Sunken Fire Pit with Curved Wooden Seating
Framed by rose and hydrangea plantings, a sunken brick lounge features curved wooden seating around a stone fire pit, bordered by patterned tile steps and wrought iron railings before a green Victorian home with gingerbread trim.
Design notes
Victorian design is layered and ornamental. Look for wrought and cast iron in railings, gates and gazebos, patterned brick and encaustic tile, urns and fountains as focal points, and rich planting of roses, ferns, hydrangeas, hostas and clipped evergreens. Porches with gingerbread trim and painted colour schemes set the palette; the best gardens choose two or three ornaments and let the planting carry the rest.
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



