Patio of the Week
Landscape Design
Smart Space Planning for an Atlanta Backyard
Elegant retaining walls, built-in furniture and multiuse elements transform a formerly sloped, underused space
After years of neglected maintenance and overuse by the family’s pets, this Atlanta backyard was ready for an overhaul. The homeowners turned to design-build firm Boyce Design and Contracting to enhance the yard’s design and aesthetic appeal, as well as to address more practical issues, including drainage and circulation.
Before. The backyard before the renovation featured a deteriorating deck and a sloping, overgrown lawn. The backyard renovation coincided with an exterior upgrade, as the homeowners also wanted to update the home’s Tudor-style siding.
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Covered Lounge With Daybed
Terraced board-formed concrete retaining walls create more usable outdoor space and help break up the redesigned backyard into three distinct outdoor zones, with the artificial turf-striped patio as the centerpiece.
A covered outdoor lounge underneath the rebuilt deck features a daybed built into the retaining wall system, offering the homeowners a place where they can relax during the day or night. A custom aluminum underdeck system protects the lounge area from sun and rain, and houses wiring for recessed lighting and a ceiling fan.
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Terraced board-formed concrete retaining walls create more usable outdoor space and help break up the redesigned backyard into three distinct outdoor zones, with the artificial turf-striped patio as the centerpiece.
A covered outdoor lounge underneath the rebuilt deck features a daybed built into the retaining wall system, offering the homeowners a place where they can relax during the day or night. A custom aluminum underdeck system protects the lounge area from sun and rain, and houses wiring for recessed lighting and a ceiling fan.
Browse patio furniture
Fire Pit Area
A new poured-in-place concrete fire pit and floating built-in bench anchor the outdoor patio. When not in use, the fire pit functions as an outdoor dining table, thanks to a custom built ipe wood tabletop (seen in the last photo).
The new concrete patio also helps to solve the yard’s original drainage issues. “The existing poorly designed drainage pattern resulted in water leaking into the basement,” landscape architect Micah Rogers says. The design team installed the patio on a 12-inch-deep gravel base over a perforated pipe, which collects and directs water into an ornamental grass-filled rain garden behind the seating wall; the water then drains into the soil.
A row of ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’) creates a living privacy screen between the patio and the neighbors’ yard.
See how three patios cleverly handle drainage
A new poured-in-place concrete fire pit and floating built-in bench anchor the outdoor patio. When not in use, the fire pit functions as an outdoor dining table, thanks to a custom built ipe wood tabletop (seen in the last photo).
The new concrete patio also helps to solve the yard’s original drainage issues. “The existing poorly designed drainage pattern resulted in water leaking into the basement,” landscape architect Micah Rogers says. The design team installed the patio on a 12-inch-deep gravel base over a perforated pipe, which collects and directs water into an ornamental grass-filled rain garden behind the seating wall; the water then drains into the soil.
A row of ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’) creates a living privacy screen between the patio and the neighbors’ yard.
See how three patios cleverly handle drainage
Ipe Deck and Outdoor Kitchen
Above the patio, the rebuilt ipe wood deck sits off the home’s dining area. Large folding doors connect the interior and exterior of the home and provide the family with easy access to outdoor dining and entertaining. “We chose the Brazilian hardwood because of its rich brown luster, durability and sustainability,” Rogers says of the deck’s material.
The staircase leading from the deck down to the yard’s lower levels maintains the deck’s full width, resulting in a relaxed, open transition and casual additional seating option.
Above the patio, the rebuilt ipe wood deck sits off the home’s dining area. Large folding doors connect the interior and exterior of the home and provide the family with easy access to outdoor dining and entertaining. “We chose the Brazilian hardwood because of its rich brown luster, durability and sustainability,” Rogers says of the deck’s material.
The staircase leading from the deck down to the yard’s lower levels maintains the deck’s full width, resulting in a relaxed, open transition and casual additional seating option.
The deck features a new custom outdoor kitchen. The design team installed Brazilian hardwood cabinets, a concrete counter and stainless steel appliances — including a kegerator with a double tap.
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Shop for outdoor kitchen appliances on Houzz
The deck’s stairs angle down into the yard as a design move to save space and, as noted, to add staircase seating. A landing pad between the deck and lower patio features artificial turf that’s soft enough for the family’s two dogs to play on and requires zero maintenance. “The area was also very shaded, making it difficult to grow grass in that area,” Rogers says.
In the planters surrounding the patio, the design team paired loose, sprawling golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) with more structured boxwood (Buxus sp.) shrubs.
Designer tip: Multipurpose components, such as the fire feature that doubles as a table and the seating built into the retaining walls, are key in creating efficient spaces.
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Work with a landscape designer near you
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In the planters surrounding the patio, the design team paired loose, sprawling golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) with more structured boxwood (Buxus sp.) shrubs.
Designer tip: Multipurpose components, such as the fire feature that doubles as a table and the seating built into the retaining walls, are key in creating efficient spaces.
More on Houzz
8 Patio Arrangements to Inspire Your Outdoor Room
Browse more landscape design ideas
Work with a landscape designer near you
Shop for products for your outdoor space
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two children and two dogs
Location: Virginia-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta
Size: 1,475-square-foot (137-square-meter) outdoor space; 550-square-foot (51-square-meter) patio
Landscape architect: Micah Rogers of Boyce Design and Contracting
The homeowners sought a more contemporary outdoor space. They wanted to be able to host intimate family gatherings as well as large backyard parties, and requested a design made up of multiple outdoor rooms that could accommodate those different uses.