Backyard Landscaping Ideas Inspired By Past Architecture Projects

There are as many different backyard landscaping ideas as there are houses so it’s really a matter of personal taste more than anything else. Of course, there are also limitations and regulations to be taken into account but we’ll leave those to another time and today we’re going to focus on the aesthetics. We’ll look for inspiration in completed projects to see what makes each one special.

If a backyard has a great view then, by any means, make of most of it. Rather than obstructing the view with tall trees and lots of vegetation, a simpler and more practical idea would be to keep a manicured lawn and a short, minimalist fence. This image captures the backyard of the FFF house designed by Pallaoro Balzan e Associati in Trento, Italy.

It’s important to use the right type of plants in the right spaces. This is a decision to be made based on location, climate and, of course, aesthetics. A good example which shows the complexity of the process is the project completed by Tim Davies Landscaping. in Perth, Australia.

It’s not easy for an urban retreat to maintain a strong relationship with nature which is why backyard landscaping plays an extremely important role here. There’s inspiration to be found in the design of this contemporary home from Chicago completed by Studio Dwell Architects back in 2010. One of our favorite features is this wooden bridge this gives the backyard a very chic look.

Multiple different design features can coexist harmoniously in the backyard as long as they don’t clash or steal away the attention from each other. A common combination brings together sections of manicured lawn, raised plant beds, trees and sometimes an outdoor sculpture or two. This particular backyard is a project done by Tim Davies Landscaping.

Terraces gardens can be pretty spectacular. Also, this landscaping idea is perfectly suited for sloped sites. There are a lot of great ways to make the most of this concept. One option is depicted here in the design adopted by Mary Barensfeld Architecture for the Hilgard Garden project which they completed in California.

A large curving wall delineates these two properties, giving the backyard areas particularly unusual shapes and proportions. Rather than influencing the landscape in a negative way, this provided the perfect opportunity to create a zen and organic layout. This was a project completed by Studio H:T in Denver, Colorado.

A small backyard can potentially be awesome, not to mention super cozy and welcoming. The palm tree is definitely the focal point, in this case, giving this residence a tropical and breezy feel, inside and out. The house is located in Venice, California and was designed by Ehrlich Architects. It’s a small, eco-friendly home which blurs the boundaries between its indoor and outdoor spaces.

Rather than transforming the backyard landscape and limiting it to cliche features, architects Ellen and Stanislav Poshvykinyh chose to embrace the natural beauty of the site. The rustic home built here is complemented by nice views and rather dramatic surroundings. This gives it a genuine look.

One of our favorite backyard landscaping projects was done by CultivArt Landscape Design in Perth, Australia. The combination of wood, stone, and vegetation looks exotic and very zen-like. The subtle accent lighting strategically highlights the textures, colors, and finishes.

When the surrounding views are as extraordinary and this it’s best to keep your backyard landscape simple and to set up a comfortable environment from which to admire it all. This is a view of the Tuscan countryside visible from the backyard of a lovely retreat designed by Ilaria Miani and located in Castiglioncello del Trinoro.

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The piece of resistance in the backyard landscape planned by Marcus & Willers Architects for this residence from Sonoma, California is a stone fire pit with plenty of room for comfortable chairs all around it.

This backyard landscaping scenario has a little bit of everything. It has a winding pathway, big, sculptural rocks, stairs, vegetation, and a water feature. This creates a certain sense of mystery as well as a comfortable and very enjoyable ambiance.

The lounge area at the far end of this backyard is the perfect spot from which to admire the panorama unfolding beyond the site but that’s actually not all. There’s a second backyard area placed in the continuation of this one but at a lower level. This is a private home project designed by NG – STUDIO and located in Bordighera, Italy.

Situated in a natural clearing among aspen trees in northwest Wyoming, this rustic house was a project by Ward+Blake Architects back in 2011. Water features both natural and artificial are prominent throughout the landscape and defines the immediate surroundings, reflecting the fact that the site is dominated by wetlands.

This lovely garden is the opposite of an open backyard with panoramic views over the distant landscape but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. In fact, this is one of the coolest backyard landscaping ideas we’ve ever come across. This secluded walled garden complements a 120-year-old house located in Sydney, turned into a modern two-bedroom home.

Everything this place suggests a wonderfully relaxing ambiance. This is the backyard of a contemporary retreat located in Ibiza, Spain and designed by de Blacam and Meaguer architects. It’s a gorgeous oasis surrounded by orchards.

The Stone House is a modest weekend retreat located in East Hampton, New York. It was designed by Leroy Street Studio. It has a small backyard with a very fresh and rustic look. There are low stone walls which can double as benches and vegetation everywhere.

This residence from Duluth, Minnesota has two courtyards which communicate with each other through glass corridors. One has a view of the lake and the other is following the gently sloping hillside. The landscaping is very simple in both cases. This was a project by Salmela Architect,

A lot of modern house designs focus on making the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces as smooth as possible. The methods which can be employed to make that happen vary. One example is a house located in Brunswick, Australia and designed by architect Christopher Botterill. It has double glass doors at the back which open up towards the backyard. The living room features a green carpet which is a reference to the lush lawn, thus ensuring the visual connection between the spaces.

Another interesting example of a smooth transition between indoor and outdoor spaces can be seen here. This is a residence designed by Elmor Arquitetura in 2016 and located in Curitiba, Brazil. The key thing here is the overall distribution of the spaces combined with the presence of glazed walls and juxtaposing surfaces.

When designing this house in Merida, Mexico, studio Seijo Peon Arquitectos y Asociados was very careful to map out all the vegetation present on the site in order to preserve all the trees and to show the greatest respect to nature in the process. This is the result.

Although it may not look like it, the relationship between this house and the backyard and garden surrounding it is very strong, so strong in fact that they’re practically extensions of each other. The project was developed by H Arquitectes in a region called Sant Cugat del Vallès, in Spain. This symbiotic relationship is most noticeable when inside the house.

The last examples on today’s list and one of the most spectacular ones in our opinion is a project developed by Matías Silva Aldunate Architect. This is a piece of land situated on a hillside, with lots of big trees and lush vegetations, a place where nature divides the properties and there’s no need for fences. It’s such an inspiring concept…

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She may not be very fond of people, finding them annoying most of the time, but she still enjoys helping them from the shadows. Her attention to detail drives others crazy yet remains her most appreciated characteristic.