Overview
This project is a great example of how a creative design can bring the “wow” factor to small spaces as well as big ones. The homeowner wanted a bigger patio, but they got so much more.
The Challenge
The entire backyard was less than 1,200 square feet. We had a very small space to create a patio area large enough to hold all the children and grandchildren for the regular family gatherings.
Also, the yard sloped away from the house before dropping off quickly in the furthest back 1/3 of the yard. Add to that the inability to access the area with large equipment, and you have a very challenging project.
The Design
Our first recommendation was to eliminate all the grass. A patio large enough to meet this homeowner’s needs was going to take up the majority of the space.
Taking this in mind, we made the patio area the focal point of the back yard and designed the landscaping around it. With all the straight lines of the house and fence, we wanted to soften up the lines of the patio with more of an oval shape.
To address the dramatic slope at the back 1/3 of the yard, we used a combination of two retaining walls.
- The first wall is part of the patio itself and includes the steps flanked by two columns.
- We added a seating wall both to maximize the seating area and to prevent people from accidentally walking off the edge of the raised patio.
Both walls included steps with a small walkway connecting them which allowed access to the back gate.