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No. 11 Backyards · Desert & Southwest

Covered Timber Patio Beside Desert Pool

At dusk, warm lighting illuminates a stone patio featuring a covered timber pavilion with an outdoor fireplace and TV, situated beside a cactus garden, swimming pool, and raised spa.

Design notes

Desert and Southwest design is shade, earth and sky. Look for stucco or adobe in earthy tones, flat roofs with deep overhangs, decomposed granite and gravel instead of lawn, and planting of agave, yucca, saguaro, ocotillo, palo verde and desert wildflowers. Corten steel, concrete and rammed earth handle the sun; ramadas, shade sails and pergolas make midday usable; and lighting stays low so the stars can compete.

What to look for

  • How the space is zoned — dining, lounging, lawn, planting
  • Sightlines from the back door to the furthest feature
  • Layers of privacy: canopy, screening, structure
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