Steve Lyne

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

A paver patio (Anchor Afton, walnut color) to gives the homeowners the entertainment and dining space they wanted. The blended colors of the pavers pull together the colors of the roof shingles (brown) and the New York Bluestone (blue/gray). The smaller pattern of the pavers defines the space, inviting guests to sit. Plus, the plant bed between the wall and the patio gave the homeowners a space to plant seasonal color and an edible garden.

Lincoln Barbour

Patio cover products for the following areas: patio cover houston tx, patio cover katy tx, patio cover cinco ranch tx, patio cover woodlands tx, patio cover Baytown tx, patio cover humble tx, patio cover league city tx, patio cover fulshear tx, patio cover richmond tx, patio cover sugar land tx, patio cover rosenberg tx, patio cover cypress tx, patio cover fairfield, patio cover memorial, patio cover jersey village, patio cover tomball, patio cover spring tx, patio cover bentwater, patio cover westheimer, patio cover porter tx, patio cover kemah tx, patio cover Crosby tx, patio cover spring branch tx, patio cover Friendswood tx, patio cover kingwood tx, patio cover liberty tx, patio cover Deer park tx, patio cover magnolia, patio cover Missouri city tx, patio cover pearland, patio cover Rosharon tx, patio cover manvel tx, patio cover brookshire tx, patio cover LaPorte tx, patio cover seabrook tx, Covered patio Houston tx, covered patio katy tx, covered patio cinco ranch tx, covered patio the woodlands, covered patio Baytown tx, covered patio humble tx, covered patio league city tx, covered patio seabrook tx, covered patio LaPorte tx, covered patio brookshire tx, covered patio manvel tx, covered patio Rosharon tx, covered patio pearland tx, covered patio Missouri city tx, covered patio magnolia tx, covered patio deer park tx, covered patio liberty tx, covered patio kingwood tx, covered patio Friendswood tx, covered patio spring branch tx, covered patio Crosby tx, covered patio kemah tx, covered patio porter tx, covered patio bentwater tx, covered patio spring tx, covered patio tomball tx, covered patio jersey village tx, covered patio memorial tx, covered patio Fairfield tx, covered patio cypress tx, covered patio rosenburg tx, covered patio sugar land tx, covered patio Richmond tx, covered patio fulshear tx, outdoor living room katy tx, outdoor living room houston tx, outdoor living room cinco ranch, outdoor living room the woodlands, outdoor living room baytown, outdoor living room richmond, outdoor living room fulshear tx, outdoor living room league city tx, outdoor living room sugar land tx, outdoor living room rosenberg tx, outdoor living room cypress tx, outdoor living room friendswood, outdoor living room memorial, outdoor living room jersey village, outdoor living room tomball, outdoor living room spring, outdoor living room pearland, outdoor living room humble, outdoor living room Pasadena tx, outdoor living room porter, outdoor living room liberty, outdoor living room clear lake shores, outdoor living room seabrook tx, outdoor living room fulshear, pergola Houston, pergola katy, pergola magnolia, pergola league city, pergola Richmond, pergola Baytown, pergola cypress, pergola cinco ranch, pergola tomball, pergola the woodlands, pergola pearland, pergola deer park, pergola humble, arbor Houston, arbor katy, arbor the woodlands, arbor jersey village, arbor Richmond, arbor pearland, arbor friendswood, arbor Baytown, arbor humble, arbor liberty, outdoor kitchen Houston, outdoor kitchen katy, outdoor kitchen the woodlands, outdoor kitchen Richmond, outdoor kitchen pearland, outdoor kitchen kemah, outdoor kitchen tomball, outdoor kitchen league city, outdoor kitchen sugar land, patio roof Houston, patio roof katy, patio roof tomball, patio roof sugar land, patio roof humble, patio roof pearland, carport Houston, carport katy, carport woodlands, carport Baytown, car port fulshear,

Pergola design by John Algozzini and Cara Buffa.

View from one of two second story viewing decks shows geometrically angled, tiered steps and planters leading beyond the Argentinean barbecue to the pool and cabana beyond. Surfaces include natural stone pavers, reclaimed wood decking, gravel, and acid etched concrete | Kurt Jordan Photography

Pro Colour Photography

Martin Mann

The outdoor entertaining area ends with custom wood burning fireplace with built-in storage and a cedar pergola.

fire pit creates a visual and physical connection from the sunken sitting area to the modern play house at the end of the backyard. the tigerwood ceiling opens itself to a spacious ipe deck that leads down to conversation pit surrounding the fire or the outdoor kitchen patio. the space provides entertainment space for both the young and the old. designed & built by austin outdoor design photo by ryann ford

Design: modernedgedesign.com Photo: Edmunds Studios Photography

Photos: Anthony Dimaano