“We always dreamed of having our own, private oasis in the middle of the city,” said Yardzen client Anna Anisin.
She and her husband had oases in mind when they bought their Miami home, which featured an expansive, albeit mostly empty, yard. “It was so large, and a blank canvas,” she explained. “The possibilities of what could be done were pretty limitless.”
Blank canvas, indeed. The yard did include a mature and a covered deck area—both excellent assets —but most of the space was little more than overgrown lawn.
Dreams are one thing, making them a reality is another. To develop their blank canvas into the yard of their dreams, Anna turned to Yardzen for a backyard design.
To fulfill Anna’s vision, Yardzen designed a series of outdoor rooms, each offering something unique: a a poolside cabana, a lounge space for cocktails, a covered porch for dining. These spaces flow seamlessly from one to the next as you move through the yard’slinked by strong sightlines, cohesive planting, and bold
At the center of it all: a new rectangular swimming pool. “The pool is part of the entertainment, but it’s also a huge center for our family gatherings,” Anna explained.
The water feature is flanked by seating areas with modern outdoor furniture. At one end, the fire pit, furnished with a low-slung sectional and speckled with dappled light from a grove of adjacent palms. At the other, the cabana, whose handsome construction makes it as much a sculptural feature as a resource for relaxing by the pool.
Round the corner from the cabana to the side yard, and you encounter another sequence of spaces.
The original covered deck comes first, refurbished as an outdoor dining area. From its elevated perch, diners get clear views of the entire great for keeping an eye on kids during a morning coffee break orou come to a second lounge space. Seating with blonde wood and big white cushions beckons guests to kick back, while the absence of boundaries around the space keeps it feeling expansive and interconnected with the rest of the yard.
Just beyond the lounge, you come to a play lawn with custom corn hole boards, painted to match a trio of raised veggie beds that sit just off the lawn’s edge.
“The grassy areas are great for our son and pets to run around and play,” says Anna, who adds, “The veggie and herb garden planters have also been great to use for cooking, and they tie the yard together quite nicely.”
Planting throughout the garden design eschews floral color in favor of dense green foliage. The existing privacy hedges remain, while new palms and strappy ornamental grasses ramp up
When it came time to install their new design, Anna and her husband worked with their Pro Network contractor to make a few adjustments. This is common practice—read more in our log post.
For one, they simplified the hardscape paver paths, which feature oversized concrete rectangles interspersed with low planting. By opting for fewer, larger concrete pads, they were able to cut back on labor, and expense.
They also introduced gla both their upper deck and around the pool. Opting for glass was worth it, not only to keep kids safely separated from the pool, but to preserve the long sightlines that were crucial to the open, modern feel of the design.
How did the design turn out? Fabulously, according to Anna.
“It’s just an awesome one of a kind vibe overall, a mix of tropical chic lifestyle with mid-century modern design touches – right on point of what we wanted!”
“It’s hard to leave this paradise we created,” she continues. “Most of all it’s heartwarming to watch our son swimming in the pool, playing in the sandbox, and running carefree through the yard.”
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