A complete makeover adds useable space, outdoor living areas and brings an open look to this back yard
Sometimes you leave as many existing elements in place as possible. Other times, you keep key items and eliminate the rest. And sometimes you clean everything for a fresh start.
A too-small shade structure, a screen that looked worse than what it was intended to hide, messy and poorly pruned trees, mismatched paving surfaces – and uneven ones at that – made a redo in this back yard necessary.
This new structure will have a lattice running up its west side to shade a seating area in the afternoon when it’s most needed. The roof will not cast much shade on the patio in the late afternoon, but that’s not its primary function.
The roof is more of a screen, although it can support shade cloth if needed. Its main purpose is to hide a series of cables and power lines running over the back fence. For this reason – along with style – it has a steep rake for maximum screening.
An encircling wall defines the patio and harbors lights that illuminate the structure. Linear LED lights in the structure create a pool of light toward the front of the patio.