Relaxed Courtyard Celebrates Indoor-Outdoor Living
Sliding glass walls open up to connect the living spaces in this Southern California retreat
Nearly every room in the house connects to the courtyard. The kitchen, living room and dining room open onto it, and the bedrooms on the second floor have windows or decks overlooking it. “Additionally, the courtyard and living and dining spaces have double-height volume for dramatic appeal and give a sense of spaciousness in this long, skinny lot,” Lee says.
The courtyard connects to the front of the home and the boardwalk by way of a narrow side path bordered by cast iron plants (Aspidistra elatior) and clumping weaver’s bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis). While the path itself runs in a straight line, the plants meander next to the pavers, creating what landscape designer Robert Jones calls a “woodsy walk-through.”
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The courtyard connects to the front of the home and the boardwalk by way of a narrow side path bordered by cast iron plants (Aspidistra elatior) and clumping weaver’s bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis). While the path itself runs in a straight line, the plants meander next to the pavers, creating what landscape designer Robert Jones calls a “woodsy walk-through.”
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Expansive sliding doors disappear into adjacent glass walls. Their tracks are flush with the ground, making the transition between indoors and outdoors nearly seamless. “The interior and exterior materials overlap through the glass walls of the house, and plants appear to come into the house because of the large glazed openings and the layering of the spaces,” Lee says.
The design team focused on creating a casual, beachy space that feels contemporary but also reflects a slightly retro, Zen-inspired vibe. “Vintage-modern was our theme,” Lee says. The Spanish cedar cladding, custom white brick, soaking tub, wood decking and planting palette were selected to reinforce the theme.
Wood and white brick flow from the home out into the courtyard, strengthening the indoor-outdoor connection and reinforcing the style the architect and homeowners envisioned for the house. “A palette of ipe wood — used on the deck for its durability and sustainability — combined with custom concrete brick and the colored concrete monoblock of the fireplace gives the project a vintage modern vibe,” Lee says.
Custom brick: Arto; sliding doors: Fleetwood Windows & Doors
The design team focused on creating a casual, beachy space that feels contemporary but also reflects a slightly retro, Zen-inspired vibe. “Vintage-modern was our theme,” Lee says. The Spanish cedar cladding, custom white brick, soaking tub, wood decking and planting palette were selected to reinforce the theme.
Wood and white brick flow from the home out into the courtyard, strengthening the indoor-outdoor connection and reinforcing the style the architect and homeowners envisioned for the house. “A palette of ipe wood — used on the deck for its durability and sustainability — combined with custom concrete brick and the colored concrete monoblock of the fireplace gives the project a vintage modern vibe,” Lee says.
Custom brick: Arto; sliding doors: Fleetwood Windows & Doors
In the courtyard, the decking hasn’t been oiled or treated and will continue to gray over time. It contrasts with the interior’s concrete floors and complements the Spanish cedar siding. It also enhances the slightly vintage, Japanese-inspired feel. “If you go to a Japanese spa, you’re going to stand on wood,” Jones says.
The square concrete monoblock fire pit in the foreground sits just off the house. The designers had conceived of a square pit with a square opening but decided to make the pit opening round in order to connect to the hot tub in the background. They sized it and sited it to accommodate the furniture interior designer Lynn Pepe had already selected.
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The square concrete monoblock fire pit in the foreground sits just off the house. The designers had conceived of a square pit with a square opening but decided to make the pit opening round in order to connect to the hot tub in the background. They sized it and sited it to accommodate the furniture interior designer Lynn Pepe had already selected.
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A sunken spa nestles into the corner of the courtyard, with a metal ring encircling it and concealing the cut ends of the ipe deck. The design team suggested a round tub early on in the project, both to contrast the rest of the courtyard’s mostly square design and to suggest the feeling of a Japanese soaking tub.
Glass mosaic tiles cover the spa, creating a dark and subtle space. “[It adds a] quietness and mystique,” Jones says. “It’s not bright and blue.”
Glass mosaic tiles cover the spa, creating a dark and subtle space. “[It adds a] quietness and mystique,” Jones says. “It’s not bright and blue.”
The courtyard’s limited natural light — it receives only two to three hours of sun a day — significantly affected the planting selection. “This area is not a sunny spot. It creates a cave- or grotto-like feel,” Jones says. “I wanted to come up with big texture and things that are proven winners.”
He opted for plants that often grow as houseplants and will thrive in this low-light area. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) and philodendron (Philodendron xanadu) grow in the planters, while weaver’s bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) and creeping fig (Ficus pumila) provide privacy screening from the neighbors. Leatherleaf ferns (Rumohra adiantiformis) grow underneath the ipe bench.
The plants Jones selected reside within the same green color family, with their leaf size and texture adding contrast. “You’re not being bothered by leaf colors,” he says. He avoided flowering plants.
How to Design a Beautiful Shade Garden
He opted for plants that often grow as houseplants and will thrive in this low-light area. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) and philodendron (Philodendron xanadu) grow in the planters, while weaver’s bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) and creeping fig (Ficus pumila) provide privacy screening from the neighbors. Leatherleaf ferns (Rumohra adiantiformis) grow underneath the ipe bench.
The plants Jones selected reside within the same green color family, with their leaf size and texture adding contrast. “You’re not being bothered by leaf colors,” he says. He avoided flowering plants.
How to Design a Beautiful Shade Garden
In the courtyard’s rear corner, next to the path leading to the back alley, a Spanish cedar lattice encloses an outdoor shower, continuing the linear motif seen throughout the project.
Though nearly every room overlooks or opens onto the courtyard, the architect and the landscape designer didn’t try to make any single element too much of a focal point. The design is subtle, with neither the colors, materials nor details vying for too much attention. “It’s a place where you can reflect,” Jones says.
Builder: Baldwin Construction
Interior designer: Pepe Studio
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Though nearly every room overlooks or opens onto the courtyard, the architect and the landscape designer didn’t try to make any single element too much of a focal point. The design is subtle, with neither the colors, materials nor details vying for too much attention. “It’s a place where you can reflect,” Jones says.
Builder: Baldwin Construction
Interior designer: Pepe Studio
More on Houzz
Find more courtyard inspiration
Browse other landscape design guides
Find a landscape designer in your area
Shop for outdoor products
Courtyard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their two children on weekends and during the summer
Location: Hermosa Beach, California
Size: 500 square feet (46 square meters)
Designers: Michael Lee Architects (architecture) and Jones Landscape (landscape design)
With houses tightly packed around this new-build home in Hermosa Beach, California, space, privacy and adjacent views played significant roles in its design. When it came to adding outdoor living space, architect Michael Lee decided that an interior courtyard would effectively address all three elements. “I envisioned that it would be an indoor-outdoor room with sun for a ceiling,” he says.