My Houzz: A Backyard for Entertaining in New England
Plenty of seating areas, a rock garden and playful design details come together in this Massachusetts yard and detached garage
Interior stylist Allison Tilly Carswell wanted her family’s backyard in Arlington, Massachusetts, to be a place to entertain in and to match her home’s 1920s Foursquare period details, high ceilings and light-filled rooms that she had fallen in love with. At the same time, she wanted it to be a reminder of her native Texas Hill Country roots.
Carswell set about making that connection with a design overhaul of both the yard and her detached garage, which now houses a playroom for her three children as well as an art and music studio. She enlisted the help of her business partner, Andrea Canty, and Rob Gilmore of Gilmore Landscape Architecture to complete her landscape design. The result is a lively space that, while remaining firmly rooted in New England with the use of native plants and materials, is an ode to the landscape she grew up with.
Carswell set about making that connection with a design overhaul of both the yard and her detached garage, which now houses a playroom for her three children as well as an art and music studio. She enlisted the help of her business partner, Andrea Canty, and Rob Gilmore of Gilmore Landscape Architecture to complete her landscape design. The result is a lively space that, while remaining firmly rooted in New England with the use of native plants and materials, is an ode to the landscape she grew up with.
Small areas to sit and relax dot the yard, as seen here with a lime-green bistro-style chair set in a garden bed.
Benches placed around the yard are meant to welcome friends and neighbors to sit and chat. Gabion walls made of galvanized steel wire mesh baskets filled with dry-stacked stone and rebar form their bases. Two tons of excavated fieldstone “rounds” from their yard remodel were used to create the custom seating.
Gilmore wanted a natural concrete walking path to link the detached garage to the house. It meanders from one end of the yard to the other, with stopping points at all the major garden features. As a reflection of Carswell’s playful nature, part of it even forms a hopscotch course.
A rock garden along one side of the space was created using stones excavated during the remodel.
Yellow lizard: Crate & Barrel
Yellow lizard: Crate & Barrel
Bamboo fencing provides extra privacy and a great backdrop for the Asian-inspired rock garden.
The dining room leads directly onto the backyard deck for great indoor-outdoor flow.
A beautiful perennial garden surrounds the dual-level deck area.
Exterior paint: Gray Huskie, Benjamin Moore; umbrella, chair, ottoman and yellow chaise: Crate & Barrel; “pool” letters: Etsy
Exterior paint: Gray Huskie, Benjamin Moore; umbrella, chair, ottoman and yellow chaise: Crate & Barrel; “pool” letters: Etsy
Carswell wanted her outdoor space to reflect her passion for fashion, vintage materials, bold color and textures. “I like a calm, eclectic and fun home environment,” she says. These elements are evident throughout the yard and in the garage studio.
Ball planter: Crate & Barrel; Volkswagen bus cooler: Mahoney’s Garden Center
Ball planter: Crate & Barrel; Volkswagen bus cooler: Mahoney’s Garden Center
Carswell’s children often assist in picking out accessories and even put in requests for designs. The family put their personalized stamp on this concrete step before it dried.
Other personal touches created by the family can be found throughout the yard. This garden steppingstone was created by the children.
Small reminders of Carswell’s Texas roots are also scattered around the yard.
With multiple seating areas, the backyard is perfect for the family’s frequent gatherings of friends and relatives.
Carswell and Canty sometimes use the outdoor dining room table on the upper deck to get work done in nice weather.
The deck overlooks the detached garage. To the right of the garage is an L-shaped reflecting pool that doubles as a fishpond.
The fishpond is one of the family’s favorite design features. It was designed as a reflecting pool, and Carswell says she finds it both “mesmerizing and fun” to sit and watch the fish swim.
Carswell also likes the ongoing education factor of the pond. She had a lot to learn about how to build it, including how deep it needs to be — 2½ feet — so that the fish would be able to survive a New England winter.
Build a Backyard Fish Pond Without Going Belly Up
Carswell also likes the ongoing education factor of the pond. She had a lot to learn about how to build it, including how deep it needs to be — 2½ feet — so that the fish would be able to survive a New England winter.
Build a Backyard Fish Pond Without Going Belly Up
Along with providing a spot for lounging around a fire pit, this space just to the side of the detached garage also serves as an outdoor movie-viewing area.
Hammock: Pawley’s Island
Hammock: Pawley’s Island
With three children in the house, Carswell wanted to make sure both the yard and the garage were functional. The interior of the garage has a play area along with a studio for art and a place to play and practice music. Vintage finds are paired with newer furnishings in this fun and vibrant space.
Pillows and pouf: T.J. Maxx; woody wagon poster: PBteen; desk: thrift store
Pillows and pouf: T.J. Maxx; woody wagon poster: PBteen; desk: thrift store
The playspace is where the Carswell family likes to play games and hang out. Carswell painted the walls in a bright green from the Benjamin Moore Fenway collection as a tribute to their Boston area location, but she kept a visual reminder of Texas thanks to the cowboy hats on the wall.
Wall paint: “Green Monster” Green, Benjamin Moore; phone booth: Brimfield Antique Show; Kallax bookshelves: Ikea; chair: vintage
Wall paint: “Green Monster” Green, Benjamin Moore; phone booth: Brimfield Antique Show; Kallax bookshelves: Ikea; chair: vintage
The music area is home to the many instruments that the family members play.
Carswell uses the space between the music room and family space as an art studio. Inspirational photos from the latest fashions hang on the wall, and the desk looking out over the garden provides a beautiful view.
Desk, chair and storage: Ikea; wall paint: Silver Satin, Benjamin Moore; industrial mop sink: Home Depot
Desk, chair and storage: Ikea; wall paint: Silver Satin, Benjamin Moore; industrial mop sink: Home Depot
Carswell is pictured with her family’s cat, Bruno Mars, on the deck next to the garden.
Dune sofa: Crate & Barrel
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Dune sofa: Crate & Barrel
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Allison Tilly Carswell, co-owner of Red Door Design Works; her three children; and their cat, Bruno Mars
Location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Size: 1,380 square feet (128 square meters), plus a renovated garage
Year built: 1925
Carswell worked closely with Gilmore and Canty to turn a backyard that was primarily asphalt into a tranquil, inviting space. The result is what Carswell calls a “Zen-inspired landscape” that combines traditional and untraditional materials to capture Carswell’s playful style and incorporate her Texas heritage.