Design ideas for a modern living room in Sydney.

Photo of a modern living room in Sydney.

This is an example of a modern exterior in Melbourne.

Design ideas for a modern deck in Melbourne.

Photo of a modern open plan dining in Melbourne with white walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and exposed beam.

This is an example of a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Addition and Remodel of a 1950's rambler
Photo of a modern living room in Seattle with a standard fireplace and no tv.

Red Ranch Studio photography
Large modern master wet room bathroom in New York with a two-piece toilet, grey walls, ceramic floors, distressed cabinets, an alcove tub, white tile, subway tile, a vessel sink, solid surface benchtops, grey floor and an open shower.

This garden house was designed by owner and architect, Shirat Mavligit. The wooden section of outer wall is actually the outer section of a central volume that creates an enlarged open space bisecting the home interior. The windows create a view corridor within the home that allows visitors to see all the way through to the back yard. Occupants of the home looking out through these windows feel as if they are sitting in the middle of a garden. This architectural theme of volume and line of site is so powerful that it became the inspiration for the modern landscape design we developed in the front, back, and side yards of the property. We began by addressing the issue of too much open space in the front yard. It has no surrounding fence, and it faces a very busy street in Houston’s Rice Village Area. After careful study of the home façade, our team determined that the best way to set aside a large portion of private space in front of the home was to construct a landscape berm. This land art form adds a sense of dimension and psychological boundary to the scene. It is built of core 10 steel and stands 16 inches tall. This is just high enough for guests to sit on, and it provides an ideal sunbathing area for summer days. The sweeping contour of the berm offsets the rigid linearity of the home with a softer architectural detail. Its linear progression gives the modern landscape design a dynamic sense of movement. Moving to the back yard, we reinforced the home’s central volume and view corridor by laying a rectilinear line of gravel parallel to an equivalent section of grass. Near the corner of the house, we created a series of gravel stepping pads that lead guests from the gravel run, through the grass, and into a vegetable garden. The heavy use of gravel does several things. It communicates a sense of control by containing the vitality of the lawn within an inorganic, mathematically precise space. This feeling of contained life force is common in modern landscape design. This also adds the functional advantage of a low-maintenance space where only minimal lawn care is needed. Gravel also has its own unique aesthetic appeal. Its dark color compliments both the grass and the house, providing an ideal lead-in to the space of the vegetable garden. This same rectilinear geometry was applied to the side yard, but the materials were reversed to add dramatic effect. Here, the field is gravel, and the stepping pads are made from grass. Heavy gauge steel planters were set into the gravel to house separate plantings of Zoysia. The pads run from the library to the kitchen, allowing visitors to travel between the two as if they are walking on a floor decorated with grass. The lawn in all three yards is planted with Zoysia grass. This species of grass is frequently used in modern landscape design because it requires only moderate amounts of water to retain its exceptionally fine texture. When mowed, it presents a clean, well-manicured lawn that compliments the conservatism of the home.

Pergola and kitchen are focal items.
Photo of a small modern backyard garden in New York.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

Chris Bucher Photography
Photo of a modern two-storey exterior in Indianapolis with mixed siding.

Landscape by Gardens by Gabriel; Fire Bowl and Water Feature by Wells Concrete Works; Radial bench by TM Lewis Construction
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern backyard patio in San Luis Obispo with a water feature, concrete slab and no cover.

Splash Supply Co
This is an example of a large modern backyard patio in Baltimore with a water feature, natural stone pavers and no cover.

This is an example of a modern staircase in Other.

Aménagement d'un jardin avec terrasse. Surface totalement gazonnée. Conception d'un mini golf pour compléter le jardin. Positionnement des grands pots .

Home extensions and loft conversion in Barnet, EN5 London. render finished in white, black tile and black trim, White render and black fascias and guttering.

This is an example of a modern home gym in Los Angeles.

Extraordinary greenery defines this ultra-modern landscape build. Edible beds show off bright greens, contrasting with the grey of the concrete walls. Ornamental grasses and stunning rock accents add a pop of earthy brightness.