Secrets to a Lush City Escape
A few of our favorite outdoor rooms provide hints and tips for creating an urban escape.
Banish boundaries
Family room doors pivot open for easy access to the patio.
Mimic nature
The carpet's grasslike texture and hue help unify indoors and out.
Living walls
Sedums fill modular cells for a living outdoor wall.
Living wall how-to
Out of sight
A vine-covered fence makes a leafy backdrop for a phormium and hides a carport.
A piece of shade
A sunscreen and light fixture are supported by a pole (wiring runs through it) set directly into the dining table. This greatly extends the usability of the space by making it comfortable during the day and bright at night.
Outdoor dining rooms
Framed
Louvered windows add texture, and, from indoors, frame the yard.
Space saver
Wide wooden stairs up to the front door serve as bonus seating for parties.
Secret soak
A hot tub is hidden away in a corner behind Australian brushwood fencing.
Light it up
The steel firewall backing a gas-fed firepit reflects heat and hides the parking area.
Outdoor lighting tips
Ground control
Decomposed granite and pebbly Lodi gravel keep the space from looking cluttered.
"Room" dividers
Agaves, aloes, and other succulents connect the various "rooms."
More on creating "rooms" in your yard
Natural screens
As they grow, olive trees will spread their canopies, providing extra privacy.
Design around your shade tree
Sun shade
Shade sails are an inexpensive alternative to fixed trellises.
Soothing sounds
A trickling fountain masks ambient noise.
View another amazing backyard transformation
