9 Perfect Backyard Landscape Designs for Different House Styles
By Axis Fuksman-Kumpa • July 24, 2023
Your home is your sanctuary—a place full of all the people, things, and style that you love. Your backyard should feel just the same! A good backyard landscape design can elevate your space from a plain lawn to a beautiful oasis made for outdoor living.
Let’s go through some of our favorite backyard designs we’ve created for our clients to match all sorts of home styles. From ranch style homes, colonial, contemporary, modern and more - we love a landscape that accentuates the home’s architecture. Get ready to take notes, because you might just find some backyard design ideas that will have you spending way more time outside!
#1 // A Contemporary Cottage Garden for Entertaining
This Wisconsin family loved the look of a cozy cottage garden to match their Victorian-style house, but they also wanted a killer space for entertaining. Their designer’s solution was to start with an outdoor patio featuring a barbecue grill, outdoor fireplace, and multiple seating areas for family and guests. She framed that with lively flower beds and an open lawn for games to create the perfect quaint but refined backyard.
#2 // A Private Backyard Oasis for a Ranch Home
When this Virginia family was looking for ranch house landscaping ideas, they realized they wanted a little bit of everything! That’s just what their designer gave them in this design that incorporates a patio space for lounging, storage space in a small shed, open lawn for play, and even an elegant water feature. The client’s retaining wall ideas from their inspiration images were turned into a beautifully planted stone retaining wall that corrected their previously sloped backyard and provides privacy from the neighbors.
#3 // Dream Outdoor Entertaining for a Craftsman-Style House
This full landscape renovation in Kansas features every party host’s dream backyard! Designing for the unique craftsman house style can be tricky, so their designer kept the lines of their modern stone patio clean and sharp. She also echoed the architecture of their home in their stunning pavilion that houses an outdoor kitchen, bar,outdoor fireplace and cozy seating. Rectilinear garden beds and layered heights in the planting plan pair perfectly with the strong design of their house.
#4 // A Stately Backyard Pool for a Colonial Home
When this North Carolina client was struggling to come up with brick home exterior ideas, their designer stepped in with an elegant design that pairs perfectly with their Colonial-style house. An expansive tiled pool and white concrete patio mirror the lines and materials of the brick house while brightening the backyard’s color palette. A sheltered pavilion in the colors of the home adds space for outdoor dining. Meanwhile, wavy balusters and fluffy plants add a touch of organic texture to the space.
#5 // A Compact California Bungalow Backyard That Has It All
This California bungalow has a small outdoor space which means that every square inch matters. Our landscape designer was able to strategically include everything on the client’s wishlist—and a little extra—in a clean, California modern design that includes a grill, outdoor fireplace and fire pit, multiple seating areas, and even raised beds and trellises for growing vegetables or ornamental plants. We love this low maintenance design and would say this small backyard has just about everything!
#6 // Natural Gardens Made for a Modern House
This sleek, modern-style house in California needed a backyard with a modern design to match! The client wanted to bring nature back into their backyard while accentuating the clean lines of their home. Their designer gave them just that with sleek, rectilinear garden beds filled with drought-tolerant landscaping plants and hardy vegetables that will be at home in the dinners enjoyed on their backyard deck.
#7 // A Modern Cottage Garden for a Cape Cod-Style Home
This Virginia family wanted a backyard design with an inviting outdoor entertaining space for their contemporary Cape Cod-style house. Their designer took inspiration from classic cottage gardens and the tidy white brick of their home to create a modern cottage design with space for playing and lounging. Their pool is framed with a staggered stepping stone patio, plenty of seating, a concrete fire pit, a romantic pergola, and an assortment of plants in an elegant mix of green and lavender.
#8 // A Modern Twist for a Tropical Florida Backyard
This family in Florida was looking to bring the fun to their backyard in a design that paired with their Spanish-style home. Their designer’s solution was a modern tropical design that uses the white and terracotta color palette of their home as a starting point for their hardscaping. A shady pergola with a firepit and seating next to a wavy, organic-shaped pool offers plenty of relaxing hangout options while lush and colorful tropical plants frame the backyard.
#9 // A Cottage Garden in a Compact Backyard
The designer for this cottage-style house in Washington needed to make the most of the clients’ long, narrow backyard. They framed their cozy back porch and deck chairs with a lush cottage garden full of blooms. An open green lawn with natural stepping stones leads back to a snug nook between their shed and privacy fence—just enough space for a fire pit to gather round with friends.
Are you thinking about your own backyard renovation? Or updating your front yard? If you need a landscape and garden designer to bring it to life, Tilly can help. We’ll match you with a real designer who’ll understand your style, needs, and climate to create a thoughtful and smart backyard design that will keep your space beautiful for years to come.
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