No. 51 Backyards · Desert & Southwest
Desert Patio with Fire Pit and Bench
In this Southwest small backyard, an adobe and stucco house overlooks a concrete patio featuring a steel fire pit, a built-in bench, and desert planting with saguaro and agave.
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



