation destination look and feel and was a pleasure to work on! The cabanas, with adjustable back rests and curtains for privacy, provide a place to truly relax and kick your feet up! We chose a daybed outdoor fabric in a gray blue that compliments the color of the pool and works perfectly with the blue and orange accent colors. The oil rubbed bronze cabana finish ties in nicely with nature's decor and is also a beautiful contrast with the surrounding pool stone. The accent tables can be moved and used as the clients need. Pops of blue and orange energize the space without steeling too much attention. We added olive trees in giant oil rubbed bronze pots on each side of the cabanas as the perfect accent pieces to finish the space.

Small space living solutions are used throughout this contemporary 596 square foot tiny house. Adjustable height table in the entry area serves as both a coffee table for socializing and as a dining table for eating. Curved banquette is upholstered in outdoor fabric for durability and maximizes space with hidden storage underneath the seat. Kitchen island has a retractable countertop for additional seating while the living area conceals a work desk and media center behind sliding shoji screens. Calming tones of sand and deep ocean blue fill the tiny bedroom downstairs. Glowing bedside sconces utilize wall-mounting and swing arms to conserve bedside space and maximize flexibility.

Stone: Chalkdust - TundraBrick TundraBrick is a classically-shaped profile with all the surface character you could want. Slightly squared edges are chiseled and worn as if they’d braved the elements for decades. TundraBrick is roughly 2.5″ high and 7.875″ long. Get a Sample of Chalkdust: http://www.eldoradostone.com/products/tundrabrick/chalk-dust/

Ed Gohlich Photography
Inspiration for a contemporary patio in San Diego.

Photography by Patrick Ray With a footprint of just 450 square feet, this micro residence embodies minimalism and elegance through efficiency. Particular attention was paid to creating spaces that support multiple functions as well as innovative storage solutions. A mezzanine-level sleeping space looks down over the multi-use kitchen/living/dining space as well out to multiple view corridors on the site. To create a expansive feel, the lower living space utilizes a bifold door to maximize indoor-outdoor connectivity, opening to the patio, endless lap pool, and Boulder open space beyond. The home sits on a ¾ acre lot within the city limits and has over 100 trees, shrubs and grasses, providing privacy and meditation space. This compact home contains a fully-equipped kitchen, ¾ bath, office, sleeping loft and a subgrade storage area as well as detached carport.

Play pavilion for family exercise and events. Indoor/outdoor Kids space for climbing monkey bars, ropes, swings, dance, party room, garden plays and movie nights. Photo Credit © Subtle Light Photography

Can't have benches without cushions!! These bright red and white striped cushions provide the comfort that is needed to enjoy the flatscreen. You can also see that there is a dining table and chairs up on the other space. This picture has great finishing spaces!!!

This beautiful natural oasis is enhanced with a beach entry pool created from Oklahoma stone. A sheer decent curved waterfall adds drama to this gorgeous space. Bubblers in the beach area give the children hours of fun as bar stools in the water at the deeper end give the adults a place of their own. The swim up bar overlooks a curved outdoor kitchen that houses a grill, egg, drawers, side burner and sink. A pergola at the end of the kitchen with a stunning stone fireplace gives the perfect destination for dinner and conversation. Hemispheres fine furniture adorns this space for the perfect addition to all of its ambiance.

The Cook house at The Sea Ranch was designed to meet the needs an active family with two young children, who wanted to take full advantage of coastal living. As The Sea Ranch reaches full build-out, the major design challenge is to create a sense of shelter and privacy amid an expansive meadow and between neighboring houses. A T-shaped floor plan was positioned to take full advantage of unobstructed ocean views and create sheltered outdoor spaces . Windows were positioned to let in maximum natural light, capture ridge and ocean views , while minimizing the sight of nearby structures and roadways from the principle spaces. The interior finishes are simple and warm, echoing the surrounding natural beauty. Scuba diving, hiking, and beach play meant a significant amount of sand would accompany the family home from their outings, so the architect designed an outdoor shower and an adjacent mud room to help contain the outdoor elements. Durable finishes such as the concrete floors are up to the challenge. The home is a tranquil vessel that cleverly accommodates both active engagement and calm respite from a busy weekday schedule.

ample seating allows for dining, gathering, and play at the versatile rear yard space, which can be directly accessed from the interior study/office
Inspiration for a small backyard patio in Orange County with concrete slab and no cover.

The owners inherited this waterfront family cottage, razed it and rebuilt it. The owner sought a comfortable, four-season cottage retreat that allows for entertaining and privacy. The new construction focused on achieving the best possible view of the river and nearby conservation land. The home features walls of windows, three outdoor decks and a screened in- porch. The exposed wood provides texture that fits with the outdoor surroundings. The best features in this home are the windows, textured wood, and the multiple decks. Two of the living room walls are completely devoted to windows overlooking the river. Textured wood is present throughout the house from the ceiling beams to the floors. The house also features not one or two, but three decks and a screened in porch to allow for outdoor entertaining and enjoying nature’s beauty. The space’s livability has been greatly improved with the rebuild. The house now has a second floor with two bedrooms, a half bath, and a fully functional loft. The downstairs has an expanded living room with floor to ceiling windows, the kitchen went from a small galley set up to a full gourmet kitchen, and an additional bedroom and full bath rounds out the first floor living space.

Renovated to accommodate a family of eight, this oceanfront home proudly overlooks the gateway to Marblehead Neck. This renovation preserves and highlights the character and charm of the existing circa 1900 gambrel while providing comfortable living for this large family. The finished product is a unique combination of fresh traditional, as exemplified by the contrast of the pool house interior and exterior. Photo Credit: Eric Roth

I started by creating a cozy conversation area by placing the furniture at an angle to give the space the feel of a comfortable outdoor living room. With the floral trend being all the rage this season, I couldn’t resist adding bright floral outdoor cushions to jazz up the space. They brighten up the black wicker furniture and tie in nicely with flowers from the front garden and the yellow siding of the house, making the space cheerful and inviting. Since the clematis we planted last year hasn't grown in yet, I bought a Black-eyed Susan vine for extra privacy. It’s in a pot for now, but I plan to drape it over the privacy screen . UTRdecorating.com

This Italian Villa outdoor living space features a built-in fireplace with multiple areas for seating.
Photo of an expansive mediterranean verandah in Phoenix with a fire feature, tile and a roof extension.

The genesis of design for this desert retreat was the informal dining area in which the clients, along with family and friends, would gather. Located in north Scottsdale’s prestigious Silverleaf, this ranch hacienda offers 6,500 square feet of gracious hospitality for family and friends. Focused around the informal dining area, the home’s living spaces, both indoor and outdoor, offer warmth of materials and proximity for expansion of the casual dining space that the owners envisioned for hosting gatherings to include their two grown children, parents, and many friends. The kitchen, adjacent to the informal dining, serves as the functioning heart of the home and is open to the great room, informal dining room, and office, and is mere steps away from the outdoor patio lounge and poolside guest casita. Additionally, the main house master suite enjoys spectacular vistas of the adjacent McDowell mountains and distant Phoenix city lights. The clients, who desired ample guest quarters for their visiting adult children, decided on a detached guest casita featuring two bedroom suites, a living area, and a small kitchen. The guest casita’s spectacular bedroom mountain views are surpassed only by the living area views of distant mountains seen beyond the spectacular pool and outdoor living spaces. Project Details | Desert Retreat, Silverleaf – Scottsdale, AZ Architect: C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB; Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ Builder: Sonora West Development, Scottsdale, AZ Photographer: Dino Tonn Featured in Phoenix Home and Garden, May 2015, “Sporting Style: Golf Enthusiast Christie Austin Earns Top Scores on the Home Front” See more of this project here: http://drewettworks.com/desert-retreat-at-silverleaf/

The furniture you see here features a classic English motif with clean, flowing lines. This is a substantial, enduring collection cast from high-grade, rust-free aluminum alloy. Cushions available in over 100 Sunbrella fabrics. Come see this furniture exclusively at our Reston, Virginia showroom. Or visit us online at www.HomeEscapes.com.

We all need to soak up the sun a little, and 2012 trends are showing we are wanting to soak it up a little more at home. Whether your space is big or small; brick or balcony, here are some great ideas on how to get your outdoor living space friends-and-family ready just in time for Spring!