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Octagonal House, Soka City, Saitama Prefecture Architect Ryota Sekimoto of Riota Design found this small plot of land (1,075 square feet) in Soka, in the outer suburbs of Tokyo. Land is expensive in Japan, so the architect had to work hard to use the site to its fullest. The best way to do that was to work with the site’s features. On the north side of the plot is a river bank lined with cherry trees, which was a huge factor in the design layout. Instead of cutting down the cherry tree on the property to create more space for the house, the design team kept the tree and built a small and perfectly formed home in its honor.
Of all the wall shrubs, Pyracantha is probably the most used. It is evergreen and produces white flowers in late spring, followed by sparkling berries. Here the Pyracantha has been carefully trimmed to link with the formal, minimalistic garden design. For a softer look, evergreen wall shrubs can be interplanted with climbers such as summer-flowering clematis or the herbaceous perennial Tropaeolum peregrinum, the 'Canary Creeper'. If you are planting a shrub-climber combination, make sure that the climber isn't too vigorous or it will overwhelm the shrub.
Some people hang tapestries on their hallway walls. And some people line their side garden with a textural privacy screen that resembles a fabric tapestry. This narrow side garden has a lot going for it: 1. the gravel walk is contained with a slender metal edging on either side, 2. the bamboo is densely planted, but maintained like a hedge and 3. uplighting, subtle but effective, adds drama after dark.
Over the top, yes. But that's the fun thing about designing a side garden. You have the element of surprise in your favor. I doubt that many of us would think of placing two huge pedestal urns along a walkway, and then planting them with tropicals and palms that spill over the rim. The treatment works here, allowing the designer to feature plants that would otherwise obstruct the path if used at ground level. Instead, seasonal begonias and compact ground covers decorate the base of each urn.
Attractive and permeable, this gorgeous walkway is easily wide enough for two to traverse side by side. I like the care with which this path was designed and installed. It feels special, with the cut-stone edging doubling as a way to contain the planting beds on either side. The stone palette complements the brick house and creates an interesting circuit for anyone walking through this garden. Take note of the copper lighting, strategically placed to make this a safe place for anyone walking here after dark.
Less is more in this utilitarian walk along the outside of a home clad in corrugated metal siding. The path is paved in easy-care decomposed granite, making it easy to navigate. The plantings are elevated to eye level, thanks to the low lumber retaining wall. Bamboo is a good choice because its roots are contained. Plus, it's an easy plant to maintain with hedge clippers.
Flagstone. Common, relatively inexpensive and hard wearing, flagstone is a popular choice for patios and paths. Estimated cost: $10 to $19 per square foot installed; $3 to $5 per square foot DIY Pro or DIY? A small flagstone patio is a doable multiweekend DIY if you feel up for it. Otherwise, hiring a pro is the way to go. Process snapshot: Dig out the patio area about 6 inches deep, fill it with gravel, then top it with a thin layer of coarse sand. Set each piece of flagstone into place like puzzle pieces, leaving roughly the same amount of space between stones. Gaps can be filled with sand, gravel or ground cover plants.
Bluestone. A beautiful and hard-wearing material, bluestone comes in varied shades, ranging from pale lilac to deep slate blue. Estimated cost: $17 to $32 and up per square foot installed. Note that because bluestone is quarried in the eastern U.S., shipping costs to the West can add a lot to the final price tag. Pro or DIY? Hire a professional stone mason. Large stones can be extremely heavy and difficult to position, and creating a lovely pattern like the one shown here is an art. Process snapshot: A mason levels and prepares the area, and provides for proper drainage. The dug-out space is filled with about a foot of gravel and a thin layer of stone dust on top. Finally the bluestone is laid tightly, generally without mortar.
Dry-laid versus mortar. If you choose to go the DIY route with your brick patio, you will probably want to try the dry-laid method rather than deal with mortar. This involves building a wooden frame exactly the right size to contain your bricks (so you'll want to triple check your measurements!) and then fitting the bricks tightly together within the frame. This method is much easier than mortar, and allows you to pull up and replace broken bricks as needed. On the other hand, a professionally laid, mortared brick patio will likely last longer, have fewer problems with weeds and be more perfectly level.
Brick and Stone A brick patio has a charming, old-world look that would be right at home in any number of settings. Estimated cost: $8 to $16 per square foot, installed Pro or DIY? A small, simple brick patio using the dry-laid method can be installed in a few weekends of dedicated work by someone who’s DIY savvy. A large patio or one with a complex design is probably best left to the pros. Process: A mason laying a brick patio will start by digging and leveling to prepare the ground. He or she will then lay concrete on top of crushed stone or gravel to form a base before laying the bricks with mortar.
Deck tiles. This innovative material is designed to be snapped together, creating a modular deck practically anywhere. It's perfect for covering up an unattractive surface or creating a new patio quickly and easily. Estimated cost: $4 to $10 per square foot, depending on the material and source Pro or DIY? Easy DIY Process snapshot: Snap together the tiles in whatever configuration you choose. Depending on the tiles, you may also need to stain and seal them to protect them from the elements.
Wood decks are classic and comfortable, and they fit in just about anywhere. Keep in mind that wood does require more upkeep than other materials, though composite decking is an option if you want the look of wood with less maintenance. Estimated cost: $15 to $30 and up per square foot installed; $6 to $11 per square foot DIY Pro or DIY? Most people will want to hire a pro for this — decks attached to the house may require permits. That said, a small, simple wood deck isn’t out of reach for an experienced do-it-yourselfer. Process snapshot: A ledger is installed to connect the deck to the house. Beams and joists are set on concrete piers, and decking is laid on top.
Get creative with concrete slabs. For this modern patio, large square slabs of concrete define the seating area surrounding an outdoor fireplace. When you are designing with concrete, you can also leave sections open for plantings, trees or other garden features, creating a custom look that suits your space perfectly.
Concrete is so commonly used that it’s easy to overlook its positive qualities. A concrete patio exudes modern appeal, and it is perfect for spaces where you want crisply defined edges. Estimated cost: $5 to $10 per square foot, installed Pro or DIY? Hire a pro. Concrete sets very quickly, so it is extremely unforgiving. Unless you already have experience working with concrete, it’s probably best to leave this job to the experts. Process snapshot: First, the area for your concrete patio must be dug out and leveled. Next, barriers are put in place that will determine the shape of the patio. Filler material such as gravel is spread out, and then the concrete is poured, leveled, finished and cured.
Courtyards are great for just about any outdoor purpose. I love them for city living. If your courtyard is surrounded by three walls, make sure it is wide enough to let light in. Don't go any smaller than 12 by 12 feet — and if you go larger, it will only feel and look better. Use one wall for a fireplace or barbecue and fill the space with some comfy furniture.
Determine how you plan to use your space. Do you plan to relax here or entertain? Is the space going to be for a couple of people or groups? While outdoor spaces are technically not rooms, the size requirements are similar. Much like a dining room or a family room, you will need enough space for your furniture and to comfortably circulate. Measure the spaces in your house to determine if a similar layout will work for your outdoor deck, porch or patio. Also be sure that your outdoor space is in scale to the rest of your house. A gigantic outdoor space next to a small home or a very tiny space next to a large home could easily feel out of proportion and awkward. A good guideline is to make your outdoor space comparable to the rooms inside your house
Before. The existing brick patio of this home in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City had not been very user-friendly for the family. “The homeowner had a lot of ideas about what she wanted to accomplish in a limited space,” architect Jessica Birnbaum Pratt says. “She wanted a lounge, a dining area, a cooking area and a play area for her daughter.” Scandinavian Landscape by Emergent Form Architecture Emergent Form Architecture After. Birnbaum Pratt worked to bring in more greenery. “We didn’t want the whole thing paved,” she says. She found a batch of discarded cement pavers and cut them down to fit the area she needed. She also pumped the color palette way up by using pops of turquoise, fuchsia and Kelly green. Toward the rear is the lounge and the play area, which are illuminated with string lights and a pendant. In the center is the dining area, outfitted with two benches and a table.
Create a composition with a sculpture. Draw the eye to the corner with a sculptural focal point surrounded by a border garden.
The designer had the solution: She’d scoot the shower stall as close to the bathroom door as possible because this area had the necessary flat, high ceiling to meet code. To make it feel even larger, she continued the stall underneath the angled ceiling, which provided a good spot for the handheld shower head, a shower stool and baskets for toiletries. Instead of fully enclosing the shower with walls, she used a half wall topped with clear glass between the shower and the vanity (see the second photo
It’s a safe bet no one wants to read another word of this story until more is revealed about this unique floor tile composition. This is where the homeowners’ talents, style and personality shine through in the design. They created their own pattern using a Daltile planning tool, using 1-inch porcelain hexagonal tiles in black, gold, green and white. A pattern of cheerful florets framed by hexagons covers most of the floor, but the real fun happens at the border, where tiles seem to dance outside the typical boundary. One of the owners, the artist in the couple, oversaw the installation, letting the contractor know where to place the colored tiles.
Tulips and boxwood. Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. In this Denver front yard, rows of red tulips against clipped boxwood hedges border the entry walk and lawn. The limited color palette and mass planting in defined beds keep the design simple and establish an elegant, formal theme
Monet garden at the New York Botanical Garden. Bursting at the seams with a watercolor palette of blooms, this garden alley was part of a Monet exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden a few years ago. The garden and exhibit paid tribute to the garden around the impressionist artist’s home in Giverny, France. Design tip: In addition to adopting a watercolor-themed color palette for floral borders, you can also try the design trick of mounding beds before planting. By banking the soil up 1 foot or more, you can give a boost to shorter plants and create a display worthy of a painting.
Glorious bluebells. There’s hardly anything more romantic or quintessentially spring than fields of bluebells, whose blue-purple blossoms blanket the ground and perfume the air with a subtle floral fragrance between mid-April and late May in the United Kingdom and northern Spain. There are two common species, English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and Spanish bluebell (H. hispanica), and both thrive in areas with filtered sunlight and with regular water. Design tip: To re-create a natural woodland effect, plant bluebells — or another spring-blooming bulb that thrives in your region — in drifts under trees and allow the plants to naturalize.
While gravel mulch is more common in low-water and cactus gardens than in other garden styles, the technique works well for traditional plantings too. In this Dutch garden, sandy-colored gravel used as a mulch for clipped boxwoods helps visually warm up the space and complements the formal design.
The master bedroom has an open, loft-like feel. The fireplace was existing but previously had a 1970s tile surround. Mennes replaced it with a whitewashed brick veneer and a bluestone hearth to make it look like it had always been there. The new steel windows provide big Hudson River views and breezes.
A floating vanity saves space while providing lots of storage, as do three mirrored medicine cabinets. The walnut adds warm contrast to all the white.
The master bedroom is at the back of the house. It has new high-performance tilt-turn windows and new oak floors.
Extensive cabinets along this wall provide scads of storage and form a cozy eating alcove that enjoys the natural light from the windows and door. This gives the family another option for hanging out together, whether the son is doing homework while a parent cooks or they’re enjoying a coffee-shop feel on weekend mornings. The alcove’s table features the same quartz as the countertops.
The family’s main entrance is at street level, tucked underneath the grand exterior staircase seen in the first photo. Horowitz reconfigured this floor to be shared between the family and the renter. It includes a shared vestibule with separate entrances to the rental unit and the main house. The family’s portion of this floor includes a new mudroom and powder room.
The new entry space gives everyone a smart landing zone. “We designed this space based on their daily routines,” Horowitz says. Family members enter the house, hang up their coats and swap out their shoes for slippers. The closet has a built-in bench, a coat rack, a shoe rack and hooks for bags and scarves. The shoe rack has recessed LED lighting directly above it. There’s also a designated area for bike storage on this level.
Raised tubs with small stairs leading up to them almost have a throne-like feel. This one has a wooden frame with an insert. Depending on what style surround you decide on, this is generally the more economical way to go. Many mainstream manufacturers make similar tubs.
Vertical gardens can form a living privacy screen. Looking for something a bit different from the usual fence or hedge to give your outdoor space a more private feeling? A vertical garden planted on a support (either stationary or even on a gate) can give as much or more privacy, while also extending your garden
Behind-the-Vanity Tiled Feature Wall Designer: Julie M Johnson of JMJ Studios Location: San Francisco Size: 20 square feet (1.9 square meters) Homeowners’ request. A small powder room tucked under a staircase in a home office. Great idea. Tiled feature wall behind the vanity. It gives this small space a big visual boost.
Minimal transitions between indoors and out. Access to the outdoors — a concept aided by easily opened sliding doors and windows — is paramount in Japanese design. This indoor-outdoor aesthetic greatly influenced modernist architects in California and around the world. In this photo of the traditional teahouse at the Nezu Museum in Tokyo, only a narrow stone walkway under the eaves separates the house from the majestic and expansive garden.
Traditional baths. In the past, many Japanese bathed in neighborhood public baths, as only relatively wealthy families could afford the expense of maintaining a furo, which requires not only space but enough fuel to maintain a water temperature of 100 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 to 42.2 Celsius). Although public baths still exist, the majority of Japanese homes have their own furo, which is used only for soaking. (All soaping and rinsing takes place outside the tub using handheld showers or buckets.) Bathing remains an essential daily ritual in Japan
Multipurpose rooms. Because the traditional bedding (futon) is folded and stored in closets during the day, a single large room may be used for sitting, dining and sleeping. Flexible space and movable furniture enable small houses to comfortably accommodate families.
Straw matting. Tatami flooring, made from woven igusa (a type of grass), is cool in summer and warm in winter. Though costly, it lasts for years because shoes are never worn indoors. Mats come in standard rectangles whose edges are bound in black cloth or, in the case of wealthy households, brocade.
Reverence for wood. The wood in Japanese houses is often stained but never painted, since paint would cover the highly prized grain. Entire tree trunks may be used as roof beams, while the most expensive piece, often an unplaned length of Japanese cypress, is reserved for the tokonoma
Step-up entryways. A transitional space between outdoors and in, the genkan is where one exchanges outdoor shoes for slippers (which are removed before stepping on tatami floors). Genkan hold shoe cupboards as well as decorative objects such as ceramics, flowers or art. They may include or face the tokonoma (alcove), where scrolls and other artwork, as well as ikebana (traditional flower arrangements), are displayed.
Optimal siting. Japanese houses are sited north-south, with the main rooms facing south, to ensure steady sunlight throughout the day. Views — ideally of mountains or water but more often of a garden — are essential. Natural light is considered a human right in Japan for homeowners and apartment dwellers alike.
Outside in the courtyard is a karesansui, a traditional Japanese dry landscape garden. You can see large, long, rectangular stones in the gravel. These stones were part of the original foundations of the building and were included in the restoration to acknowledge the home’s roots
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