Mr. and Mrs. Eades, the owners of this Chicago home, were inspired to build a Kalamazoo outdoor kitchen because of their love of cooking. “The grill became the center point for doing our outdoor kitchen,” Mr. Eades noted. After working long days, Mr. Eades and his wife, prefer to experiment with new recipes in the comfort of their own home. The Hybrid Fire Grill is the focal point of this compact outdoor kitchen. Weather-tight cabinetry was built into the masonry for storage, and an Artisan Fire Pizza Oven sits atop the countertop and allows the Eades’ to cook restaurant quality Neapolitan style pizzas in their own backyard.

An outdoor lounge sitting area on the back of the house near the outdoor dining area. This seating area features a custom linear firepit and cozy rocking chairs.

The landscape of this home honors the formality of Spanish Colonial / Santa Barbara Style early homes in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix. By re-grading the lot and allowing for terraced opportunities, we featured a variety of hardscape stone, brick, and decorative tiles that reinforce the eclectic Spanish Colonial feel. Cantera and La Negra volcanic stone, brick, natural field stone, and handcrafted Spanish decorative tiles are used to establish interest throughout the property. A front courtyard patio includes a hand painted tile fountain and sitting area near the outdoor fire place. This patio features formal Boxwood hedges, Hibiscus, and a rose garden set in pea gravel. The living room of the home opens to an outdoor living area which is raised three feet above the pool. This allowed for opportunity to feature handcrafted Spanish tiles and raised planters. The side courtyard, with stepping stones and Dichondra grass, surrounds a focal Crape Myrtle tree. One focal point of the back patio is a 24-foot hand-hammered wrought iron trellis, anchored with a stone wall water feature. We added a pizza oven and barbecue, bistro lights, and hanging flower baskets to complete the intimate outdoor dining space. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Scott Sandler

The Cocktail Courtyard is accessed via sliding doors which retract into the exterior walls of the dining room. The courtyard features a stone corner fireplace, antique french limestone fountain basin, and chicago common brick in a traditional basketweave pattern. A stone stairway leads to guest suites on the second floor of the residence, and the courtyard benefits from a wonderfully intimate view out into the native desert, looking out to the Reatta Wash, and McDowell Mountains beyond. Design Principal: Gene Kniaz, Spiral Architects; General Contractor: Eric Linthicum, Linthicum Custom Builders

Lanai and outdoor kitchen with blue and white tile backsplash and wicker furniture for outdoor dining and lounge space overlooking the pool. Project featured in House Beautiful & Florida Design. Interiors & Styling by Summer Thornton. Photos by Brantley Photography

Builder: Denali Custom Homes - Architectural Designer: Alexander Design Group - Interior Designer: Studio M Interiors - Photo: Spacecrafting Photography

The wood burning fireplace and exterior seating offer a perfect setting for outdoor entertaining. Greg Premru Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style backyard patio in Boston with a fire feature, brick pavers and a roof extension.

Landscape St. Louis, Inc.
This is an example of a large traditional backyard patio in St Louis with a fire feature, brick pavers and no cover.

Glass Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized country backyard patio in Denver with a fire feature, no cover and brick pavers.

Linda McDougald, principal and lead designer of Linda McDougald Design l Postcard from Paris Home, re-designed and renovated her home, which now showcases an innovative mix of contemporary and antique furnishings set against a dramatic linen, white, and gray palette. The English country home features floors of dark-stained oak, white painted hardwood, and Lagos Azul limestone. Antique lighting marks most every room, each of which is filled with exquisite antiques from France. At the heart of the re-design was an extensive kitchen renovation, now featuring a La Cornue Chateau range, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, custom cabinetry, and Waterworks tile.

Hacienda-style front courtyard with a Mediterranean- stye carved stone fountain with blue tile and rustic-style wood outdoor seating with plush cushions. Photo Credit: Kirk Gittings

Select Outdoor Kitchens Osage Island with the Large Big Green Egg
Design ideas for a large traditional backyard patio in Other with an outdoor kitchen, brick pavers and no cover.

It started with vision. Then arrived fresh sight, seeing what was absent, seeing what was possible. Followed quickly by desire and creativity and know-how and communication and collaboration. When the Ramsowers first called Exterior Worlds, all they had in mind was an outdoor fountain. About working with the Ramsowers, Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds says, “The Ramsowers had great vision. While they didn’t know exactly what they wanted, they did push us to create something special for them. I get inspired by my clients who are engaged and focused on design like they were. When you get that kind of inspiration and dialogue, you end up with a project like this one.” For Exterior Worlds, our design process addressed two main features of the original space—the blank surface of the yard surrounded by looming architecture and plain fencing. With the yard, we dug out the center of it to create a one-foot drop in elevation in which to build a sunken pool. At one end, we installed a spa, lining it with a contrasting darker blue glass tile. Pedestals topped with urns anchor the pool and provide a place for spot color. Jets of water emerge from these pedestals. This moving water becomes a shield to block out urban noises and makes the scene lively. (And the children think it’s great fun to play in them.) On the side of the pool, another fountain, an illuminated basin built of limestone, brick and stainless steel, feeds the pool through three slots. The pool is counterbalanced by a large plot of grass. What is inventive about this grassy area is its sub-structure. Before putting down the grass, we installed a French drain using grid pavers that pulls water away, an action that keeps the soil from compacting and the grass from suffocating. The entire sunken area is finished off with a border of ground cover that transitions the eye to the limestone walkway and the retaining wall, where we used the same reclaimed bricks found in architectural features of the house. In the outer border along the fence line, we planted small trees that give the space scale and also hide some unsightly utility infrastructure. Boxwood and limestone gravel were embroidered into a parterre design to underscore the formal shape of the pool. Additionally, we planted a rose garden around the illuminated basin and a color garden for seasonal color at the far end of the yard across from the covered terrace. To address the issue of the house’s prominence, we added a pergola to the main wing of the house. The pergola is made of solid aluminum, chosen for its durability, and painted black. The Ramsowers had used reclaimed ornamental iron around their front yard and so we replicated its pattern in the pergola’s design. “In making this design choice and also by using the reclaimed brick in the pool area, we wanted to honor the architecture of the house,” says Halper. We continued the ornamental pattern by building an aluminum arbor and pool security fence along the covered terrace. The arbor’s supports gently curve out and away from the house. It, plus the pergola, extends the structural aspect of the house into the landscape. At the same time, it softens the hard edges of the house and unifies it with the yard. The softening effect is further enhanced by the wisteria vine that will eventually cover both the arbor and the pergola. From a practical standpoint, the pergola and arbor provide shade, especially when the vine becomes mature, a definite plus for the west-facing main house. This newly-created space is an updated vision for a traditional garden that combines classic lines with the modern sensibility of innovative materials. The family is able to sit in the house or on the covered terrace and look out over the landscaping. To enjoy its pleasing form and practical function. To appreciate its cool, soothing palette, the blues of the water flowing into the greens of the garden with a judicious use of color. And accept its invitation to step out, step down, jump in, enjoy.

Inspiration for a large transitional backyard patio in Chicago with brick pavers and no cover.

Georgia Classic Pool is the Premier Custom Inground Swimming Pool Designer and Builders serving the north metro Atlanta Georgia area. We specialize in building amazing outdoor living spaces. Our award winning swimming pool projects are the focal point of your backyard. We can design and build your cabana, arbor, pergola or outdoor kitchen. Outdoor Living can be achieved year-round in the Atlanta area and we are here to help you get the very most out of your backyard living space.

Photo of a large traditional backyard patio in Phoenix with brick pavers, an outdoor kitchen and a roof extension.

Durston Saylor
Large traditional patio in Boston with brick pavers and a gazebo/cabana.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Mr. and Mrs. Eades, the owners of this Chicago home, were inspired to build a Kalamazoo outdoor kitchen because of their love of cooking. “The grill became the center point for doing our outdoor kitchen,” Mr. Eades noted. After working long days, Mr. Eades and his wife, prefer to experiment with new recipes in the comfort of their own home. The Hybrid Fire Grill is the focal point of this compact outdoor kitchen. Weather-tight cabinetry was built into the masonry for storage, and an Artisan Fire Pizza Oven sits atop the countertop and allows the Eades’ to cook restaurant quality Neapolitan style pizzas in their own backyard.