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Landscape Design Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Deck vs Patio for a Smallish Backyard

6 years ago

Hi All - looking for some design advice regarding our backyard. We have roughly a 35 foot deep by 24 foot wide space to work with. We are trying to find the balance between having some outdoor entertaining space (e.g., for a table and bbq) and some grassy area with plants.

I am attaching a couple of pictures from our architect of what is currently planned for, which is a smallish deck along with a waterfall set of start surrounding it. I don't think the waterfall approach to the stairs makes sense since it wastes a lot of space. I am either looking to make the deck bigger with just a since set of stairs to get up to the deck or just totally replacing the deck with a patio with a small landing and stairs to get up the backdoor. I am curious to hear what others might think of how we should configure our backyard to maximize the space. BTW we live in Seattle if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

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Comments (5)

PRO
JudyG Designs
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Patio…you can then design gardens which blend…I would want to add a handrail…maybe wrought iron, assuming not all of your guests are under 50.

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PRO
Yardvaark
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I agree that while the steps going off in all directions look great, they are extravagant. The porch is not big enough to do much more than be a landing, and a nice one I wouldn't want to do without. Since there are only 4 steps, consider dropping down to a patio that can handle all the activities you're interested in having. You might could eliminate a step by raising the patio slightly. A kneewall and a cheekwall could add a bit of overflow seating.
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How about a patio mat? Patio mat from Amazon They are really for camping and keeping dirt and grass out of the camper, but they'd probably work well for your purpose too as long as your chairs don't have pointy legs that could puncture the mat. We have one like in the link but they come in larger sizes. Water goes through them, doesn't kill grass under them, lightweight, and roll up easily for storage. The only downside is that they have to be folded before rolling and those creases don't come out - at least not in the short time we use it.
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The length of the back of the house where all the mechanicals are: ~23 feet. The length of the back of the house where none of the mechanicals are located: ~17 feet. Please let me know if you need additional photos/information.
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If you are in "desperate need of a landscape plan", then you are in desperate need of a landscape designer :-) Many designers will prepare a plan for you to be able to follow on your own as a DIY project, hiring out only those areas that may need a professional hand. You are just not going to get much of a detailed response/plan online that you will be able to follow well......too much infomation is lacking. But you can check wth local nurseries for recommendations, try Angie's List or similar clearinghouse or if in the US, see if there is a local chapter of the Association of Professional Lanscape Designers (APLD). You can prepare a landscape plan on your own but the learning curve is very high. Hiring a designer is really a very modest investment but one that will streamline the process and is most likely to generate a successful result. The primary expense associated with landscaping is in the materials and the labor involved, not with the design.
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Comments (20)
@greenfish1234 Thank you again for your input. I'm attaching a better picture of the back door area. Our door is currently a slider door - not sure if that will be switched in the future to a french door. How far past the door should the steps/landing go? The further we go, the further we cut into that dead space next to our family room wall (to the right of the door). Also, the deeper the total of depth of the steps/landing combined, the deeper the bed gets to the left of the steps/landing, unless we don't make that bed as deep as the steps/landing, but not sure if that will look right. I'm also attaching a pic of landing/steps I found on line. Not that I want curved steps or that material, but was wondering if I could turn that dead space into a raised planter on the landing. That way I can soften that area. If I did this though, not sure how far to bring out the planter - just to the last step, or to the edge of the back of the family room wall. In this pic, their dead space is probably 1/2 that of mine.
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PRO
SolusLumber.com
6 years ago
Hi Omid,

Seattle... with the rain you get out there maybe consider doing away with pergola and going with a covered porch.? Make the deck a little bigger and you'll have an outdoor room. What are you using for the decking material? Please share some before and after photos and let us know what you decide!
PRO
Caprock Hardscape Supply
6 years ago
You can easily do a patio with that small space. Here's a photo of a job we supplied with limited space as well. They used Oklahoma Multicolored Stone and did the whole thing themselves.
PRO
Dig Doug's Designs
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Some ideas...I left out some of the fence so that you can see the yard.

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