Beach Style Meets Desert in a Tucson Backyard
Muted colors, a new shade structure and pavers with embedded seashells create a cooling backyard for an Arizona couple
In Arizona, a region often associated with blistering temperatures and bold, rich colors, this backyard design in Tucson takes a cooling approach. “Everything is white and gray, with a whisper of turquoise,” say landscape designer Elizabeth Przygoda-Montgomery. “When you walk in, you feel like you’re in desert-beach.”
A Custom Pergola Tracks the Sun
Increasing shade was a primary request from the homeowners, Przygoda-Montgomery says, as the yard previously had next to none. She added a pergola that protects the homeowners at all times, designing its shape with data from a computer-generated model that tracked the sun’s movement across the yard. The pergola is made from concrete block and covered in raw, hand-troweled stucco. White-painted wood supports a tin roof.
A new outdoor kitchen, including a built-in barbecue, allows one of the homeowners to grill zucchini and portobello mushrooms. “She wanted the smallest grill,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. The countertops are made from recycled bottles.
Browse string lights
Increasing shade was a primary request from the homeowners, Przygoda-Montgomery says, as the yard previously had next to none. She added a pergola that protects the homeowners at all times, designing its shape with data from a computer-generated model that tracked the sun’s movement across the yard. The pergola is made from concrete block and covered in raw, hand-troweled stucco. White-painted wood supports a tin roof.
A new outdoor kitchen, including a built-in barbecue, allows one of the homeowners to grill zucchini and portobello mushrooms. “She wanted the smallest grill,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. The countertops are made from recycled bottles.
Browse string lights
Contemporary Hardscape Updates
Przygoda-Montgomery updated the existing pool and hot tub by changing its edge and shape and adding new waterline tile and a new cleaning system. She framed the pool with river rock, which accents the pool’s lines and also helps drain water overflow from Arizona’s monsoons. “We gave it a face-lift,” she says.
The pavers throughout the project are from Artistic Pavers and are manufactured in Tucson. “They mix seashells in their pavers. In Arizona, this really knocks down the heat,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. The flooring is a smooth transition from the indoor floors.
Przygoda-Montgomery updated the existing pool and hot tub by changing its edge and shape and adding new waterline tile and a new cleaning system. She framed the pool with river rock, which accents the pool’s lines and also helps drain water overflow from Arizona’s monsoons. “We gave it a face-lift,” she says.
The pavers throughout the project are from Artistic Pavers and are manufactured in Tucson. “They mix seashells in their pavers. In Arizona, this really knocks down the heat,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. The flooring is a smooth transition from the indoor floors.
A Mixed Planting Palette
The property already featured attractive, mature plants, which Przygoda-Montgomery worked to preserve in the final design. “I had a lot of good bones to work with,” she says. She cleaned some of the plants up, relocated some to better showcase them in the yard and removed diseased or dying plants to make way for new specimens. “I added a lot of golden barrel [cactus],” she says. The designer also included other specimen plants that added blue, white and purple accents.
Acapulco chair: Shop Boxhill; see more midcentury-style outdoor furniture
The property already featured attractive, mature plants, which Przygoda-Montgomery worked to preserve in the final design. “I had a lot of good bones to work with,” she says. She cleaned some of the plants up, relocated some to better showcase them in the yard and removed diseased or dying plants to make way for new specimens. “I added a lot of golden barrel [cactus],” she says. The designer also included other specimen plants that added blue, white and purple accents.
Acapulco chair: Shop Boxhill; see more midcentury-style outdoor furniture
The Comforts of Home Outdoors
The outdoor rooms were designed to marry the homeowners’ style while also creating spaces that would reflect how they would be used. In this case, the outdoor seating area was adjacent to where one of the homeowners works from home. “He’s doing a lot of grading of papers and reading, so he wanted to be able to have a space right outside the office,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. Large picture windows allow the space to be enjoyed from inside the house as well.
Przygoda-Montgomery used desert gold decomposed granite for the flooring, screened (dust taken off) with stabilizer. “It feels like a solid surface,” she says. The material makes it easy for chairs to slide across while also adding a softer hardscape to the yard.
The outdoor rooms were designed to marry the homeowners’ style while also creating spaces that would reflect how they would be used. In this case, the outdoor seating area was adjacent to where one of the homeowners works from home. “He’s doing a lot of grading of papers and reading, so he wanted to be able to have a space right outside the office,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. Large picture windows allow the space to be enjoyed from inside the house as well.
Przygoda-Montgomery used desert gold decomposed granite for the flooring, screened (dust taken off) with stabilizer. “It feels like a solid surface,” she says. The material makes it easy for chairs to slide across while also adding a softer hardscape to the yard.
Layers of Lighting
When designing the lighting, Przygoda-Montgomery incorporated elements to promote good visibility as well as softer pieces to enhance outdoor ambiance. “At night, lighting is what pulls seating areas together and separates the dining room from the poolside patio,” she wrote in a post about the project on her website.
The designer shares her three top tips for getting outdoor lighting right.
Solar-powered waterproof LED spheres: Shop Boxhill; see more outdoor lighting
Turf Tek: Pool and landscape installation
More
How to Hang String Lights Outdoors
Tour 5 Gardens in Dreamy Destinations
Find a landscape designer near you
When designing the lighting, Przygoda-Montgomery incorporated elements to promote good visibility as well as softer pieces to enhance outdoor ambiance. “At night, lighting is what pulls seating areas together and separates the dining room from the poolside patio,” she wrote in a post about the project on her website.
The designer shares her three top tips for getting outdoor lighting right.
- Use commercial-grade outdoor lights. These lights can be left out to withstand the elements. They will be more expensive up front but will only need to be installed once. Most come with a 10-year warranty.
- Layer. Get your functional and task lighting done, then add lighting to create a mood.
- Think dual purpose. Choose fixtures that are functional but also add flair and a sculptural quality to the yard, even when they’re turned off.
Solar-powered waterproof LED spheres: Shop Boxhill; see more outdoor lighting
Turf Tek: Pool and landscape installation
More
How to Hang String Lights Outdoors
Tour 5 Gardens in Dreamy Destinations
Find a landscape designer near you
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in their 50s; she works at Canyon Ranch, a health and wellness resort; he is a university professor
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Size: Roughly 1,200 square feet (112 square meters)
Designer: Elizabeth Przygoda-Montgomery of Boxhill
Przygoda-Montgomery, who owns the landscape design firm Boxhill, oversaw the backyard’s renovation, which included hardscape replacement, updates to the pool and hot tub and the addition of a pergola, outdoor kitchen and new outdoor living area.
The homeowners had already updated the interior of their home, what Przygoda-Montgomery describes as a “Spanish Colonial-style home with modern elements,” and they wanted to carry a similar theme into the yard. “I knew there weren’t going to be very many colors,” she says, adding that they brought a lot of ideas about the yard’s features and aesthetics to the design scheme.