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All Photos/outdoor/locations : side yard

Outdoor Side Yard Design Photos and Ideas

Architects Mathilde Nicoulaud and Olivier Lekien recreated a 1930 compact house in Montreuil, France, on the outskirts of Paris as their ideal family home.
In this Australian project, a resort-worthy swimming pool sits beside the industrial-chic kitchen and living area. It's a joy to swim in, of course, but the body of water also provides evaporative cooling for the courtyard.
A crooked little fisherman cottage gets a new lease on life in the hands of owners Jamie Kwong and his wife, Ingrid, who renovate the seaside shack with an eco-friendly approach that includes recycled and repurposed materials wherever possible. Located across the bay from Australia’s Palm Beach, the Little Black Shack has been made available to rent for your next dream vacation getaway.
Unique among tiny homes, ESCAPE's Classic wraps the entryway in a screened-in and roof porch. It could also be fully enclosed to add an extra room to the home.
While Nature Pod pictured here has a showerhead installed outside, it is normally placed in the in the bathroom behind a glass door (or a curtain if the home is purchased without insulation).
The simple wood exterior can be customized based on the owner's wishes.
At Casa Cantellano, light is omnipresent, with vegetation-rich courtyards around every corner.
“Our drive to have a landscaped garden was for the kids to be able to have a space where they could adventure around the place,” says Natalie. “And part of what we enjoy is being able to sit and admire something that’s so beautiful.” They chose hardy Australian native plants to make the garden easy to maintain with minimal water.
What used to be the driveway is now a private side patio where the family regularly eats dinner. Ikea chairs join a table the couple made themselves.
Moss-covered rocks and twisted tree trunks give the landscape a fairyland-like quality.
<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">Wood adirondack chairs surrounding a stone firepit. </span>
Chickens foraging in an enclosed garden with vertical planters.
On the home's east side, the overhang created by the second story volume shades the front door while still allowing morning light into the bedrooms.
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Surrounded by oak trees and lush grasslands, Field Cabin features a steeply pitched roof and an expansive glass door and decking on the front facade.
The couple followed permaculture principles for their garden, complete with a robust compost system. You’ll also find an orchard, native prairie grasses, and a winter pond on the land.
The house is divided into three sections connected by a series of outdoor galleries. “When I walk from one room to another, I have to go outdoors and feel the weather and nature—rain, cold, and sun,” says Sævik. 

Instead of emphasizing the expansive panorama of oak, pine, and aspen trees, the house frames select views—a move inspired by Japanese design.
Designed by award-winning Sant Architects, this four-bedroom vacation rental near Topanga elevates the concept of a mountain retreat to new heights—from its raw, concrete facade and hillside pool, to the Bauhaus-inspired interiors that feature expansive glass walls that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The clean, architectural lines are expressed using iron beams, concrete slabs, timber-panelled walls, and glass, and the sprawling, open-plan living area features a slide-away fireplace and enormous windows that seamlessly transition the property from cosy winter retreat to breezy summer getaway.
Situated on a gentle slope, the tiny home features a gable roof, a rectangular silhouette, and an expansive wood deck that extends from the front facade.
The larch slats above the brick reference a history of agriculture buildings in the area.
The exterior is constructed from cypress pine wood and lightweight polycarbonate.
Barragán designed Casa Gilardi, in Mexico City, around this single jacaranda tree.
The homes were designed to maximize the indoor/outdoor experience. “On long weekends, we sit in the garden, invite friends, and make a barbecue. It’s like we’ve gone on holiday without leaving home,” says resident Luca Pagnan.
In Bangkok, this family residence by Looklen Architects features four different courtyards with trees that stretch beyond its double-height interiors.
Taking inspiration from the popular Japanese film <i>My Neighbor Totoro</i>, Sydney firm CplusC Architectural Workshop renovated a four-bedroom family residence to celebrate the importance of human relationships and a connection with the natural world. A rear extension with a spacious, open-plan living area connects to an outdoor deck and landscaped backyard.
The garage’s huge doors had been covered up, so Studio Karhard freed up the openings for steel-and-glass doors from Ferrotec.
The rundown barn sat on twenty-five acres of countryside in Devon.
The umbrella resting on the terrace is from Frontgate.
The lower level features Lezanne's in-house studio.
Kyu Sung and Jung-Ja take in the view from the rear deck. Behind them is the house Kyu Sung designed for the couple and their children in 1989.
The Metal Clad windows are by Loewen.
To his credit, the original owner and builder of an ’80s-era home in Byron Bay, Australia, kept it “in pretty good nick,” as designer Micka Etheridge puts it. “He’d dusted the window frames once a week for thirty-five years.” Etheridge took that same care expanding the house for its new owners, Cheryl and James Kitchener, who love its greenery and mellow, vintage vibe.
Kuo transformed the original back house and attached garage using playful geometries and creative uses of space.
The front balcony lets light and air into the library, where an AJ table lamp from Louis Poulsen adds extra illumination when Elwin is at his desk.
Nestled in West London, the home is conveniently located near many of the city's top attractions, including Hyde Park, Portobello Market, and Westbourne Grove.
In the family's porch, a natural reed canopy provides protection from the sun. The grounds are covered with gravel.
Two new structures were also built in the backyard, and connected to the main house via the landscape plan by Lilyvilla Gardens. One is a 485-square-foot guest house, and the other is a 375-square-foot workshop for the owner, who’s a bike builder. They have the same exterior siding as the main house: rough-sawn tongue and groove cedar.
A large deck to the side of the kitchen is accessed via a large sliding door. On calm and sunny days, the residents can sit outside an enjoy views over the water.
The architects worked closely with the client to maintain the openness of the original plan.
Once the sun sets, the private side deck with soaking tub offers an idyllic setting for stargazing.
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