Yard of the Week: New Pool, Grill Area and Stylish Lounge
A landscape designer updates a coastal home to suit a family’s lifestyle and create a welcoming spot for guests
A Southern California family’s outdoor renovation coincided with other life changes. They were also updating their home’s interiors, their family was growing up and their needs at home were changing. It was time to have an outdoor space that fit their lifestyle, as the yard hadn’t been renovated since before they moved in.
Working with Living Gardens Landscape Design, the front yard and backyard received a complete overhaul to now include a pool, outdoor fireplace, built-in grill, dining area and lounge. The design team worked to reimagine the space so it functioned better for the family and would also be an attractive, welcoming space.
Working with Living Gardens Landscape Design, the front yard and backyard received a complete overhaul to now include a pool, outdoor fireplace, built-in grill, dining area and lounge. The design team worked to reimagine the space so it functioned better for the family and would also be an attractive, welcoming space.
Front Yard
Before: Much of the landscape overhaul took place in the backyard, but the entry garden and driveway received a facelift as well. “They wanted increased functionality, but more than anything a more modern design with curb appeal,” McCrae says.
Before: Much of the landscape overhaul took place in the backyard, but the entry garden and driveway received a facelift as well. “They wanted increased functionality, but more than anything a more modern design with curb appeal,” McCrae says.
After: The entry walk now features a staggered path of concrete pavers that leads to a new ipe entry gate. A mix of potted and low-growing succulents, including aeonium (Aeonium urbicum) and echeveria (Echeveria sp.), and other plants such as foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myers’) frame the walk, creating the more updated look the homeowners wanted for their yard and hinting at what’s to come in the rest of the landscape. A fern pine (Podocarpus sp.) grows in front of the garage.
The team specified low-water plants, sticking mostly with succulents and other picks that are suitable for the climate. “We were also looking for a more modern feel, so most of the plants were selected for their texture rather than seasonal flowering. However, we did plant a few pink and purple flowering plants to add some softness and color,” McCrae says.
The team specified low-water plants, sticking mostly with succulents and other picks that are suitable for the climate. “We were also looking for a more modern feel, so most of the plants were selected for their texture rather than seasonal flowering. However, we did plant a few pink and purple flowering plants to add some softness and color,” McCrae says.
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Before: The original entry courtyard featured concrete paving on an angle, mulch beds and tropical plants. A solid wall along the side yard meant that the backyard could be accessed only through the house.
After: Past the new ipe gate, the redesigned entry courtyard features new concrete paving framed by more aeonium (Aeonium urbicum). Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) trees line the fence, with agave (Agave sp.), lilyturf (Liriope muscari) and other low-growing evergreen plants filling in beneath them.
A horizontal-slat ipe wood fence and gate enclose the entry to the yard. “The fence was designed to create a courtyard feel to the entry. However, we kept them low to maintain a feeling of openness,” McCrae says. You can also see how a new ipe gate connects the front yard to the backyard.
A horizontal-slat ipe wood fence and gate enclose the entry to the yard. “The fence was designed to create a courtyard feel to the entry. However, we kept them low to maintain a feeling of openness,” McCrae says. You can also see how a new ipe gate connects the front yard to the backyard.
Backyard
Before: Here’s the backyard before the renovation. “The original layout lacked functionality, with both the barbecue and patio cover at a 45-degree angle to the house, making it difficult to use and furnish,” McCrae says. “It was extremely dated and in a state of disrepair.”
The design team overhauled the yard, only retaining the existing property walls. The project design and installation took more than a year.
Before: Here’s the backyard before the renovation. “The original layout lacked functionality, with both the barbecue and patio cover at a 45-degree angle to the house, making it difficult to use and furnish,” McCrae says. “It was extremely dated and in a state of disrepair.”
The design team overhauled the yard, only retaining the existing property walls. The project design and installation took more than a year.
After: A louvered pergola covers the new outdoor dining area and a portion of the grill and bar area. The louvers can open to allow sun to penetrate the space. When the louvers are closed, the pergola provides shade and protects the area underneath from rain.
The landscape design team took inspiration from the home’s interiors, which the owners renovated at the same time as the yard, to create a harmonious flow between the two areas. “Our finishes included wood to ground the spaces, white for a clean, modern feel and touches of dark gray and black as accents,” McCrae says.
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The landscape design team took inspiration from the home’s interiors, which the owners renovated at the same time as the yard, to create a harmonious flow between the two areas. “Our finishes included wood to ground the spaces, white for a clean, modern feel and touches of dark gray and black as accents,” McCrae says.
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The new outdoor grill and bar area features a horizontal ipe wood veneer base. Honed concrete countertops and stainless steel grill contrast the warm wood and tie in with the rest of the backyard.
Most of the yard’s paving and hardscape is concrete, which the designer says they chose for its color, simplicity and modern feel.
Most of the yard’s paving and hardscape is concrete, which the designer says they chose for its color, simplicity and modern feel.
A new rectangular swimming pool anchors the center of the backyard. “The original design included a small spa and a large grass area, but after discussing the benefits of a swimming pool versus grass, we moved toward a swimming pool with a spa and eliminated the grass play area,” McCrae says. The family determined a pool would provide them with the most enjoyment of the space now and in the future as their needs evolve.
With the pool as the main feature of the backyard, all of the additional outdoor spaces sit adjacent to it. “It creates a wide-open space with pool views from all directions,” the designer says.
Pool-safe walls surround the property, and the backyard is reached through a pool-safe gate. To comply with code requirements, all doors that lead to the backyard have alarms.
With the pool as the main feature of the backyard, all of the additional outdoor spaces sit adjacent to it. “It creates a wide-open space with pool views from all directions,” the designer says.
Pool-safe walls surround the property, and the backyard is reached through a pool-safe gate. To comply with code requirements, all doors that lead to the backyard have alarms.
The in-ground hot tub and pool feature concrete coping and paving as well as penny-round tile.
The team left 4-inch seams between the patio pavers throughout the backyard, as seen in a close-up here. They planted the gaps with turf as a way to eliminate the need for drains and to reduce stormwater runoff, as all water can drain back into the yard itself.
The team left 4-inch seams between the patio pavers throughout the backyard, as seen in a close-up here. They planted the gaps with turf as a way to eliminate the need for drains and to reduce stormwater runoff, as all water can drain back into the yard itself.
Being able to sit around a fire was a top request for the homeowners. Next to the poolside deck and across from the outdoor cooking and dining area, the team added a smooth stucco-finished gas fireplace. The wide hearth creates additional seating and space to rest food or drinks.
Dimmable cafe lights over the fireside lounge add evening ambiance to the seating area. Low-voltage brass LED lights scattered throughout the yard illuminate the space at night.
“My favorite feature is the fireplace. It grounds the space, creates a destination, and with the cafe lights overhead, provides a welcome retreat in the evenings,” McCrae says.
More plants frame this corner of the yard, including aeonium (Aeonium sp.) and agave (Agave sp.) in front, flowering sage (Salvia ‘Waverly’) in the middle and strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) at the back of the beds. “The main external challenge was privacy on one side, as the adjacent property is higher, and we needed to screen the neighboring patio cover. We planted large evergreen trees that will provide a solid privacy screen as they grow in,” the designer says.
Dimmable cafe lights over the fireside lounge add evening ambiance to the seating area. Low-voltage brass LED lights scattered throughout the yard illuminate the space at night.
“My favorite feature is the fireplace. It grounds the space, creates a destination, and with the cafe lights overhead, provides a welcome retreat in the evenings,” McCrae says.
More plants frame this corner of the yard, including aeonium (Aeonium sp.) and agave (Agave sp.) in front, flowering sage (Salvia ‘Waverly’) in the middle and strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo) at the back of the beds. “The main external challenge was privacy on one side, as the adjacent property is higher, and we needed to screen the neighboring patio cover. We planted large evergreen trees that will provide a solid privacy screen as they grow in,” the designer says.
From above, you can see how the pool anchors the yard and how the outdoor living spaces nest in around it. This view also shows how the planted strips break up the concrete paving while still preserving the design’s contemporary, orderly appearance.
Other plants in the yard include: Aeonium (Aeonium ‘Sunburst’), kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos sp.), bluebeard (Caryopteris sp.), variegated flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Variegata’), silver carpet (Dymondia sp.), blue fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’), climbing fig (Ficus pumila), coral bells (Heuchera sp.), leucadendron (Leucadendron sp.), Perez’s sea lavender (Limonium perezii), New Zealand flax (Phormium ‘Amazing Red’), dwarf karo (Pittosporum crassifolium ‘Compactum’), kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’), blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens) and star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides).
Other plants in the yard include: Aeonium (Aeonium ‘Sunburst’), kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos sp.), bluebeard (Caryopteris sp.), variegated flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Variegata’), silver carpet (Dymondia sp.), blue fescue (Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’), climbing fig (Ficus pumila), coral bells (Heuchera sp.), leucadendron (Leucadendron sp.), Perez’s sea lavender (Limonium perezii), New Zealand flax (Phormium ‘Amazing Red’), dwarf karo (Pittosporum crassifolium ‘Compactum’), kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’), blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens) and star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides).
In another corner of the yard, an ipe wood outdoor shower allows the family to rinse off after swimming or surfing at the beach without having to go inside. The enclosure features a built-in bench and towel hooks inside.
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A young family with a teenage son
Location: Dana Point, California
Size: 950-square-foot (88-square-meter) front yard; 2,680-square-foot (249-square-meter) backyard
Designer: Living Gardens Landscape Design
The homeowners wanted areas for dining, lounging by the fire and showering outdoors. “Our owners are an active family that loves to entertain and were looking for a space that they could use every day but that would also work for larger gatherings with their extended family and friends,” says landscape designer Sacha McCrae of Living Gardens Landscape Design.
Before getting started on the project, McCrae used Houzz to help the homeowners focus their needs and style preferences. “At the beginning of all our designs, we ask our clients to send us inspiration images, as it is such a great way to communicate,” she says.
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