In the past half year, we intermittently renovated our courtyard From a storage yard to a courtyard that embraces the seasons and light It truly opened up the lifestyle of indoor/outdoor living in California We are both professionals in the industry, and enjoy doing this side project Fortunately, the renovation process went smoothly We recorded some memorable moments during the process Hope to inspire you~ Our house has a courtyard space, but its current use is not satisfactory Apart from clutter, the courtyard has not been a good part of our daily use The courtyard is a 5m*6m space The living room is on the west, the bedroom is on the north, and the garage is on the south A 3m wide pathway is located behind a high wall fence on the east side The height of the fence obstructs the morning sunlight Making the path to the backyard unusually complex (passing through 2 doors) Moreover, the poor privacy due to the glass on three sides No views in courtyard and bedroom curtains always closed A good courtyard space not only enhances the visual experience but also improves life quality Soon after moving in, we envisioned various courtyard renovation plans Consideration of spatial relationships Selection of materials and plants And of course, the cost and construction difficulty~ The final plan we chose was a simple green "island" design The porcelain tiles and golden gravel integrated the corridor and courtyard The "island" is an extension of indoor functionality where you can dine, gather, play, do woodworking, sunbathe, etc. We chose a relatively simple design to make DIY construction easier Construction began before winter's rainy season arrived However, considering our limited time, lack of experience, and the upcoming baby, We decided to hire a local professional construction team to complete the labor-intensive part of the renovation First, the original 10cm thick cracked concrete surface was completely removed The reuse cost of concrete blocks is very high so they are generally disposed of as landfill waste, which is a pity Per our design, no further excavation is required once the concrete is removed After the elevation information is determined by the laser, the base layer can be laid Drainage on hard pavements is particularly important A 2% slope is usually enough to drain water away The only thing left to remove is the wooden fence As the boards are removed piece by piece The swaying light and shadow began to shine into the courtyard "I can see 40% more sky, worth it!" The leaves will soon fall, allowing the warm winter sun to pass through the courtyard and reach the living room The huge concrete foundation can't help but make we sigh that If we are doing it by ourselves, and it will take us half day digging The right tools and team are crucial for improving efficiency! After the courtyard and corridor are connected The space suddenly opens up as the field of vision widens with increasing depth We installed a layer of metal mesh to prevent small rodent digging plus one layer of weed barrier During the construction break, the pullets helped with land preparation and deworming work Roommate cared for temporarily relocated plants During construction, we communicated promptly to solve issues while being at home Unexpected situations are inevitable during construction Consensus on solutions is a crucial factor for the smooth progress of a project A 10cm thick gravel base layer on weed barrier provides drainage and structural stability After compacting, the slope was checked again against the preset one Finally, the surface was leveled with a 3cm thick layer of fine sand With substrate ready, tiling process was highly efficient Material sizes were considered during design, minimizing the need for cutting They were simply placed against each on over sand Metal edging was initially planned to contain the tiles at the outer edge However, considering on-site construction tolerances and stability This more discreet concrete edging detail was adopted instead A good designer can turn challenges into design opportunities Since the original concrete paving and post foundation were removed, this structural post needs to be fixed again Existing solutions are out there but it wasn't a neat look and the tiles couldn't withstand point loads well We worked with the contractor to come up with this more minimal looking detail Poured a concrete foundation under the tile A threaded rod was also cast in Holes were made in the tile to allow loads to pass through After inserting the shim, the structural column slid down along the threaded rod By tightening the nut, the load was transmitted to the threaded rod via metal shim plate And then down to the concrete foundation We all love the airiness of this detail, as if it is defying gravity With the completion of post detail, the hardscape work also comes to an end Soft landscaping begins with arrival of planting soil Our feathered friend came to check the quality of the soil first Soon, the plants we ordered from the nursery also arrived Beyond the paving area, we chose gravel similar to the backyard Soon the courtyard will meet with the gravel in the backyard! Although we already have a detailed planting plan, We still need to micro-adjust the direction and position of the plants on site To improve survival rates and save costs, we use small seedlings Planting areas are directly adjacent to the indoor area The soil should not be exposed, so we also added a weed barrier and then gravel The pathway between the courtyard and the backyard is mainly composed of plants and gravel The golden gravel river is finally open to navigation! When the boxwood balls grow up, the winding space of the aisle will have a layered sense Ease of maintainence is one advantage of the "island" design Dust and debris can be flushed into the surrounding gravel When the rainy season begins, the outsourced work has been successfully completed On a rare sunny day, it's time to tidy up some things within our capacity and a couple details that we didn't have time to perfect before This is also a way to control the cost of construction After all, doing some labor in leisure time is also a hobby of my roommate Paint the post with outdoor waterproof white paint Remove the nail hidden in the corners Removing the wooden fence revealed the dilapidated fence on the aisle's side We want to improve the overall appearance through renovation Saw off the upper part of a remaining post This simplifies the relationship between the wooden fence and the roof beam Although he always claim that the tools were bought a long time ago new faces always appear This is the cedar board we found in the lumber yard that is closest to the original partition Of course, simply doing a cosmetic project is not enough We tried new ideas during the process For example, adding exploratory LED lights at the bottom of the door We repurposed some extra holiday solar lights The solar panel is hidden in on the back of the top part of the picket board not visible from outside The door position can also be more concealed hidden between the homogeneous boards In order to reflect light better, the inner wall is painted white Some internal partitions were made on the left side of the wall to divide it into different small compartments And incorporated even more small functions! Hide the original door leaf behind the wooden strips to make the appearance as simple as possible Bricks were used to offset the weight added by extra boards on the cantilevered door Three small compartments above to provide resting place for lost birds or small animals at night Once the ornamental grass near the corner grows taller this area will become relatively concealed We kept the original door on the right for quick egg collection access A solar-powered light was installed in front of the door to illuminate the threshold The dimensions were just right to create a neat corner detail We had to make a new latch after the old one was removed along with the tall wood fence As the weather began to warm up, we started making a cornhole board A game that my roommate won’t miss whenever he saw it outside After researching the board's dimensions The board fits perfectly on the fence and blends in perfectly with the wall This game involves throwing sandbags into a hole It may involve some strategy and skill (maybe) The audience's response was very strong! We usually mount it on the fence, creating a perfect blend with the wall Last fall, we bought drumstick allium bulbs during a visit to Filoli Randomly scattered them in a sunny spot outside the bedroom They will bloom into lovely deep purple flowers this summer They will complement the adjacent slender veldt grass Soon, spring arrived as expected We want to plant a Japanese maple tree in the courtyard After studying various maple trees' size and appearance We ultimately chose the Autumn Moon variety which grows to a height of about 2.4~4.5 meters Planted in the northwest corner of the yard, visible as soon as you step inside the door At the same time, this location receives ample sunlight during the day and is shaded by the eaves during the hottest part of the afternoon allowing for optimal growth A month later, the maple tree began to spread its branches and leaves In spring, the flowers and grasses also began to flourish Even the withered slender veldt grass began to sprout in the winter Leaving behind soft light and shadow on the hard surface At the end of the yard, there is a planted old tree stump The lush vegetation inside is like a carefully crafted bonsai We collected some extra stones from the backyard plan to use the same technique to work on another old tree stump We have unlocked a new lifeform in the backyard After adjusting the position of the stones we finally achieved a satisfying stacking result In addition to the Nandina two ghost ferns were also planted on the edge of the stones Hopefully, in six months, this area will also become a paradise In addition to adjusting the plantings we are still soucing a trough as an additional decoration In spring, migratory birds rested on the Chinese privet tree in the courtyard We can't wait to enjoy the fruits of our labor quickly! After completing the courtyard, we started selecting outdoor furniture The eight o'clock sunshine was warm and gentle, refreshed us with morning breeze As summer approaches, the noon sun became intense We aimed to shade the dining area during the hottest hours of the day We found a suitable size of shade sail There are eaves on three sides of the courtyard, making it relatively easy to find anchoring points We decorated the perimeter of the shade sail with string lights The sunlight under the shade sails became much softer We could always find some shade in the yard The lights were lit up as night fell Sitting in the yard on a cool summer evening was delightful We installed solar uplights under the Japanese maple It became the focal point of the yard at night After six months of construction, the physical space gradually overlapping the blueprint in our imagination The plants slowly grows Blurring the boundaries of paving Also the boundaries between us and nature Through the small opening of this house Nature seeps into our daily life Flowers bloom and wither; clouds gather and disperse All becoming the beautiful footnote for one courtyard, two of us, three meals, and four seasons oh wait Speaking of which, we are now a family of three I hope our little one can grow happily together with the little maple tree in the yard View from living room View towards living room View towards master bedroom View towards garage View straight out of living room
