The Courtyard
DALLAS, TX
The Courtyard
DALLAS, TX
2024 PaperCity Dallas Design Award Winner
A compact courtyard with a tall order was the design directive for a new home in Forest Hills. With limited outdoor space allocated to the house, the client requested that the courtyard offer multiple gathering spaces, including conversation seating, outdoor dining, and a private area for tête-à-tête conversations, while also feeling lush and providing attractive views from inside looking out.
The result? A bespoke courtyard consisting of intricately connected geometric hardscape elements and layered plantings creates a modern retreat for the homeowners. Striking a balance between pattern and linearity, black and white floor tiles juxtaposed against a 14-foot-tall fireplace feature vertical lines of ebony ceramic tile to exaggerate the height. Surrounding the seating area are evergreen plantings of Berkeley Sedge, Chinese Indigo and dwarf Japanese Yews. Holly trees along the fence line provide both privacy and a cooling ambiance. Matching sofas and a charcoal-colored stone-shaped coffee table flank the fireplace in a cozy seating area adjacent to a dining area.
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Pathways in varying geometries and playful patterns, including linear scored concrete and alternating pavers, framed in dwarf mondo grass, connect the areas to other functional spaces within the courtyard. Geometry plays a role in the front landscape as well. Staggered concrete pavers set in gravel are highlighted by the gently mounded Mexican feather grass, one of the drought tolerant native plants used in the landscape, along with Salvia Greggii. Foundation plantings of Chinese Indigo add softness along the elevation of the house and relate to the courtyard landscape.
PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHEN KARLISCH