LOCATION: Exeter, NH

Some properties call for one standout feature. This one called for several, working together. This full-property landscape design and construction project in Exeter, NH gave the homeowners a paver patio and pool for everyday lounging, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen for entertaining, and a private, tucked-away fire pit patio for evenings that call for something quieter, all connected by curving flagstone walkways that turn a walk through the yard into part of the experience.

The pool and surrounding paver patio anchor the main entertaining space, with plenty of room for lounge chairs and umbrellas alongside the outdoor kitchen, making it easy to cook, swim, and gather without ever leaving the yard. Just beyond, the circular fire pit patio, framed by boulder retaining walls and set into a hillside of ornamental grasses and layered perennials, gives the property a second destination that feels separate from the main patio, ideal for smaller gatherings or a quiet night outside. Out front, a granite step entry and flagstone walkway are framed by daylilies, hostas, and flowering shrubs that carry color through the growing season, while a river rock drainage bed along the driveway solves runoff without sacrificing curb appeal. Retaining walls throughout the property, capped in stone and softened with plantings, tie the sloped site together and give every level of the yard a clear purpose. It's proof that a property with a lot of square footage doesn't have to feel like a lot of separate spaces, it can all work together.