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Contemporary Outdoor Backyard Design Ideas

Balmain Terrace House
Balmain Terrace House
Annie Bowen DesignAnnie Bowen Design
Graced with character and a history, this grand merchant’s terrace was restored and expanded to suit the demands of a family of five.
This is an example of a large contemporary backyard deck in Sydney.
Brighton: Renovation & Extension
Brighton: Renovation & Extension
First Avenue HomesFirst Avenue Homes
Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard patio in Melbourne with an outdoor kitchen, natural stone pavers and a roof extension.
Dartmouth House
Dartmouth House
Shane Marsh ArchitectsShane Marsh Architects
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard patio in Brisbane with a fire feature, gravel and an awning.
Santorini in Beaumaris
Santorini in Beaumaris
Bayon GardensBayon Gardens
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard patio in Melbourne with concrete pavers.
Attadale Project
Attadale Project
Western CabinetsWestern Cabinets
This is an example of a large contemporary backyard patio in Perth with an outdoor kitchen, concrete slab and a roof extension.
Central Residence
Central Residence
Dylan Barber Building DesignDylan Barber Building Design
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Geelong with natural stone pavers.
Camelback Mountain Contemporary | Pool & Cabana
Camelback Mountain Contemporary | Pool & Cabana
Greey PickettGreey Pickett
This “Arizona Inspired” home draws on some of the couples’ favorite desert inspirations. The architecture honors the Wrightian design of The Arizona Biltmore, the courtyard raised planter beds feature labeled specimen cactus in the style of the Desert Botanical Gardens, and the expansive backyard offers a resort-style pool and cabana with plenty of entertainment space. Additional focal areas of landscape design include an outdoor living room in the front courtyard with custom steel fire trough, a shallow negative-edge fountain, and a rare “nurse tree” that was salvaged from a nearby site, sits in the corner of the courtyard – a unique conversation starter. The wash that runs on either side of the museum-glass hallway is filled with aloes, agaves and cactus. On the far end of the lot, a fire pit surrounded by desert planting offers stunning views both day and night of the Praying Monk rock formation on Camelback Mountain. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Builder: GM Hunt Builders Landscape Contractor: Benhart Landscaping Interior Designer: Kitchell Brusnighan Interior Design Photography: Ian Denker
Pool house
Pool house
Exterior Worlds Landscaping & DesignExterior Worlds Landscaping & Design
We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.
Outdoor Kitchen
Outdoor Kitchen
Fredman Design GroupFredman Design Group
An additional challenge for the design team was to ensure that the kitchen would withstand the harsh Chicago elements; the countertop was done in honed granite and the cabinetry is marine-grade teak. To bring the modern design into harmony with the natural surroundings, a neutral palette was selected to complement the aesthetic inside the home without detracting from the lush green of the outdoor space.
West Coast English Retreat
West Coast English Retreat
Tierra Madre Fine GardensTierra Madre Fine Gardens
Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Other with with flowerbed and natural stone pavers.
Drendel Project
Drendel Project
Lucy and CompanyLucy and Company
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard patio in Charlotte with with fireplace, natural stone pavers and a roof extension.
Bluestone Irving Park
Bluestone Irving Park
KD LandscapeKD Landscape
Pergola design by John Algozzini and Cara Buffa.
Design ideas for a small contemporary backyard patio in Chicago with a fire feature, natural stone pavers and a pergola.
North East London Garden
North East London Garden
Peter Reader LandscapesPeter Reader Landscapes
Elevated view across the garden
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard garden in London.
Grand ARDA - Outdoor Living - RG Designs and K2 Design Group
Grand ARDA - Outdoor Living - RG Designs and K2 Design Group
AIBD - American Institute of Building DesignAIBD - American Institute of Building Design
The outdoor living area utilizes bold radial lines to offer a sense of unobstructed openness along the panoramic riverside views. Special consideration was given to the design and engineering of the outdoor space to allow a massive 60-foot span between columns, resulting in an unparalleled view. Playful geometric shapes speak to an easy livability that belie the bold and glamorous design. The second floor deck provides seamless access from the guest bedrooms, office and exercise rooms. The use of glass railing and zero-edge doors carefully preserve the view. A Grand ARDA for Outdoor Living Design goes to RG Designs and K2 Design Group Designers: Richard Guzman with Jenny Provost From: Bonita Springs, Florida
Burns Backyard Renovation
Burns Backyard Renovation
Tellurian ConstructionTellurian Construction
Donny Mays Photography
Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard full sun garden in Portland with natural stone pavers.
Zelkind Residence
Zelkind Residence
Revive Landscape DesignRevive Landscape Design
Copyright Protected by: Lori Brookes Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard patio in San Diego with concrete pavers, no cover and an outdoor kitchen.
Ranch Revival
Ranch Revival
Courtney Thomas DesignCourtney Thomas Design
We planned a thoughtful redesign of this beautiful home while retaining many of the existing features. We wanted this house to feel the immediacy of its environment. So we carried the exterior front entry style into the interiors, too, as a way to bring the beautiful outdoors in. In addition, we added patios to all the bedrooms to make them feel much bigger. Luckily for us, our temperate California climate makes it possible for the patios to be used consistently throughout the year. The original kitchen design did not have exposed beams, but we decided to replicate the motif of the 30" living room beams in the kitchen as well, making it one of our favorite details of the house. To make the kitchen more functional, we added a second island allowing us to separate kitchen tasks. The sink island works as a food prep area, and the bar island is for mail, crafts, and quick snacks. We designed the primary bedroom as a relaxation sanctuary – something we highly recommend to all parents. It features some of our favorite things: a cognac leather reading chair next to a fireplace, Scottish plaid fabrics, a vegetable dye rug, art from our favorite cities, and goofy portraits of the kids. --- Project designed by Courtney Thomas Design in La Cañada. Serving Pasadena, Glendale, Monrovia, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, and Altadena. For more about Courtney Thomas Design, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.courtneythomasdesign.com/portfolio/functional-ranch-house-design/
Pool and Seating Area
Pool and Seating Area
Liebo BuildersLiebo Builders
Photo of a large contemporary backyard lap pool in Los Angeles with with a pool.
Contemporary back garden, Wimbledon, 4
Contemporary back garden, Wimbledon, 4
Kate Eyre Garden DesignKate Eyre Garden Design
Photo of a small contemporary backyard deck in London with a fire feature.
Oatlands, NSW
Oatlands, NSW
Fluid DesignFluid Design
Mid-sized contemporary backyard patio in Sydney.

Contemporary Outdoor Backyard Design Ideas

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