When built, designed, and decorated correctly, your yard can be a beautiful extension of your home. Whether you’d prefer a party-ready patio, a deck fit for entertaining, or landscaping that adds aesthetic appeal, your property beyond the four walls of your home deserves some attention, too.

We’ve complied some of our favorite articles from the Fine Homebuilding archives to give you the outdoor design and building inspiration you need to make the most of your backyard living spaces. In this collection you will find tips for creating outdoor rooms that are as functional as they are inviting, suggestions for making the most of a small outdoor space, pointers for setting up practical grilling stations, and more.

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  Design

  Outdoor Grilling Stations

  Outdoor spaces such as decks or patios are more attractive gathering places when they include a well-designed grilling station. Whether it's a basic station or one that's more elaborate, it…

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  Design

  Purposeful Outdoor Rooms

  In this "Drawing Board" article, architect Mark Hutker identifies the characteristics of the best outdoor rooms: They have boundaries; they have floors, walls, and ceilings; they get to use the…

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  Design

  Designing a Small But Elegant Deck

  Several rounds of plan revisions helped make the most of a narrow site in this custom deck build.

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  How-To

  Bright Ideas for a Well-Lit Deck

  Make your deck safer and more enjoyable with good lighting.

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  How-To

  A Concrete-Paver Patio from the Bottom Up

  Accurate site work and a well-compacted stone base yield an outdoor room that's firm, flat, and attractive.

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  Design

  How to Design Outdoor Rooms to Draw You In

  Landscape designer Wesley Rouse offers ideas for creating cozy exterior spaces around stone patios and paths.

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  Design

  Inspiration for Building a Backyard Patio

  These 2 concepts for cozy outdoor spaces are full of smart patio design ideas.

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  Design

  The Groundwork of Landscape Design

  A professional landscape designer offers advice for every phase of the process, from grading to lighting.

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  What’s the Difference: Trellis, Arbor, and Pergola

  Although the terms often are used interchangeably, trellises, arbors, and pergolas are distinctly different structures.

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  Design

  Planning an Outdoor Kitchen

  Design consultant and author Deborah Krasner says homeowners should first assess their needs when planning outdoor spaces.