Contemporary Outdoor ideas

A contemporary garden or terrace relies on clean geometry and a restrained planting palette. Large-format porcelain or sawn stone pavers with narrow joints create a crisp floor, while raised weathering-steel or rendered planters frame the space. A built-in bench along the boundary wall saves room and seats more people than loose chairs. Make a linear fire feature the evening focal point, and shade the dining area with a cantilever parasol or a louvered aluminum pergola. Ask a local nursery which plants suit your soil and exposure.

Ideas for this room

• Plant one multi-stem tree in a gravel bed and uplight it, so it reads as living sculpture against a plain rendered wall.
• Add a shallow reflecting pool with a black interior to mirror the sky and bring quiet water sound without a large fountain.
• Repeat the terrace paver as wide stepping stones across the lawn so house, terrace and garden feel like one design.