Photography: Nathan Schroder

Indoor/outdoor living can be enjoyed year round in the coastal community of Corona del Mar, California. This spacious atrium is the perfect gathering place for family and friends. Planters are the backdrop for custom built in seating. Rattan furniture placed near the built-in firepit adds more space for relaxation. Bush hammered limestone makes up the patio flooring.

http://fgy-arch.com Photos by http://www.bgpix.net

Antique teak gates are a beautiful setting for the private courtyard which contains a quatrefoil shaped fountain and koi pond. Some of the detail trim is hand painted tile, authentic adobe brick, carved cantera stone and terra cota tile. Beach pebbles were used to soften the transition between the hardscaping and the planters. Designed & built by Beringer Fine Homes

Lisa Parramore

Photo by Mark Boisclair

As with the lounge, the outdoor dining room is defined by the shift in ground-level materials from the precast pavers with joints to saltillo tile. Table by KS Designs

© Elizabeth Murray http://www.elizabethmurray.com/

Casey Dunn- Dunn Photography

Water flows over the corten rusted-steel edges of this courtyard waterfeature and down into a small channel also filled with pebbles. This whole structure was set to finish flush with only a half-inch gap between the water surface and a cast concrete seat wall that extends along the courtyard’s perimeter. The pool’s form is mirrored by a trapezoidal fire pit that sits in a snug corner of the space with a portal aperture just above that allows visitors to peer out at the desert scene beyond, and casting it's firelight out to incoming guests as a welcoming beacon of warmth. michaelwoodall.com

Randomized concrete pavers in a gravel courtyard.

This contemporary home sits comfortably amidst the treetops overlooking the surf break at Cane Garden Bay. The innovative use of materials combined with strict attention to detail has resulted in a very clean modern interpretation of the traditional Caribbean hillside home. A focus on sustainability through the planning process was layered over the imaginatIve design solutions resulting in the creation of a high quality living environment with minimal impact on the global environment. The open, free-flowing design results in a contemporary Caribbean home with a comfortable scale while making the most of the location’s spectacular views.

Photos by Josh Savage for Coastal Living You can order a full set of plans or a study set for this home. Go to: http://www.allisonramseyarchitect.com/fullpage.cfm?id=211

Photography by David Joseph www.davidjosephphotography.com

The Curved House is a modern residence with distinctive lines. Conceived in plan as a U-shaped form, this residence features a courtyard that allows for a private retreat to an outdoor pool and a custom fire pit. The master wing flanks one side of this central space while the living spaces, a pool cabana, and a view to an adjacent creek form the remainder of the perimeter. A signature masonry wall gently curves in two places signifying both the primary entrance and the western wall of the pool cabana. An eclectic and vibrant material palette of brick, Spanish roof tile, Ipe, Western Red Cedar, and various interior finish tiles add to the dramatic expanse of the residence. The client’s interest in suitability is manifested in numerous locations, which include a photovoltaic array on the cabana roof, a geothermal system, radiant floor heating, and a design which provides natural daylighting and views in every room. Photo Credit: Mike Sinclair