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Before & After: Backyard Blank Slate Becomes Outdoor Oasis

Carrie McBride
Carrie McBride
Carrie is a former Apartment Therapy editor and the original editor of Apartment Therapy Media's first site for kids: Ohdeedoh. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two kids..
published May 28, 2015
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(Image credit: SPRUCE | Custom Backyard)

Project by: SHIFT_DESIGN
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Client: Family of six

When you live in a city, there’s perhaps no other luxury quite as coveted as outdoor space. This family had a long, narrow plot behind their home in Philly with lots of potential and they hired a design studio to transform the space into a lush escape from city life complete with saltwater pool, outdoor shower and fire-pit.

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(Image credit: SPRUCE | Custom Backyard)

From SHIFT_DESIGN:

We were asked to maximize the outdoor space of this home to create a comfortable place for this family to unwind and relax together. As a firm that is committed to being environmentally conscious, this backyard design highlights many sustainable features. We designed and installed a locally-sourced cedar fence, concrete stormwater planter with native plantings, saltwater pool and LED lighting. In addition, we provided corten metalwork, an outdoor shower and fire-pit area.

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(Image credit: SPRUCE | Custom Backyard)
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(Image credit: SPRUCE | Custom Backyard)

The client (who sells high-end modern furniture) has a very keen eye towards minimalism which worked well with the precision of our studio, where we blend traditional materials with modern fabrication. The goal was to create a place that worked with the existing fruit trees and space limitations yet express a minimal ecological footprint.

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(Image credit: SPRUCE | Custom Backyard)

All the architectural elements and products were mass-customized by SHIFT_DESIGN. Furniture is from Ligne Roset.

Thanks, SHIFT_DESIGN!

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Filed in:
Before & After
Outdoor Plants & Spaces