New build garden - Olympic park Stratford

This blank canvas space in a new build in London's Olympic park had a bespoke transformation without digging down into soil. The entire design sits on a suspended patio above a carpark and includes bespoke features like a pergola, seating, bug hotel, irrigated planters and green climbers. The garden is a haven for a young family who love to bring their natural finds back home after walks.

Outdoor Elevated Garden With Pergola

Integrity Landscape Services LLC

Photo of an expansive contemporary courtyard garden in Milwaukee.

Contemporary Garden Putney

Landscaping Solutions

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary courtyard partial sun formal garden for spring in London with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Weather House

Mihaly Slocombe

Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Modernist Courtyard

terraneo landscape design

Pots and planters play an important role in any courtyard. As the aspect is full sun typically hardy species were chosen. Succulents and catci mixed with more hardy tropical plants have proven to handle the conditions which has been important as the client tends to travel for work often for weeks at a time.

Alderley Courtyard

Define Landscape Architecture

Sunken courtyard
This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard partial sun garden for summer in Brisbane with natural stone pavers.

Cashmere

FORM garden architecture

This is an example of a small contemporary courtyard formal garden in Christchurch with a retaining wall and decking.

Contemporary Landscape

This is an example of a small and desert look contemporary courtyard full sun garden for summer in Los Angeles with gravel.

Contemporary Courtyard Didsbury Manchester

Outside Rooms Garden Design

Smart contemporary courtyard. K Rend walls and raised planters, Built-in Iroko hardwood seating. Infra-red outdoor heater. Evergreen planting including evergreen olive trees, box balls and ornamental grasses. Slatted timber screening for privacy

2014 Pinecrest Residence 1 year later

Landscaping by Steve Blaum

Monica Sarduy
Large contemporary courtyard partial sun formal garden in Miami with natural stone pavers for summer.

Rose Bay landscape design

Secret Gardens

Secret Gardens has been developing this stunning harbourside garden over a number of years. A simple layout at water level provides a subtle foreground to the harbour view beyond. Simple, modern plant combinations draw from a simple but consistent colour palette. The main courtyard space is the highlight . A five metre high green wall and water wall provide the backdrop to a large banquet seat. The built in bbq, retractable ceiling, customised firepit and coffee table provide options for year round entertainment. Extensive soundproofing was incorporated into the boundary wall as well as behind the green wall to absorb noise from a neighbouring property.

Melville courtyards

Cultivart Landscape Design

ron tan
Design ideas for a small contemporary courtyard full sun garden in Perth with a water feature and decking.

DDB DESIGN Exteriors & Pools

DDB Design Development & Building

Exteriors of DDB Design Development & Building Houses, Landscape Design by Mud Office photography by Urban Angles.
Design ideas for a contemporary courtyard garden in Melbourne with natural stone pavers.

Contemporary Backyard

Marlin Landscape Systems

Contemporary courtyard garden in Dallas.

Dark Planet garden sculpture in traditional style courtyard

David Harber

Design ideas for a contemporary courtyard formal garden in Oxfordshire.

Mary-Liz Campbell Landscape Design

Entry garden with deer resistant plantings: boxwood, Japanese forest grass & nepeta. Pea gravel courtyard & flagstone walk.
Inspiration for a contemporary courtyard garden in New York.

Whitney Place by DBM Landscapes

Landscape Industries Association Western Australia

FINALIST of the Awards of Excellence 2014 - Contractor - Residential - up to $75,000 Award
Inspiration for a contemporary courtyard garden in Perth with natural stone pavers.

Water-Wise Fountain

FormLA Landscaping

Gurgling water from this petite fountain is audible and visible from both the interior and the outdoor dining patio. Shaded by a roof extension, little if any water is allowed to evaporate. The water that spills from its side infiltrates the ground to feed the lush, leafy greenery that surrounds it. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography

West Pymble

iCreate Landscape and Design PTY LTD

Photo of a small contemporary courtyard partial sun garden in Sydney with with raised garden bed, natural stone pavers and a wood fence.

Courtyard Garden Design Redfern Sydney

Vogue & Vine - Landscape Designers Sydney

Our inner-city client in Redfern had a small outdoor courtyard which was impractical and he never used it for entertaining. Vogue and Vine were called in to create a liveable outdoor room and maximise space for seating and entertaining. We put down a new concrete floor and created built in bench seating and garden beds. We broke the space up using different materials and a modern colour palette. We used outdoor sofas and built in cushions to add a touch of glamour and warmth.

Contemporary Courtyard Garden Design Ideas

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.