outdoor spaces

Century chairs surround a coffee table from industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue on the screened porch

Unlike the front of the house, the back is contemporary in style. It opens to a private garden centered around a cluster of river birches. The carport doubles as a covered outdoor dining area for large parties.

On the upper terrace, landscape architect Tara Vincenta anchored wind-resistant umbrellas in the buff-colored granite to provide shade while withstanding coastal gusts. The team at Moore House Design sourced the outdoor furniture.

The lakeside terrace on the guest pavilion has a cozy fireplace. It is set up for lounging with reupholstered outdoor seating from RH and a modern picnic table from Extremis.

Sliding glass doors in the kitchen open to a dining terrace overlooking the pool and new pool house, which was designed to complement—but not mimic—the main house.

In the courtyard, a Pure Cube sauna sits amid furniture from JANUS et Cie and Casa Design Group.

A single slab of stone serves as the swimming pool’s diving platform. Masses of Walker’s Low catmint and Russian sage billow in the surrounding garden beds.

The designers gave the catch basin its own bluestone terrace planted with creeping mazus. The Russian sage-flanked walkway leads to the spa and firepit path.

Stairs from the house lead to the pool terrace, which features lawn panels flanking a lounging area. “The kids needed green space,” explains Noyes. Natural cleft bluestone surrounds the new infinity-edge pool.

David A. Noyes Jr., better known as DJ, designed the pool cabana to include its own wet bar. A bathroom and a changing room are accessed through side doors, and a gate in the fence leads to parking, streamlining pool parties for the resident teens.

The pool nestles into the private backyard and boasts views of a nearby lake.

One of the client mandates was a pool overlooking the water.

For one of the outdoor sitting areas, McNally combined furniture from RH with a vintage side table, while Janice Parker Landscape Architects planted colorful flowers and textural grasses.

A covered patio was added outside the den for all-weather entertaining.

The rooftop deck enjoys stellar views and is accessed by a skeletal staircase designed to preserve sight lines from below.

Architect Timothy Burke says the design team rebuilt an existing deck off the primary suite, adding a retractable awning with wind sensors and a stainless-steel railing to withstand saltwater. The mirror is from Made Goods.

Below the umbrella-shaded terrace, bluestone steps lead to a peastone firepit terrace that overlooks the gabion wall and cove.

The design team planted a rain garden filled with liatris, feather reed grass, baby joe-pye weed, black-eyed Susans, fountain grass, and asters to absorb water runoff.

On the upper terrace, landscape architect Tara Vincenta anchored wind-resistant umbrellas in the buff-colored granite terrace to provide shade while withstanding coastal gusts. The team at Moore House Design sourced the outdoor furniture

Straightforward, strongly defined, and salt tolerant, Russian sage and fountain grass flank the main entrance. A water feature directly across from the door provides a soothing soundtrack, and Dragon Lady holly acts as a privacy hedge.

Fragrant lavender spills over the bluestone-edged bed that lines the pathway to the front entrance.

The lower-level color-block rain garden focuses on a palette of lavender (liatris and joe-pye weed) and yellow (black-eyed Susans.

Set in a confined space between the house and a seawall, the rebuilt swimming pool features a bluestone patio that flows right to the back door. In a design compromise, the firepit’s seating faces away from the bay, which isn’t a problem since it’s mostly used at night.

Adirondack chairs plus a Horiuchi-designed gas firepit equals a perfect Cape Cod evening.

Landscape architect Kris Horiuchi designed an inviting outdoor oasis, complete with a pool, spa, firepit, and plenty of space for lounging in the sun. When the weather turns gloomy, the screened porch in the background still makes you feel like you’re outside.

The colorful theme extends to the patio, a private oasis thanks to the plantings of Ferre Landscape & Management. The orange tables are from oomph, and the seating is by Celerie Kemble for Lane Venture.

For impromptu sundowners, the homeowner drapes fabric from Gary McBournie Home over a teak cart from Frontgate for an instant party.

The back of the house, set on a rare double lot, is graced with lush gardens. The outdoor shower is popular after summer days at the beach, on the boat, or surfing the local waves.

Custom granite posts and wire mesh pool fencing withstand salt spray without detracting from the view.

Glass doors in the pool house slide open to connect a dining area to the new swimming pool and provide views of the dramatic grasslands and cove beyond.

Visible from the house, a lawn area that sweeps around grasslands enhances the contours of the land.

Throughout the property, the sound of trickling water sets the stage. Near the home’s front door, the designers reengineered a pair of existing troughs to overflow into basins nestled into bluestone. Wayfinding lights illuminate billowing perennial gardens.

Accented by a dragonfly sculpture by New Zealand artist Mark Hill, a restored meadow on the waterside edge of the property was cleared of invasive plants and planted instead with grasses and meadow performers to preserve biodiversity.

To take full advantage of wind movement through the landscape, tall ornamental grasses line a double border punctuated by liatris, Russian sage, hydrangea, and phlox not far from the home’s front door.

The rear deck includes a plunge pool framed by reclaimed granite; the doors and windows have no exterior cladding to reduce the use of aluminum and vinyl.

A former welder’s shed has become a favorite hangout spot with its ode to Walt Whitman hanging from the fascia.

The backyard’s teak mushrooms were also purchased in Paris. Made in Spain, the largest is five feet tall and thirty inches in diameter.

Inside, the shed includes a wet bar that displays a brass stingray purchased in Paris and pewter steins Paton’s husband collected as a child.

The deck of the forty-five-foot-long pool is paved with Goshen stone. “It gives the pool a clean, contemporary yet natural flavor,” says landscape designer Miroslava Ahern, who used Caledonia granite for the pool’s apron. The wellness pavilion is reflected in the water. It has a serene outdoor patio space used for yoga.

The cylindrical-shaped sauna next to the pavilion is reached by a stepping-stone path of Caledonia granite. Behind it is an outdoor shower.

An inviting patio has direct access to the living room. The matching Grid Centre Unit Sofas by Gloster provide a conversation area around the outdoor fireplace.

A natural stone fireplace is a focal point in the pool house’s living room.

A sweet porch at the rear corner of the house makes a perfect spot to enjoy a summer morning. The American flag is a mosaic made of candy by artist Kevin Champeny. The primary bedroom sits above the porch.

The recently added pool, cabana, and carriage house helped drive the need for an interior that allows better access to these oft-used outdoor spaces.

Large bifold doors unite the family room and covered porch, creating an immersive indoor-outdoor experience.

The new pool and pool house are the focal points of a more formal and geometric “room.” The adjacent hydrangea hedge is reflected in the water and accented by a line of maples.

Originally a spec house, the home was renovated throughout and fitted with window boxes. Hydrangeas at the base of the house include an Endless Summer variety salvaged from the original landscape.

The blossoming Mazus reptans groundcover between the stepping stones tolerates foot traffic on the path leading to the pool house. On either side of the walkway, lady’s mantle spills onto the stones.

At sunset, the family slips through a natural-finish moon gate to follow a beach path and join their neighbors in watching the sun sink into the ocean.

To create profusion without confusion, landscape architect Nick Fobes massed groupings of three to five stachys, phlox, lavender, and calamintha, repeating the color blocks on either side of the path leading to a white-painted moon gate. Nikko Blue hydrangeas are prolific throughout the property.

Though the rear porch was enclosed with floor-to-ceiling windows, it retains an outdoor sensibility with exterior shingles and outdoor sconces on the wall and bluestone flooring.

The family room leads to the covered porch in the backyard, where the landscape plan includes a sizable swath of lawn for the homeowners’ three children to play. Low dwarf ginkgo shrubs provide year-round interest without blocking light from the house.

The pool house, a new addition to the property, was designed to mimic the style of the main house. “The program is more enclosed, more private, more nested in the backyard,” landscape architect Craig Halvorson notes.

Builder Walter Mattera designed retractable screens for the covered porch, which Davies outfitted with a large RH sectional and a Rove Concepts coffee table.

The property’s original tennis court was converted into a vegetable garden, and a new court was constructed. Its pavilion shelters spectators as well as storage cabinets.

With so much continually happening in the garden, Parker recommended a stately unfilled urn to serve as a focal point.

Pleached lindens stand sentinel around the parking court, while ilex softens the stonework leading to the house.

Interior designer Alexa Hampton selected the McKinnon and Harris furniture for the gravel parterre overlooking the lake.

To create a confetti of color at the back of the house, Scanniello planted the deep crimson Darcey Bussell with Heritage and other repeat-blooming varieties that would extend the drama throughout the season. In the beginning, Scanniello let the roses perform without competition. Later, other perennials were added to the beds.

Adirondack chairs atop stone pavers allow for cove views across the lawn.

Below the Juliet balconies, an outdoor living room is within easy view of a perennial border designed to extend blossom color from early April to late October using Shasta daisies, nepeta, and shrub roses in hushed colors. The border’s stone wall quietly frames the spaces and divides the lawn.

The dining terrace is warmed by an outdoor fireplace.

Selected for their strong stems that hold massive flower heads upright, Ruby Slippers oakleaf hydrangeas soften the pathway alongside the house. Screened by Limelight hydrangeas with barren strawberry serving as green mulch.

To punctuate the perennial border, a lead planter on a granite plinth overflows with blossoming annuals.

The recently built deck overlooks a Kent Duckham-designed garage.

The west-facing patio means unobstructed sunsets from a private perch that’s only 400 feet away from the main residence via a stone-paved bridal walk, originally created by Cushman Design Group for a family wedding.

The sunken firepit is a family gathering place even when Peak Sanctuary isn’t in use.

The exterior materials palette includes natural cedar siding (horizontal in the front, as seen in this image, and vertical in the rear), white fiber-cement panels, and ebony-stained cedar accents. “The cedar is already in the process of aging, and the goal is for it to weather to a nice silvery gray,” says architect Matt Genaze.

The bluestone terrace in the front of the home is accessed by expansive sliding glass doors in the main living area.

Outdoor space was high on the list of priorities for the homeowners, and this townhouse boasts a courtyard and three decks, including this roof-deck with views of Boston landmarks, Cambridge, and the Charles River.

The greenhouse now shelters an eleven-foot-by-seven-foot in-ground plunge pool and a preserved-moss (translation: no watering) mural. The pastoral scene depicts grasses native to New England.

This Back Bay home’s courtyard and greenhouse were repurposed as a tranquil spa area with furniture from Casa Design Group.

The top floor serves as an entertainment space for the family, complete with its own deck.

The kitchen opens to the cozy covered terrace where the floor-to-ceiling fireplace of reclaimed stone is the focal point.

The retired CEO of an IT firm, Bill channels his inner pitmaster in the backyard grill house, which includes a firepit, grill, smoker, refrigerator, dishwasher, and Aga range.

The ample outdoor dining table beneath the covered section of the rear terrace is a favorite spot for the family to gather.

The pool and spa overlook the twelve-acre property, which includes a pair of ponds and views of the ocean beyond.

A covered living space adjoining the pool features a sink and refrigerated drawers concealed behind sliding doors; showers and a bathroom are tucked in the rear.

The brick floor extends beyond the dining area to the terrace, where the sky is flush in the pink aftermath of the sunset and the fieldstone fireplace stands ready for an evening fire.

The caned chairs on the back deck echo the chairs in the adjacent dining room, while the base of the stormproof concrete table resembles the walls of a seaside bathing pavilion.

Architect David Scott Parker designed the pool pavilion to act as a proscenium for the view of Long Island Sound. As a symbolic tribute to painter John Frederick Kensett, who once lived on the site and whose circa 1872 painting, The Old Pine, Darien, Connecticut, is part of The Met’s permanent collection, the team went to great lengths to preserve the pine tree (not the same one that’s in the painting) that sprouts from the granite ledge on the left.

The roof-deck’s original pavers got so hot during the summer that the space was difficult to use, especially for the kids. Bourque replaced the pavers and worked closely with Tuuci to install the exterior umbrellas via crane; everything, including the toss pillows, is weighted so it stays put for safety during life’s inevitable squalls.

The porch includes a much-used outdoor grill and serving area that are close to the home’s kitchen and pantry.

Nineteen steps lead from the street to the porch of designer Dane Austin’s three-story Boston home. “It looks out over the treetops, so it feels like an oasis in the sky,” Austin says.

Architect Tom Catalano was tasked with designing a summer residence (left) for two sisters on a waterfront property located next door to their parents’ house, which Catalano conceived fifteen years ago. The existing pool and pool house (right) now serve both properties and act as a central entertaining space and social hub.

The gardens turn meadow-like further from the house to frame the water view with a smattering of perennials and hydrangeas that plays against the strong vertical lines of ornamental grasses.

The periphery grasses are left purposefully unmown to add volume and nurture insects through late autumn when they turn a ravishing flaxen hue.

To give the pool pavilion/outdoor kitchen additional interest, architect Maryann Thompson created a crossbeam double scissor truss. A rot-resistant black-locust deck stays cool in the heat of summer when bare feet are prevalent. Informal plantings create a textural tapestry

The “seeping rock” water feature along the mini-forest path was the client’s idea; it adds a muffled gurgle to the experience.

The landscape weaves together curvaceous stone walls, conifers, and deciduous trees to vary volume and form.

From the front door, a sight line frames the waterside garden out back.

The pool house is lined with sliding glass doors to accommodate a constant flow of guests, who can shelter on the covered patio or relax poolside in an RH chaise.

“It’s a bird-watcher’s paradise,” the wife says of the estuary out back, where seals sometimes frolic between the mounds of marsh grass. The eighty-six-acre property is also home to chickens and goats, as well as an apple orchard and crops, which the children help tend as a kind of outdoor environmental classroom.

At the top of the owners’ wish list was a screened porch. Hutker and Gates delivered with this four-season space, complete with a dining area and wet bar, that doubles as a family room.

One of the first phases of the renovation included the expansive back porch, where the family likes to start their day, especially on the C&M-designed-and-built hanging couch. Furniture by McKinnon and Harris surround the teak table, which was crafted from a vintage ship’s grate.

Landscape architect Greg Lombardi’s clever use of elevation creates distinctive dining and entertaining areas in a compact backyard, which also includes a full outdoor kitchen and two storage sheds.

Outdoor areas like this sunny deck off the kitchen effectively double the 800-square-foot Cape Cod home’s living area from May to September.

Outdoor furnishings from Janus et Cie allow guests to take in the surrounding views and the landscape devised by Hollander Design Landscape Architects.

n the sunroom, the sofa and chairs are family heirlooms that Mattison had painted and reupholstered. The custom coffee table features a map of Osterville.

The room features the same HeartWood fold-up windows as the kitchen. The weighted windows open effortlessly, says Whitla, and fold flat against the room’s pine ceiling.

The arch motif extends to the whimsical entrance to the pool area.

“The shed-roof form not only matches the roof form on the main house’s primary bedroom suite and an outbuilding, but it also sheds rainwater away from the pool terrace,” says architect Peter Twombly of this Hingham, Massachusetts, pool house.

“Design-wise, it had to mimic and complement their house, which was designed first, many years ago,” says interior designer Sarah Scales. The sofa and side tables are Blu Dot, while the side chairs and dining set are from Design Within Reach.

To match the nearby garage and workshop, the architects clad the pool house’s exterior in red cedar. “It is a durable decay-resistant material,” says Twombly, who adds that the cedar is protected by a clear sealer from Seal-Once.

At the request of the homeowners, the architect designed a metal door that rolls down to protect the kitchen cabinetry and appliances, including a Sub-Zero refrigerator, from, say, a nor’easter.

Bluestone pavers were “part of the initial project vocabulary—stitching different parts of the landscape together,” says landscape architect Joe Wahler. The lawn is turf-type tall fescue.

The home’s original stone wall frames a view of Narragansett Bay.

A deck off the guesthouse living room offers views to the ocean.

Ilex crenata hedges bring privacy to the pool area, where Magis Spun chairs from Thomas Heatherwick provide interactive seating options. Cameron, the family dog, is perfectly at home in his new surroundings.

The landscape needed to be in perfect harmony with the home, so the design team incorporated the same West Hill Granite—sourced from Bedford Stone & Masonry—found on the patio in the pool deck and its surrounding checkerboard-patterned pavers.

A Jet Mist granite fire table creates primal allure on the roof-deck, where the panorama spans Boston Common and the Back Bay. Birch trees and boxwoods provide a park-like feeling that’s restorative in the city.

Arches in the latticework over both fountain and fire echo the structural archways in the home’s architecture.

A strict color palette of off-black, white, and granite gray puts the focus on the verdant and lush greenery. Plantings include the poetically named bridal veil astilbe, lenten rose, and Japanese forest grass.

Planted urns and clipped boxwoods supply structure. “We kept it historic—not historic in terms of old, but in terms of keeping with the character and classic kinds of detailing,” says landscape architect Dan Gordon.

Lattice lends an Old World sensibility and helps frame the space. The off-black color (a proprietary Walpole Outdoors hue) complements the metalwork and window frames, says landscape architect Patrick Taylor.

One of the largest courtyard gardens in Beacon Hill beckons through the foyer of this grand townhome, designed in 1821 for congressman Nathan Appleton. Architect Guy Grassi revamped the home for today while maintaining its age-old elegance.

The screened porch off the den is furnished with pieces from Casa Design Group; the homeowners use this room for entertaining, dining, and games.

The architect reshaped the three dormers on the shingled connector section of the house to look more Greek Revival than farmhouse; a metal roof was also installed to accommodate solar panels.

The property extends down to a river and affords distant water views

The four-season conservatory is anchored by a fieldstone fireplace crowned with an old timber mantel; the designers integrated reclaimed lumber from Olde Wood Limited throughout the house to lend a sense of age.

A plunge pool, complete with water fountain and firepit, is tucked into a terrace off the main floor that offers views of Lake Champlain and the mountains beyond.

A sunroom showcases an outdoor sofa from Rene Cazares and the clients’ own stump table. Accordion windows open the room to the outdoors—and Mount Greylock.

“At the end of the day,” says Gregory, “we retreat to the screened porch, following the sun.” The coveted space, which is framed in locally band-sawn hemlock, doubles as a peaceful spot for morning coffee.

In the backyard, a pergola with a green roof shelters a patio and outdoor kitchen. “It’s unusual for a house of this style, but it works,” says Christensen. “It’s a fun way to take a flat surface and make it green.

Containers overflow with lush annuals on the front patio.

A belvedere porch extends from the primary bedroom, delivering water views in three directions.

The new swimming pool reflects the serenity of the home’s redesign while referencing its spectacular coastal setting. Installing the pool required extensive blasting of the granite ledge.

The spa-and-pool area is lined with lounge chairs from Harbour.

In between these two structures is a covered outdoor living area complete with a stone fireplace.

On the terrace, furniture can easily be reconfigured for entertaining. To keep guests safe without detracting from the view, a very fine (“like netting,” says landscape architect Michael Lindquist) mesh fencing with an almost transparent top rail perches on the seawall.

A brise soleil breaks up sunlight over a seating area with ikat cushions in the wife’s favorite color combination: orange and green. Custom Quality Pools built the pool, which replaced a smaller one. The pool house is also new. This space helped unite the two properties and operates as a transition from the main house to the guesthouse.

“The bar was one of the most charming things about the former property, but it was in such sad shape,” recalls Knerr. “This structure is indicative of the place and lifestyle. In fact, it has become the go-to neighborhood hangout spot.”

An existing tiki bar on the property was too far gone to salvage, so KVC Builders constructed a new cedar structure on the original footprint.

The rear elevation reveals the two-story nature of the house; a bluestone grid visually ties the plunge pool to the house’s stone cladding.

The rear elevation reveals the two-story nature of the house; a bluestone grid visually ties the plunge pool to the house’s stone cladding.

“The bar was one of the most charming things about the former property, but it was in such sad shape,” recalls Knerr. “This structure is indicative of the place and lifestyle. In fact, it has become the go-to neighborhood hangout spot.”

An existing tiki bar on the property was too far gone to salvage, so KVC Builders constructed a new cedar structure on the original footprint.

A screened porch located off the pub can be closed off with folding glass doors. In the clients’ former house, the main living areas were on the upper level with little connection to the outdoors, so the goal for this project was to unite the living spaces with nature as much as possible and allow the lake to take center stage. “We wanted to create the feeling of these big public spaces stretching over the water,” notes Knerr.

Architect Don Knerr designed the home in keeping with the traditional New England lake-house vernacular, incorporating materials like cedar shingles and siding, local stone, and timber beams.

A shingled pavilion with a fireplace sits between the Har-Tru and platform tennis courts.

The remnants of a brick tea house inspired the homeowners to weave historical elements of the property into the current design, including a reinvention of that structure—constructed out of granite instead of brick—and its formal gardens.

The space acts as a pretty pass-through, but it’s also used for entertaining. “The masonry on this project is truly phenomenal,” says architect Michael McClung.

For a nineteen-acre property on Cape Cod, Shope Reno Wharton architects designed a pool and recreation area that functions as a central meeting hub for the homeowners’ family and their frequent guests. The 4,600-square-foot pool house, one of many outbuildings on the grounds, was situated to align views with a salt marsh and the ocean beyond.

Designed as a year-round home, the beach house especially shines in the warmer months when decks to the front and rear become extensions of the living space in an otherwise compact structure.

A second-floor outdoor shower, cleverly concealed but still affording unblocked views of Cape Cod Bay, counts among the owners’ favorite spaces in the home.

A pair of Minotti chairs with pillows upholstered in Loro Piana fabric sit on the covered porch; in the background is a circular dining pavilion requested by the homeowner.

One of the main mandates for the project was indoor/outdoor living, so a substantial covered porch with plenty of seating was a must. A pair of Minotti sectionals form two separate sitting areas perfect for taking in the views.

The pool is invisible from the front road and side lane thanks to its position behind the carriage house and landscaping by Donaroma’s Nursery, Landscaping + Floral Design.

The screened porch boasts a massive fireplace, slate tile floors, and a nickel-board-lined coffered ceiling.

The pavilion can even be enjoyed in cooler weather, thanks to the granite fireplace and the infrared heating that’s embedded in the ceiling beams.

A pool pavilion designed by architect Kevin ten Brinke is the focal point of this new backyard entertaining area in Weston, Massachusetts. Interior designer Rachel Reider furnished the space with a sofa and coffee table from Sutherland, pillows upholstered in a Perennials fabric, and a rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.

The pool and spa area features a mix of granite, bluestone, and ipe decking. In addition to chaise longues sitting in the pool itself, RH chaise longues line the far end of the pool terrace; the umbrellas are from Tuuci.

Ten Brinke designed the pavilion to complement the aesthetic of the main residence, incorporating columns, Douglas fir beams, stone, shingles, and a copper roof; on either side of the fireplace are storage closets for firewood and towels.

The pavilion features a built-in stone bench that overlooks the yard.

The south-facing roof-deck, with its quartz-clad spa, is accessed by climbing a set of third-floor stairs and stepping through a motorized skylight that effortlessly slides open with the flip of a switch.

Furniture from Janus et Cie adorns the deck off the great room.

The massive board-form concrete fireplace flows from the ground-floor living room, where it’s woodburning, to the ipe roof-deck, where it’s gas, which means the owners don’t have to worry about hauling logs upstairs or installing spark screens.

The pavilion can even be enjoyed in cooler weather, thanks to the granite fireplace and the infrared heating that’s embedded in the ceiling beams.

A pool pavilion designed by architect Kevin ten Brinke is the focal point of this new backyard entertaining area in Weston, Massachusetts. Interior designer Rachel Reider furnished the space with a sofa and coffee table from Sutherland, pillows upholstered in a Perennials fabric, and a rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.

The pool and spa area features a mix of granite, bluestone, and ipe decking. In addition to chaise longues sitting in the pool itself, RH chaise longues line the far end of the pool terrace; the umbrellas are from Tuuci. BELOW: The pavilion can even be enjoyed in cooler weather, thanks to the granite fireplace and the infrared heating that’s embedded in the ceiling beams.

Ten Brinke designed the pavilion to complement the aesthetic of the main residence, incorporating columns, Douglas fir beams, stone, shingles, and a copper roof; on either side of the fireplace are storage closets for firewood and towels.

The outdoor shower, which is located on the intermediate level between the pool area and the walk-out basement, is sheathed in granite slabs and stone pebbles.

Adjacent to the pavilion is a pergola-covered outdoor kitchen, complete with a smoker and a pizza oven; the barstools are from TB Contract Furniture

The pavilion features a built-in stone bench that overlooks the yard.

Wagner and Herrmann collaborated on the design of the roof-deck, which boasts a fireplace, an outdoor kitchen, and a border planted with sedum. “The railing is held back from the edge, so it’s less pronounced from below,” Wagner says.

The homeowners’ dinnerware, including the raffia-wrapped salt and pepper shakers, sets an idyllic summer scene

A porch stretches across the back of the Osterville home, offering any number of opportunities to relax and enjoy the view. Here, a dining area sports an updated version of directors’ chairs, outfitted in classic nautical stripes.

The porch holds a breakfast area off the guest bedroom.

Between the house and the formal lawn, a slope planted with tall fescue adds a gentle touch.

Near the entrance, boxwood, smoke bush, and liriope are low-maintenance plantings that add year-round interest.

Delightful views from the back terrace include a square sculpture garden that was cleverly installed just off the Shingle-style house designed by Shope Reno Wharton. Planted with purple hardy geraniums and Japanese Stewartia trees that bloom all summer long, it features a playful royal-blue-glazed ceramic apple sculpture by Lisa Pappon.

Behind the pool area, which features twin pavilions, stands a stately century-old sycamore. “We deemed it sacred and made every effort to save it,” says landscape architect James Doyle.

Gardens and terraces create a plateau at the same level as the main house for entertaining; just beyond, the landscape dips down several feet to the formal lawn and pool.

For the grounds of a home in Greenwich, landscape architects at James Doyle Design Associates created a graceful allée lined with nepeta and golden sedge; it connects a screened porch with the pool area

An infinity pool and ipe deck make the home seem like it’s floating in the middle of Five Mile River.

The sports-loving family plays football and accesses their dock and canoes from the grassy area on the back side of the slate-clad infinity pool. The wicker, rattan, and wood daybeds, sofas, and lounges surrounding the pool come from Silver’s own line of outdoor furniture.

The pool house is divided into two sections: one contains a bath and outdoor shower, while the other has a laundry room and storage area.

Landscape designer Jennifer Anderson selected low boxwood hedges, hydrangeas, boxwood globes, a seasonal mix of Angelonia, and stepping-stones to “soften the transition between spaces,” she explains.

The in-demand vegetable garden yields a bounty of produce for the family, from spring lettuces to autumn squashes.

Architect Zac Culbreth says the work of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma inspired his design of the pergola. The design team called it “cedarhenge” because of the weighty twelve-inch-square cedar posts that hold up the lattice roof. A shallow swim-in area helps create the sense that the pergola is floating on the water.

The swimming pool feels like a paradise, surrounded as it is by a riot of colorful and often fragrant perennials that drape, climb, and flow among the split-rail fencing and stone walls that border the area. Mature trees brought to the once-bare property offer shade, while at the pool’s far end, native grasses wave in the breeze and offer textural interest in every season.