Outdoor Design

Outdoor Design
Designer: Hali MacDonald, Architecture by Gren Weis Architect & Associates
Designer: Hali MacDonald, Architecture by Gren Weis Architect & Associates
Designer: Cynthia Ferguson; Architecture by Spragge + Company Architects; Landscape design by Joel Loblaw
Products: Cynthia Ferguson; Architecture by Spragge + Company Architects; Landscape design by Joel Loblaw
Designer: Landscape architecture by Kate Fox-Whyte
Designer: Landscape architecture by Kate Fox-Whyte
Designer: Landscape architecture by Kate Fox-Whyte
Photographer: Courtesy of Nickey Kehoe
Designer: Richard Ouellette & Maxime Vandal, Les Ensembliers
Designer: Richard Ouellette & Maxime Vandal, Les Ensembliers
Photographer: Stacey Brandford (outdoors) / Courtesy of Thermacell (product)
Designer: Natalie Hodgins & Shannon Morrison, Sarah Richardson Design
Designer: Richard Ouellette & Maxime Vandal, Les Ensembliers
Source: House & Home September 2020
Designer: Nicholas Ancerl & Tara Finlay, Ancerl Studio
Source: House & Home September 2020
Designer: Nicholas Ancerl & Tara Finlay, Ancerl Studio
Designer: Michael Renaud & Martin Ciccone
Designer: Michael Renaud & Martin Ciccone
Designer: Architecture by Jennifer Heath
Designer: Landscape architecture by Sophie Robitaille & Teressa Peill
Designer: Brian Gluckstein; Architecture by Richard Wengle Architect
Designer: Landscape architecture by Considered Design
Designer: Landscape architecture by Considered Design
Designer: Landscape architecture by Considered Design
Designer: Cameron MacNeil; Architecture by Blacklab Architects; Landscaping by Joel Loblaw
Designer: Architecture by David Lopes
Designer: Architecture by David Lopes
Designer: Haynes-Roberts; Architecture by Addison Mizner
Designer: Haynes-Roberts; Architecture by Addison Mizner
Source: House & Home September 2018
Source: House & Home September 2018
Designer: Landscape architect, Thomas Sparling
Designer: Landscape architect, Thomas Sparling
Designer: Mark Hartley Landscape Architects
Designer: Meredyth and Brad Hilton, Artistic Gardens
Designer: Meredyth and Brad Hilton, Artistic Gardens
Designer: Cottage design, Alex Arnott
Designer: Architecture, Tony Robins
Source: House & Home September 2017
Designer: Garden design, Inese Bite; outdoor decorating, Kate Zeidler
Designer: Landscape architect, Thomas Sparling; planting, stonework, Don Valley Landscaping.
Designer: Landscape design, Terry Ryan
Designer: Landscape design, Terry Ryan
Designer: Landscape design, Judith Webster
Designer: Garden design and architecture, Anthony Belcher; perennials, shrubs, vines, O.J. Muller Landscape Contractor
Designer: Landscape architecture, PFS Studio; gardeners, Rose and Pistols
Designer: Landscape design, Brad and Meredyth Hilton
Designer: Landscape design, Troy and Michelle Miller
Designer: Landscape architect, Thomas Sparling; planting, stonework, Don Valley Landscaping
Designer: Garden design and architecture, Anthony Belcher; fence construction, Salivan Landscape

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Outdoor Decorating
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When winter’s over there’s no place we’d rather be than in a sunny, bloom-filled backyard. If your green spaces aren’t looking their best and need an update, there are so many ways to elevate gardens, terraces and backyards. From small tweaks to big-impact changes, take your yard from drab to dreamy with 100 outdoor design ideas plucked from the most stunning outdoor spaces in the House & Home archives.
Keep scrolling to get inspired with 100 outdoor design ideas!
In her Vancouver ranch-style home, designer Rosie Daykin tends to her lush walled-in garden. Containers hold chocolate cosmos (foreground) , purple catmint (Nepeta cataria) and climbing roses. Painting the walls in one consistent hue, including the 10-foot chicken coop and hardscaping, unifies the space.
On Rosie’s lush terrace, baskets and planters with a mix of perennials soften the concrete hardscaping.
Herb and vegetable gardens aren’t just sustainable; they’re beautiful too. Seasonal vegetables, like this Blushed Butter Oak lettuce, can easily sub in for fancy flower arrangements. Plus, you’ll love the convenience of picking fresh herbs or veggies for dressings, garnishes or salads.
Make your yard feel like an enchanted garden with beautiful walkways. If you have a backyard work shed or studio that you use often, adding stonework, shrubbery and potted plants at the entrance will spark creativity.
Switch Up Your Pillows and Accessories
If you already have a great conversation set, switching up your pillows and accessories every couple of seasons will breathe new life into your outdoor hangouts. For pillows and throws, mix and match patterns, colors and fabrics for a layered look. Add lanterns and potted plants to the mix and pour yourself a large glass of rosé for a job well done!
Manicured lawns, striped umbrellas and chic lounge chairs will give you a permanent feeling of being on vacation. This backyard also features a vegetable garden for when the homeowners feel like garden-to-table dining.
Integrate Plants Into Your Pool Deck
In this backyard, a variety of plant species soften the hardscaping of the pool deck. From sea oats grass to Viburnum or serviceberry, choose plants that will handle the elements.
Outdoor furniture doesn’t need to be overly casual. Sarah Keenleyside gave new life to dining chairs that were housed indoors for many years, and selected sophisticated pieces to match the rest of the space.
Landscape designer Joel Loblaw brought dimension to this gorgeous backyard with varying levels.“That ability to move up and down, and all the natural elements, such as the stone and fixed wood slats, help define the space,” says designer Cynthia Ferguson. Pro tip: Add oversized rattan pendants and woven chairs for a California-cool look.
Paperbark maple trunks on this terrace not only create visual interest, but add shade, privacy and a treehouse feel.
For those with larger outdoor spaces like this terrace, create sectioned off areas with different types of surfaces. In place of an outdoor rug, herringbone ipê floors are a nice contrast to the surrounding Algonquin limestone in this lounge space.
If you’re one to host larger dinner parties, consider adding a long bench to one side of your outdoor dining table. This U-shaped ipê bench seats 12 and feels extra stylish with the addition of flat cushions.
This potting table has pretty scalloped edging and is painted in a green hue that echoes the lush outdoors.
Boost Curb Appeal With A Black & White Exterior
There’s something so enduring about a black and white exterior. In this Tudor revival house , black lanterns, urns, doors and windows against white brick create a contemporary yet classic feel.
In the same home, homeowners Shelagh and Richard Kellam managed to bring the indoors, out. Placing a fireplace, sectional, lounge chair and coffee table outside means you can still be a couch potato come spring, but with a dose of Vitman D.
Not every garden has a formal structure like a pergola, so move the table off of the patio and celebrate nature by setting a table under a beautiful tree. In the gorgeous country home of Les Ensembliers, the table is set with buckets of apples and and herbs, proving outdoor entertaining couldn’t be easier.
Gravel parterre paths easily provide mud-free walking between raised planters. Stones are also used in zen gardens because the sound created by walking on it is so soothing.
A cozy seating area overlooking the water is the perfect place to soak up summer days. Add a Thermacell repellent to the table to keep bugs away; then, kick up your feet and grab a cold drink!
Use A Container Garden To Make A Small Garden Feel Bigger
When garden beds are at a premium, you can still plant a kitchen garden with a variety of pots. A grouping of plants in Les Ensembliers’ garden is arrayed on a metal potting stand where they can be conveniently brought inside over winter.
In this Guelph, Ontario home, designer Sarah Keenleyside of Backyard Builds created a bar area (that’s not just for grownups) by adding a swing to the pergola. An outdoor rug helps emphasize the dining zone.
Black recedes, so painting hardscape elements like fences, or using black stone, puts the focus on pretty elements like globe-shaped shrubs or sparkling saltwater pool. A home office is situated at the foot of this Toronto garden, offering a pretty spot to escape for Zoom calls.
A vintage stone trough in landscape designer Meredyth Hilton’s backyard stands in where a coffee table typically would. Stuffed with herbs and ivy, it’s a convenient spot to snip off a few sprigs of lavender to garnish a gin sour.
If your garden doesn’t have space for a pond, that doesn’t mean you have to forgo aquatic plants. Meredyth placed a mini fountain and beautiful water hyacinth (which produces lilac flowers) in this stone birdbath.
Here’s a secret for small gardens: skip the straight lines and weave through curving paths or stepping stones to make it seem larger. Oftentimes, an expanse of large pavers emphasizes smallness. Curved paths create mystery and the illusion of more garden by concealing part of it.
Sinking a lounging area makes a space feel more intimate and adds some drama. In this stylish Toronto backyard , there are spots for guest to lounge, dine and barbecue on two levels.
In a small city backyard , it may be tempting to forgo a big statement, but this piece neatly pulls focus and the beds only require a few modern (and low upkeep) grasses as greenery.
Owner Tanya Linton turned a cottage pergola into a dedicated southern-style BBQ restaurant for her family, complete with a custom neon sign. The hut houses a smoker from North Carolina.
At one end, a simple counter gives the family a place to set up a poolside bar or eat a quick lunch fresh off the grill. Strung with lights and accented by lanterns, the bar creates a true “vacay at a beach hotel” vibe.
This city garden is screened from its neighbors by a row of trees that have been ‘espaliered,’ which means training and pruning the branches to grow horizontally in an orderly fashion. The branches lend privacy but allow dappled sunlight to shine through the leaves.
Even in a leafy urban garden, it can get hot on a summer day. This Toronto backyard is accented by graphite grey cushions and a matching umbrella for a soothing look that visually turns down the thermostat.
Dancing flames liven up any backyard gathering and create a focal point. Since there are no sharp edges in this democratic design , everyone who is seated around it gets a great view.
Memories of Italy inspired this Montreal homeowner to rethink his terrace . To recreate the effect of enjoying an al fresco lunch among the cypresses and citrus trees in Tuscany, a pergola sheds dappled sunlight on the dining area, set on finely crushed stones, while the lounge area is as impeccably outfitted as any indoor space.
Commercial lawn replacements allow for a ton of creativity — without the maintenance. In this 2019 Princess Margaret Showhome by Brian Gluckstein, he creates an eye-catching artificial turf inlay in the walkway leading to the garden’s pergola-covered lounge area — no mowing or watering required.
Instead of planting neat rows of flowers, drifts of black mondo grass accenting the crimson tones of a ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple in this contemporary West Coast garden make it resemble a modern painting.
Mimic the style of the garden with outdoor furnishings. In this case, contemporary landscaping can be enjoyed from a pair of artful benches.
Simple landscape lighting illuminates the concrete walkway leading to the front entrance of the home. Majestic Douglas firs are uplit for drama.
The owners of this zen pool located in Ontario’s ski country would prefer to be splashing inside it with their kids instead of pruning. The easy-care solution from landscaper Joel Loblaw is a fringe of dwarf fountain grass (left) and low-mounding dwarf Russian sage to border the pool.
With its emerald roof and weathered grey shakes, this P.E.I. home is picture perfect but gets an added splash of color from four planters of lush petunias, placed to accent the columns of the porch for an orderly visual rhythm. Planting purple flowers in the center of the container and ringing the outside with pink petunias gives a chic, ombré effect.
Imagine having fresh bouquets in every room of the house? The enviable crop of zinnias and dahlias in the garden not only attracts songbirds, they provide enough blooms in a huge array of colors for a steady supply of cheery arrangements all summer long.
These bright yellow rudbeckia (or Black-eyed Susans) are perfectly at home in a cottage garden . Easy-care native perennials add a splash of color but won’t become invasive or require pesticides, meaning more time on the dock with a drink instead of a trowel.
In this historic Palm Beach home , the loggia is trained with vines blooming with fuchsia flowers to add incredible vibrancy.
The trio of luxe loungers around the pool invite total relaxation, and there are plenty of low woven tables nearby to set drinks, sunscreen or the latest bestseller.
For instant European sophistication, shape slow-growing boxwood into globe shapes for visual rhythm. Former Holt Renfrew president Mario Grauso’s Bridgehampton, New York country home combines the formal elegance of an English garden with wilder expanses.
Planters filled with petunias are pretty, but upping the height of the containers and the scale of the plants (in this case, luscious ferns) creates major drama.
Use Symmetrical Furniture Placement
It gives an outdoor arrangement a formal living room feel. This Palm Beach home has the added benefit of a covered pavilion, so the addition of an Oushak rug makes this spot feel extra luxe.
In designer Sharon Mimran’s backyard, she adds European polish with an ethanol-burning fireplace topped by a weatherproof faux-limestone resin mantel. Two pyramidal evergreens create symmetry, while a collection of urns on the table can be easily repositioned or repotted.
Oversized coach lanterns are era-appropriate for Sharon’s Victorian house, but an even more charming tone is established by the wrought iron chandelier (hung by a wire over the dining area), outfitted with simple tapers.
A small reflecting pool looks natural in this English garden-inspired backyard. Because the pool is so small it doubles as a hot tub!
In the L.A. garden of actress Shay Mitchell , jewel-like metal lanterns dangle from the trees, while the bench is lushly dressed in oversized pillows. Shay was born in Mississauga, Ontario, but judging by her backyard, she’s completely at home with California outdoor living. “I loved all the new seating areas and little details like the pillows on my bench around the table and lanterns,” says Shay.
In the lounge area, wicker-style lounger chairs and a chic black umbrella conjure up a pool in an exotic locale, while the hanging chair is a coveted accent piece.
An artful planter in a fresh white shade lends even more impact to the fiddle leaf fig tree. The planter’s composite stone and fiberglass construction makes it lightweight to move around, and drainage holes keep roots from getting waterlogged.
Shay wanted a long table with an organic yet modern feel, and to be able to create an exotic, Moroccan vibe with accents. Synthetic bamboo-frame chairs with brown mesh weave are comfortable for long dinner parties and can stand up to the elements.
“I love getting pieces for my house from all of my trips,” says Shay. A glimmering metallic ceramic garden stool that looks like a souk find is a luxe focal point for less.
A set of cylindrical filigree lanterns are pretty by day and look even more magical lit up at night. A nautical hurricane candle holder is given a glam update with braided gold-tone rope. A chic hamam-style towel can double as a throw.
Make a Fire Feature the Focal Point
A fire feature is a natural gathering spot. “I love the teardrop chairs around the fire pit. It’s such a great little nook now for reading or hanging out around the fire,” notes Shay.
In this B.C. garden , expert gardener Thomas Hobbs uses preexisting cedars as a backdrop for all-white ‘Blushing Bride’ hydrangeas around the pool. Instead of olive trees, which won’t thrive in the Canadian climate, Thomas potted weeping silver-leafed pear in planters to give the silvery leaves more grandeur.
Pebble-based parterre gardens are a classic European look, but get creative when it comes to choosing the color to enhance your outdoor spaces. “We used peach shale gravel everywhere, truckloads of it, and had it shipped in from Alberta because the gravel around here is a boring, dreary grey,” says Thomas. “The peach is a warm Provençal color.”
roup together a range of urns and pots — large and small, antique and new — on a garden table to create a layered look.
It’s important to have a shady area in a garden. In this cabana, landscape designer Meredyth Hilton likes to add mirrors to the interior walls of cabana’s to create a sense of movement. The turf around the structure is artificial, so no grass clippings will blow into the pool.
Cool blue and white cement tiles bring geometric interest to stylist Emily Henderson’s patio . An antique French table is the perfect finishing touch.
When it comes to outdoor spaces, there’s no such thing as too much tranquility. We love the combination of a moody lily pond with a pristine, stone-trimmed pool.

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