Green Patio Ideas and Designs
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Exterior Worlds Landscaping & DesignA Memorial area family commissioned us to create a natural swimming pool in their back yard. The family already had a standard pool on premises, but it was isolated in an area of the yard not particularly suited to seating guests or hosting get-togethers. What they wanted was a second, natural swimming pool built that would serve as the hub of a new home outdoor entertainment area consisting of a new stone patio, comfortable outdoor seating, and a fire pit. They wanted to create something unique that would preserve as much of the natural features of the landscape as possible, but that would also be completely safe and fully functional as a swimming pool.
We decided to design this new landscaping plan around a pre-existent waterfall that was already on the property. This feature was too attractive to ignore, and provided the ideal anchor point for a new gathering area. The fountain had been designed to mimic a natural waterfall, with stones laid on top of one another in such a way as to look like a mountain cliff where water spontaneously springs from the top and cascades down the rocks. At first glance, many would miss the opportunity that such a structure provides; assuming that a fountain designed like a cliff would have to be completely replaced to install a natural swimming pool. Our landscaping designers, however, came up with a landscape plan to transform one archetypal form into the other by simply adding to what was already there.
At the base of the rocks we dug a basin. This basin was oblong in shape and varied in degrees of depth ranging from a few inches on the end to five feet in the middle. We directed the flow of the water toward one end of the basin, so that it flowed into the depression and created a swimming pool at the base of the rocks. This was easy to accomplish because the fountain lay parallel to the top of a natural ravine located toward the back of the property, so water flow was maintained by gravity. This had the secondary effect of creating a new natural aesthetic. The addition of the basin transformed the fountain’s appearance to look more like a cliff you would see in a river, where the elevation suddenly drops, and water rushes over a series of rocks into a deeper pool below. Children and guests swimming in this new structure could actually imagine themselves in a Rocky Mountain River.
We then heated the swimming pool so it could be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer, and we also lit the pool using two types of luminaries for complimentary effects. For vegetation, we used mercury vapor down lights to backlight surrounding trees and to bring out the green color of foliage in and around the top of the rocks. For the brown color of the rocks themselves, and to create a sparkling luminance rising up and out of the water, we installed incandescent, underwater up lights. The lights were GFIC protected to make the natural swimming pool shock proof and safe for human use.
Swell HomesDMax photography, Liz Prater interior design and fit out. Swell Homes addition and renovation.
Hardscape ContractorsDesigned by, Olive Branch Integrated Outdoor Design
Built by, VIP Outdoor Living
Gardner/Fox Associates, IncProject Details - Stone Terrace, walkway and Garden wall, Azek decking and Railling, Beadboard ceiling and landscaping
Heartlands Building CompanyThis beautiful Town and Country outdoor room consists of a covered patio connecting the home to the pool area. The tall arched ceiling is stained cedar with recessed lighting, speakers and ceiling fans. The fireplace is gas and is faced with cultured stone. Retractable solar wall screens block the heat and glare of the sun as well as some wind on the west side.
Photo by Gordon Kummer
UserThe design intent for this modest home and garden, located on a tree-lined street in Culver City, was to create a family-friendly, versatile, sustainable outdoor environment that grew with the rapidly changing needs of the owners, their three children and their close-knit community. This became the site of the "Neighborhood Film Festival" where family and friends could settle into the oversized sofa, warm themselves by the outdoor firepit/coffee table, and enjoy a movie under the stars.
The Garden Trellis CompanyWe asked Joanna Archer why she choose our RHS Prestige Solid Fence Panels and RHS Prestige Square Trellis (38mm gap) for this project of hers. She replied, “Our garden designs are built to last, so we always choose materials with exceptional quality and longevity. The solid fence panels really deliver on this, and the finish of the paintwork is beautiful. We like using the 38mm square trellis for additional privacy. It’s a stylish option for a classic traditional style garden such as this.”
Southview DesignNo landscape project is complete without good lighting. As evening approaches, low-voltage lighting illuminates the garden, while bistro lights above the patio infuse a touch of ambiance and coziness.
Noble Johnson ArchitectsArchitecture: Noble Johnson Architects
Interior Design: Rachel Hughes - Ye Peddler
Photography: Studiobuell | Garett Buell
Green Patio Ideas and Designs
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