Before & After: Small Backyard turns into an Outdoor Living Space
Seoane Landscape Design
7 years ago
When we first met with the homeowner, they expressed the want and need for a more usable backyard since their kids had outgrown the small space. We all agreed that the space could use a little "growing up" (remove the swing set) and to make it a more usable gathering space for family and friends.
Check out this link for more pictures of the project.
First Meeting at Site - Conceptual Ideas, Sketching and Planning.
During Construction - Fire Place, Waterfall and Patio.
Final Product - Fire Place, Waterfall, Patio & Plantings.
During Construction - Outdoor Kitchen and Patio.
Final Product - Overlooking entire backyard and outdoor living space.
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Need ideas for thin back yard
Comments (7)I like your house! I think smaller yards are easier to turn into a welcoming, beautiful feature than big ones. You can maximize the impact resulting from decisions you make and money you spend. I recommend embarking on a lengthy exploration of photos (which it looks like you already have). Pick out details that you like from each and take notes. I've isolated photos tagged as outdoor/yard/modern/narrow: http://www.houzz.com/photos/modern/outdoor/narrow-yard- Before you embark on your exploration, come up with solid answers to the following 3 items: 1. Who will be using the outdoor space, and how will they use it? 2. Name three to five keywords that describe how you (and other household members) want to feel when you look at or use your outdoor space. 3. Your budget....See MoreSmall garden
Comments (113)Both, one for our bedroom and one for the outside. In the bedroom, I had the chimney breast 'destroyed' to make space for a long, slim one (should've been like under the painting). Then the carpenter made a mess with the drawers unit and we fired him and left it unfinished, looked for another carpenter (long story) - however, in the meanwhile, Andrew's changed his mind and doesn't want the bio-ethanol fireplace at all. Outside, I wanted it where the star and birdie is... would've looked fab......See MoreGarden before and after, advice for final touches
Comments (32)You have worked hard and built the 'bones' of your garden but now it needs dressing. For me there aren't enough plants. I totally agree with the pyracantha/clematis idea at the bottom of the garden but I don't agree with more pots. Pots are actually quite labour intensive in the summer when they need watering regularly even if it rains. Hence I think shrubs/plants should be planted in the gravel which will still suppress the weeds and help retain moisture in the summer. I love the idea of planting only white flowers. They are visible longest in the twilight. Vita Sackville-West planted her famous white and silver garden in Sissinghurst Castle. I firmly believe that fences should be invisible and disappear. Lest the garden looks like it is in a box. They should not be painted a bright eye-catching colour but instead camouflaged with a drapery of ever changing foliage. Climbers can be trained to grow along the fences. Either on trellis the same colour as the fence, on wires or on each other as suggested before. You could even have a beautiful fan or espalier trained apple tree growing against whichever fence in the sunniest spot. If you can lose the fences your garden will appear larger because there will be no boundaries. Lastly as final touches Ithink the eye should be drawn to a feature in the bottom right-hand corner such as a statue or beautiful elegant tree such as a silver birch. Also you should consider garden lighting which will add another dimension and give you an outdoor living area in the summer. Up-lighting is particularly effective and white fairy lights add a lovely twinkle....See MoreDead space in living area
Comments (38)Thanks for all the suggestions. We're definitely looking at a new radiator for the room. I've also moved all of the furniture in every way suggested but it definitely works in a similar way to the way we have it at present. I've attached a few photos from when I was moving the furniture around. For the meantime I've popped the Tv on a smaller unit and it's made it less obtrusive to the eye-still doesn't quite fit the space though! I've had an electrician come out to quote for putting ceiling lights in. Due to works we are planning in the rooms above the living area, it can all be tied in which is great, I'm now trying to decide whether regular pendant style or spotlights will suit the room best. With regards to using the room for another purpose, due to the configuration of the rest of the house, it is best used as a living area. I've attached the floor plan, again, suggestions welcome. Ideally, if we had three good sized bedrooms upstairs instead of 2, I would reinstate bedroom 3 as a dining room. We have the opportunity to go into the loft (many of the houses on the terrace have done so) but I feel that with it being just the two of us, we don't really need all that extra space! With the points raised about difficulties/hassle in bringing food to the dining area, we have a lovely hostess trolley that is used when we are cooking for the extended family which we have done quite a few times and works really well in reducing any awkwardness in orchestrating a dinner party....See More
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