An Outdoor Space for a Family That Plays Together
August 13, 2018
A Brookline, Massachusetts, backyard becomes an outdoor living space with a little something for everyone.
Text by Julie Dugdale   Photography by Nat Reaâ
It was an interesting conundrum: classic, stately New England brick home; homeowners with contemporary tastes; and a blank canvas of a yard to marry the two styles seamlessly. The owners, who are originally from Brazil, had a robust and exacting outdoor vision to reimagine the standard developerâs landscape that came with their new home near Boston. âThey wanted outdoor spaces that could be lived in and used by the family, but would also function as entertaining spaces,â says Peter White, owner and principal landscape architect at ZEN Associates. âThey wanted a space that was comfortable enough for the immediate family, but also could accommodate larger eventsâeverything from preschool parties to very snappily dressed galas. We were tasked with coming up with a design and palette of materials that acknowledged the house.â
Essentially, the space needed to be everything to everybody. White and his team outlined five separate outdoor areas in a modern landscape that works with the traditional home aesthetic and meets the functional needs of a busy family with twoâsoon to be threeâsmall children. âThere are covered spaces if itâs raining or too sunny; water for the daytime; a fire terrace for chilly nights; lighting thatâs not only pretty to look at, but also practical; and enough open space to set up for additional activities, like a tented party,â White says. âThereâs very little downtime here.â
Besides the pool and spacious fire pit, the yard features a full outdoor kitchen and bar, a canopied dining area, and a play area on the lawn. The innovative use of mixed materialsâgranite, steel, stone walls, beige paversâharmonizes with the homeâs exterior and provides unexpected warmth in a setting with an otherwise contemporary feel. The pool-area wall, for example, is sectioned into corten steel and traditional stone. The steel oxidizes to a deep rust color, which contrasts nicely with its stone counterpart. The arbor above the kitchen, designed by Andrew Sidford Architects and fabricated by Custom Iron Craft, is also made of steel, creating a sense of unity between the outdoor spaces. âWe brought in materials that arenât typically used in this way,â White says, âwith organic colors that really blend well with the house.â
Accents like the orange hues of the bar stools and umbrellas and the red pillows on the lounger play off the brick and the warmth of the oxidized steel. One detail that ties it all together: âWe very cautiously used white trim and white painted wood on the dining canopy,â White says, âbecause white is a strong detail on the house.â
Despite the expansive feature-laden yard, it was important to the family to have a sense of intimacy. The solution: lush vegetation layered in front of a fence around the poolscape perimeter. The ZEN team planted flowering hydrangea, hemlock, holly, and evergreen, âwithout blocking the neighbors, overcrowding the space, or casting big shadows,â White says. âThey wanted it to be private without being reclusive.â
What truly sets this poolscape apart, though, are the thoughtful details that ensure the backyard isnât simply for show; itâs a place the family and their guests can thoroughly and comfortably use at all times. The lighting is artfully installed to light every step in the evening and to illuminate the steel walls for a rich, warming effect. A just-right sound system creates an ideal low-decibel atmosphere. And adding to the ambience is the pleasant effect of the water feature at the end of the pool. âItâs modern, done in a way thatâs not a classic statue or bubbler,â White says. âItâs a focal point when youâre at the far end near the fire pitâkind of an invitation to move around the property.â
For guests who want to take advantage of all the yard has to offer, but arenât up for a full swim, the pool is designed to be all-inclusive: wide, side-to-side steps serve as a graceful graduated entryâlike wading into the water at the beach or lakeâperfect for non-swimmers who want to cool off while being social. The space even has a vegetable and cutting garden that brings alfresco dining full-circle. Says White: âItâs all the things youâd expect to see in a landscape you really do live in.â
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