The old, underutilized pool was replaced with a more organic design framed by granite pavers and the occasional protruding boulder.
The bluestone terrace is home to a fireplace and all-weather wicker seating.
Al fresco entertaining space was limited at the main house, so the owner made up for it at the barn, where an expansive pergola shelters the outdoor kitchen and dining area, and a pizza oven and an eighty-inch TV keep the party lively.
The screened porch looks over cornfields and a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
The home’s three-season, modified timber-frame screened-in porch is high enough off the ground to give it a tree-house feel.
Carefully selected elements, like a stone wall with a traditional look and the white dining canopy, play off the house and create a sense of unity.
Lighting at every step is as beautiful as it is functional, bathing the terraces in a soft glow and highlighting design features.
Lush, layered planting behind the white canopy gives the space a classic New England feel, even with the yard’s contemporary design and accents like the sleek dining table and chairs.
The full outdoor kitchen and bar are situated centrally for an ideal view of the pool.
A combination of textures and materials, from stone and oxidized steel to smooth pavers and lush vegetation, makes for a rich and naturally elegant poolscape.
A raised terrace with a fire pit is a fine setting for evening entertaining.
An understated water feature behind the chaises provides relaxing ambient sound.The full outdoor kitchen and bar are situated centrally for an ideal view of the pool.
The outdoor furniture is pale in tone and unadorned, to blend in with the sand and beach grasses.
The front porch’s mismatched furniture lends a “collected” look and adds a sense of history to the new home.
An outdoor dining room is located just steps from the pool and hot tub.
Sheltered under the back porch, a living and dining area allows the family to gather outside for much of the summer.
Below the second-floor master suite balcony, the pool, hot tub, and sitting and dining spaces converge for a multifunctional entertaining area.
The patio offers sweeping vistas of the estate on which the carriage-house-turned-condo sits.
The screened porch resembles a small A-frame cabin; breezes can blow right through the latticed wicker furniture.
The large pool, a tennis court, access to a neighborhood pond, and a big yard for playing attracted the couple, who have three children. An expansive rear porch offers plenty of space for warm-weather entertaining.
The roof deck features discreet areas for dining, cooking, and lounging, all with spectacular views of the city.
A seating area.
A pergola-covered dining area.
The screened porch is furnished with comfy sofas and tea-height tables for casual eating and reading, making it a favorite gathering spot.
A sisal rug defines the sunroom’s dining area. Cheery curtains make a colorful frame for the view.
To update the existing outdoor furniture collection, Lapierre had the pieces repainted and outfitted with new pillows and umbrellas.
The conservatory doors open onto a stone patio and fireplace. A small deck off the master bedroom sits above the sunny passage between the kitchen area and the wet bar.
Slats and boards on the waterside deck mimic the interiors.
The owners enjoy their second-story porch all year long.
To integrate the pool with the landscape, “We conceived of the rectangular pool as a farm relic—perhaps the foundation for a farm structure,” says Horiuchi. Behind the pool, plantings on the sloping lawn will grow lush over time.
Stone mason Eben Armer hand selected each locust branch for this outdoor shower he designed and built.
The screened porch provides views of the poolhouse (which also functions as guest quarters) and the water. Stiving-Nichols and furniture maker Jeff Soderbergh collaborated on the design of the handsome reclaimed cypress dining table, one of several he crafted for the house.
The random sizes and shapes of the paving stones further the natural look of the landscaping.
In the screened porch, the vibe is casual, inviting lingering on slipcovered chairs and a large circular daybed from JANUS et Cie.
The screened porch on the third floor invites relaxation with swinging daybeds and a bird’s eye view of Quonochontaug Pond.
The rails of the floating dock are made of rope.
A sunny screened-in porch is cooled by Cape Cod breezes and scattered with comfy chairs atop a Stark area rug.
Winding steps of uneven rock lead from dock to house for a more nature-in-the-raw experience.
Modernist architect Olav Hammarstrom believed in getting close to nature, in this case a private kettle pond. In the recent update, architect Coty Sidnam’s glass rail on the deck of the main house makes “up close” even closer.
The rebuilt deck ends with an outdoor shower outside the master bedroom.
The breezeway entry was hard to find until landscape architect Keith LeBlanc regraded and opened up the parking court.
From the perspective of the seating area, the pool’s infinity edge disappears into the waters of the bay.
At the near end of the pool, two pieces of granite stacked atop each other form a naturalistic and appealing diving platform. On the opposite end sits the fireplace, with a dining area and bar conveniently located nearby. Just steps from the bar, the spa is delineated from the pool by a curved wall designed for sitting and soaking.
The color of the pool, carefully chosen to blend with the surrounding vegetation and the bay, is a source of delight.
On the water side, the fencing is glass, while white-painted pickets do the job on the driveway side.
A smaller, round table for informal dining is located at one end of the pool, near the seating area.
A path leads across the lawn to the parking area.
At one end of the infinity pool, a cabana features an enclosed bar area, bathroom, and changing room.
A built-in banquette hugs the walls of the sunroom, which was designed to suggest a screened porch that had been enclosed.
The homeowner says everyone congregates in the kitchen or on the deck, whose expansive table easily accommodates twelve.
The swimming pool culminates in an invisible edge that visually blends into Buzzards Bay.
The deck railing follows the curve of the wetlands setback abutting the house; a second seating area at the rear capitalizes on its western exposure.
The generous deck wraps around the house and is accessible to the living room and the guest bedroom.
Higgins and her client laid out the garden like a parterre, with four flower beds surrounding a bird bath.
A fire pit serves as the focal point for a sunken lounge featuring built-in seating.
The fun never ends in a kids’ play area that holds, among other delights, a colorful balance beam and a stationary jet ski.
Convenient self-service from the countertop drink trough makes guests happy.
One part rustic, one part sleek, the Barn is anchored by a custom bar topped with Lunar White polished quartzite that waterfalls over two sides into a chiseled finish for a contrasting live-edge look.
An ipe-clad, granite-topped bar and grill area separates the upper deck from the pool level; the grill’s retractable lid keeps the terrace uncluttered.
The spa overlooks the pool and lets the party go on long after sunset.
The design team was given the task of creating an outdoor space that forms a seamless bridge between the house and the beautiful waterfront setting. Multiple terraces include an ipe deck topped with a contemporary pergola. The built-in metal light cages atop the columns are an element echoed in other metal detailing in the new backyard area.
The house sits on nearly two acres, and came with a pool and tennis court
Quinn carries the water’s color into the pool house with a graphic rug and pillows from Colony Rug Company.
JANUS et Cie’s Amalfi collection lounges lend style to the pool.
The new lattice-framed pergola leads to the dairy room.
An oxidized crane stands nearby.
The landscape offers a variety of intimate spaces.
Landscape designer Jeff Stevens and interior designer Karen Quinn turned what was once a dairy room into an inviting entry space. Urns of geraniums and a crisp hedge of Winter Gem boxwood provide the initial welcome.
An existing hedge affords the outdoor sitting area privacy.
The expansive pool area can accommodate a crowd, with its well-appointed outdoor kitchen, a bar, dining table, and two seating areas, including the custom sofas that tuck into the stonework enclosures by the swimming pool. Under the pergola, seating includes natural woven Restoration Hardware outdoor furniture, X benches by Serena & Lily, and barstools by JANUS et Cie.
Spot, the orange dog, oversees the terrace, where designer Kelly Taylor covered the concrete floor with tile and maintenance-free artificial turf. Featuring a singular chandelier and lively upholstery fabric on the chair backs, the dining room is at once sumptuous and contemporary.
Maintenance-free garapa decking ages to a silver-gray tone that complements the bluestone patio.
The sunroom features back-to-back sofas that provide a view of the television from one side and an astounding backyard view from the other.
A stone fireplace means that the open pool house can still be enjoyed as the weather cools.
The pool, pool house, and Dan K. Gordon’s award-winning landscape transformed a rocky slope.
The screened porch is at once rustic and comforting, and the views inside rival the distant vistas. All of the twig furniture is from La Lune, in a natural bark finish. A country-inspired mix of upholstery fabrics softens the space, which is illuminated by a chandelier from Deep Landing Workshop, sconces from Hubbardton Forge, and the warm glow of a fireplace.
Simple triangular brackets and a row of rafter tails create rhythm on the deck, which overlooks surrounding meadows and a neighbor’s barn.
Tall grasses and hardy shrubs form a pretty palette and play well with the coastal environment.
An Alverson limestone planter on the water side of the house features little bluestem grass.
For continuity, Lombardi used the same Jet Mist granite he used on the front steps to cap this weathered-steel retaining wall.
A water feature fabricated from Norstone and built into the wall provides nice ambient sound.
Lombardi designed the elevated pool to have graphic, sculptural appeal.
Avid triathletes, the owners wanted a regulation, no-wake lap pool.
Layers of plantings provide privacy but preserve the view.
To create clear pathways, Lombardi used modular, pervious, man-made pavers that lend visual interest.
For the front courtyard, landscape architect Gregory Lombardi went with a natural look, choosing plantings that will grow together nicely over time. To complete the picture, the homeowners requested a Japanese maple.
The new porch offers views of Narragansett Bay as well as plenty of space for friends and family to gather.
Plantings around the pool are lush and natural.
The terrace was designed to complement—and sustain—the century-old beech tree that started it all.
Curving lines define the landscape design.
Tapered and notched rafter tails speak the language of Wright.
Perkins worked with Connecticut Post & Beam to design the barn-like pool house with rough-sawn siding and a tin roof. It has a small kitchen, bathroom, outdoor shower, and a stone fireplace.
Kingsley-Bate furniture cozies up to the pool house fireplace.
A cozy deck off the breakfast area (the new owners added the pergola).
Set amid vibrant but groomed grounds, the stone patio offers an outdoor gathering spot perfect for warm summer nights or cooler evenings around the custom fire pit.
The coastal-chic white rocker and bench, stars-and-stripes pillows, and a door painted in Ralph Lauren’s Club Navy keep the space in sync with the homeowners’ tasteful patriotic aesthetics.
The perfect place to sit with a Sunday paper and coffee, the entry porch is a nice respite from the summer sun
Architect Nancy Leslie designed the hardscape, including the basket-weave pool surround.
The columns on the second level have a bamboo-inspired shape. Snazzy umbrellas mark the poolside sitting area.
The columns on the second level have a bamboo-inspired shape. Snazzy umbrellas mark the poolside sitting area.
Coping around the pool and spa combines three shades of blue tile.
A pergola shades the pool house dining area. A pond view is an added bonus in the pretty pool area.
A cedar ceiling elevates the front porch, as do lanterns from designer Robin Pelissier’s home decor boutique, Robin’s Nest.
From the pool area to the back terrace, the house offers plenty of options to relax and enjoy the great outdoors.
A simple fence dovetails nicely with the new pool house.
A privet hedge will eventually fill out to hide the fence that encloses the pool.
Mercurio’s landscape plan echoes the simple, modern aesthetic of the pool house, designed by architect Peter McDonald with interiors by Jill Morelli.
Landscape architect Kimberly Mercurio used creeping thyme between the terrace’s bluestone slabs for low maintenance. The wooden bench was crafted of salvaged wood from an old barn on the property.
The court is tucked next to the property’s long entry drive and screened by trees.
Summery perennials in the pool area give way to a natural landscape near the beach.
Dan Gordon designed a seating area that “balances softscape and hardscape” in the tennis court of this mid-Cape home.
The swimming pool was designed to keep the focus on the ocean views.
The house tucks in among a grove of cedar trees.
The granite slabs laid in the grass stand in as parking spaces.
The home’s front entrance is approached via a natural-looking walking trail flanked by ferns and native groundcovers.
Keith LeBlanc’s program for a West Yarmouth property keeps things natural; near the house, a buddleia brings color to a sitting area.
A screened porch sits at the back of the house.
The pool house is fully equipped for visitors, with a kitchen, a generous sitting area, two bedrooms, and two baths. Come morning, early risers get first dibs on the pool and hot tub. “Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful,” says the wife.
The outdoor fireplace alongside the pool house is the destination for frequent summer gatherings. Hydrangea and fragrant rosa rugosa add to the Nantucket flavor.
Nearby, lounges give sunbathers a comfortable perch
A pool cabana further screens the house from the street and offers extra bedroom space for guests.
Around the side of the house, the gardens form outdoor rooms that make perfect spots for play or relaxation.
Porches, like this favorite spot for morning coffee, are deeper than the standard.
The terrace, with its large barbeque area, outdoor dining space and stone fireplace, connects the main house and cabana.
Built-in wooden benches line the patio and serve as additional seating for entertaining.
The pool house mimics the architectural vernacular of the main house; the swimming pool is painted a deep blue to match the harbor waters, rather than a more conventional hue.
Views of Marblehead Harbor are pleasing from many spaces in the home, including from the outdoor dining patio.
Furnished with casual pieces from Restoration Hardware’s Leagrave collection, wide porches invite overflow guests, easy conversation, and kicking back.
Outdoor living is essential to the Cape experience, of course, and it’s celebrated in this family compound.
A pergola shelters the main walkway between the entry doors.
In addition to the poolside cottage, which has been reborn as guest quarters, and a pool house for equipment, the property also holds a separate garage with second-floor studio space.
A small patio off the guest suite offers visitors a private area to take their morning coffee.
The street facade highlights the modern layers of the house, each clad in its own material.
Architect Stephanie Horowitz sited the house so that the living space opens up to the side yard to take advantage of the southern sun. The stunning modern design is a series of five varying-sized cubes arranged in a U-shape.
The owners fell in love with the house in part because of its views, which include iconic Maine landmarks such as the Isle of Shoals and Boone Island Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in New England.
The owners fell in love with the house in part because of its views, which include iconic Maine landmarks such as the Isle of Shoals and Boone Island Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in New England.
The owners fell in love with the house in part because of its views, which include iconic Maine landmarks such as the Isle of Shoals and Boone Island Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in New England.
Plantings and stone terracing enhance house and property.
Plantings and stone terracing enhance house and property.
The English countryside inspired the back garden, which boasts an ordered mix of annuals and perennials such as day lilies, impatiens, gladiolas, lavender and roses.
A seating area on the terrace.
A terrace area allows for entertaining space and an open lawn lies just behind the stone wall.
A new deck off the kitchen makes a picture-perfect place for casual dining.
Boaters have easy access via the dock.
Those staying behind on the covered porch can monitor comings and goings.
Design elements are present even in the pool.
The patio features Royal Botania furniture.
A casual dining area.
The modern fireplace.
The pool area, complete with a fireplace and multiple areas for relaxing.
Meadowbrook Gardens worked with the homeowner to bring beauty and privacy to the pool area.
Lush landscaping abounds.
Every exterior feature, especially the outdoor entertaining spaces, was given the same attention to detail as the interiors.
The porch is one of Rudermanâs favorite spots because, she says, it reflects who she is as a designer.
The porch is casually furnished with wicker and wrought iron.
A charming boathouse sits mere yards away, nestled on the tree-lined shore.
The outdoor living room is a favorite relaxation destination.
Lombardi created an outdoor oasis behind the house that recalls the ownersâ previous home in California.
Architect Weston and builder Rob Thompson added a second level to an existing ranch house, making extensive changes to the exterior design.
Landscape architect Gregory Lombardi accentuated the curves of the existing pool by pairing it with horizontal bands of bluestone and grass.
In a nod to going green, the roof of the pool house is topped with sedum and moss.
A carpet of faux grass gives the terrace its garden appeal. The striped chairs are from Terrain in Westport.
Fronting the house, the boxwood parterre garden is full of heirloom plants.
The view from the house’s front windows.
Bright pops of pink join lush grasses around the swimming pool.
The covered porch at the back of the house lets the owners relax outdoors rain or shine. The chairs, the sofa and dining table are from Restoration Hardware, while the coffee table, side table and lamps are antiques store finds. Antique bricks were used to build the fireplace, and the metal ship’s model on the mantel is also an antique.
The pool house mimics the house. The pool includes an attached spill-over spa with a stacked rock veneer.
Landscape architect Gregory Lombardi dug into the grade in several places, including the pool area, to improve sight-lines and make the hardscaping feel more integral to the land.
Transom doors on the guest house make the building look like a relic from a previous era.
The home’s second floor and the pergola that runs along the entire south wall were left unpainted. The wood will weather naturally over time, blending into the landscape.
The pool area offers great views of Sengekontacket Pond, but maintains privacy from the adjacent Farm Neck golf course.
The stonework edging around the base of this classic Maine camp was inspired by the original structure’s chimney, a nod to the history of this special place.
Guest quarters have a view through glass doors to the stone terrace and pool.
The inner courtyard with a reflecting pool and an adjacent gallery displaying paintings by Pedro Calapez is situated in the opposite wing.
An infinite edge helps merge the pool with the landscape.
New windows along the home’s lakefront side ensure unhindered views from all the main living spaces.
The stone patio Davies built by the existing pool looks as though it’s always been there. She gave it a contemporary attitude with a cement table from CB2 and classic Verner Panton chairs.
All of the doors to the house are painted citron, adding pizzazz while being appropriate to the rural setting.
The first-floor suite offers privacy and easy access to the terrace, pictured to the right.
Filled with greenery, a dining alcove on the patio radiates European charm.
Stone steps meander through wooded grounds.
The property’s three gardens were planted and nurtured for many years by former owners, then went through a bit of an unkempt growth period.
Lewis was bent on the gardens’ revival when she moved in, and with the help of gardener Craig Lemberger, restored them to full flower.
A hidden courtyard behind the house offers space for outdoor dining and entertaining.
Eastman discovered the covered patio’s driftwood table base at the Antique and Artisan Center in Stamford and gave it a see-through top.
The covered patio sports an alfresco dining area.
