Key Takeaways:
An empty yard can feel overwhelming, especially when there are constraints to work around.
These three before-and-after transformations show how intentional outdoor design can turn empty or challenging spaces into fully realized environments.
With the right planning and vision, even the most unassuming yards can become places you actually want to spend time in.
Many of the clients who come to us already know they want to transform their yard — because it’s a blank space.
When this is the case, the biggest challenge often isn’t deciding what they want, but imagining what’s even possible.
This is especially true when there are real constraints involved, like a small footprint, close neighbors, slopes, or a standard tract-home layout. Yet some of the most transformative outdoor environments we’ve designed started in spaces that felt exactly like this.
Below, we’re sharing three before-and-after yard transformations that began as empty or underwhelming outdoor spaces and were reimagined into transportive, resort-style environments — designed around how the homeowners actually wanted to live.
These are the kinds of transformations that make you forget you’re in your backyard, and instead feel like you’ve stepped into your own private resort.
Keep scrolling to see the before-and-after transformations.
Ready to transform your outdoor space? Click the button below to book a free design consultation and receive a complimentary quote from our team.
Seeing What’s Possible for Your Backyard Design
Before our team started working on these yards, all three of them shared something in common:
– Large or small, the space felt undefined
– There was little to no landscaping or usable layout
– No visual anchors, focal points, or sense of flow
– A lingering feeling of “We don’t even know where to start”
That uncertainty is more common than most homeowners realize. And it’s often the reason people delay redesigning their outdoor space — not because they don’t want something better, but because they can’t visualize the outcome.
That’s exactly why thoughtful design, and an experienced outdoor design team, makes such a difference.
From a Plain Tract Home Lot to an Organic Modern, Resort-Style Backyard
What began as a standard tract home lot with minimal character became a fully immersive, Tulum-inspired organic modern oasis.
Instead of treating the yard as one open rectangle, the design introduced layers, elevation changes, and experiential moments throughout the space.
A floating, sunken seating area creates a cozy place to gather. A rain curtain conceals a covered spa while adding movement and sound. Natural textures and sculptural forms soften the architecture and ground the design in an organic, modern feel.
This transformation wasn’t about adding features for the sake of it — it was about crafting an outdoor environment that feels intentional, calming, and transportive.
The result? A backyard that feels less like a suburban lot and more like a private retreat you’d expect to find at a boutique resort in Tulum.
From an Empty Yard to a Santorini-Inspired Outdoor Living Space
This property started as a completely blank outdoor canvas.
No landscaping. No sense of place. Just open space with potential.
The homeowners wanted their yard to feel like a getaway, not something reserved for special occasions, but a space they could enjoy every day. Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean design, the concept focused on light tones, clean lines, and a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.
The transformation brought warmth, character, and destination-level design into a space that was once completely empty. Today, it gives our clients the resort-style escape they were hoping for, without having to leave home.
From a Small, Unusable Yard to a Luxury Desert Outdoor Retreat
This Las Vegas yard was small, tight, and initially dismissed by the homeowners as “too limited to do much with.”
Instead of fighting the constraints, the design leaned into them.
Through vertical elements, thoughtful spatial planning, and carefully placed features, the yard was transformed into a luxury desert escape. A pool, fountains, and a sunken seating area create a layered experience, and every inch of the yard was designed to feel resort-like, visually, functionally, and emotionally.
This project is a perfect example of how perceived limitations often hide the biggest design opportunities.
Your Backyard Has More Design Potential Than You Might Expect
One of the biggest takeaways from these transformations is this:
Most homeowners underestimate what their yard can become.
Empty doesn’t mean boring. Small doesn’t mean unusable. Awkward layouts, challenging elevations, or strict lot lines aren’t deal-breakers. They’re design challenges waiting for the right solution.
And that’s exactly what our team does best.
First, we start by understanding:
– How the homeowners wanted to feel in their space
– How they wanted to use it day-to-day
– How architecture, landscape, water, and lighting could work together as one cohesive system
So that our team of designers, landscape architects, lighting experts, planting experts, furniture experts, and more, can:
– Translate abstract ideas into design plans
– Maximize your space without overcrowding it
– Create flow, balance, and long-term usability
– Avoid costly mistakes that come from piecemeal decisions
Most importantly, they help homeowners move past “What could this even be?” and help them get a yard they love.
If you’re wondering what’s possible for your own outdoor space, because it currently feels unfinished or underwhelming, we’re here to help.
Book a free design consultation call and let’s explore how we can transform your yard into a space that feels intentional, immersive, and custom to you.
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How do you design a yard for quiet nights at home, but that can also be used to host large parties, celebrations, and events without feeling cramped or chaotic?
In this video, we break down the design essentials for a truly multifunctional backyard, like understanding your real lifestyle, building versatility into every zone, avoiding common layout mistakes that ruin flow during events, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much can a backyard really be transformed?
A: A backyard can be transformed far more than most homeowners expect, even when it starts as a blank lot or includes challenges like limited space, close neighbors, or a sloped yard. With a thoughtful backyard design and a clear layout strategy, underwhelming spaces can become fully realized outdoor living environments.
Q: Is it worth redesigning a small or awkward backyard?
A: Yes. Small or awkward backyards are often some of the most rewarding spaces to redesign. When outdoor design focuses on layout, proportion, and how the space is experienced, even compact yards can feel intentional, functional, and immersive.
Q: Why work with a professional outdoor design team instead of designing a yard yourself?
A: Designing a luxury outdoor space requires more than selecting finishes or features. A professional outdoor design team considers how architecture, landscape, water features, lighting, and materials work together as one cohesive system, resulting in better flow, long-term usability, and a backyard that feels complete.
Q: What happens during a Foxterra backyard design consultation?
A: A Foxterra backyard design consultation focuses on how you want to use your outdoor space, how you want it to feel, and what site conditions need to be considered. From there, the goal is to explore how thoughtful outdoor design can transform your yard into a custom outdoor living environment.
Behind The Blog
Justin Fox
Founder & Creative Director
Founder Justin Fox grew up with a passion for landscaping. After 15+ years building luxury yards and pools as a licensed contractor, he saw the limits of the design/build model. Homes get detailed, architect-led plans, so why shouldn’t yards? In 2019 he convinced brother Nate Fox to join him and launched Foxterra Design to focus on immersive, luxury outdoor spaces.
Nate Fox
Designer
Nate Fox helps shape Foxterra’s creative vision, blending architectural detail with a designer’s eye for proportion and flow. His work redefines the backyard as an extension of modern luxury living.
In recent features, Nate’s perspective has been quoted across leading design publications, including Homes & Gardens and Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living, where he shares practical, design-forward guidance on everything from integrating sculptural moments and sightlines to creating “living wall” effects that soften hard architecture and make compact spaces feel more expansive.
Here, the Foxterra team highlights how empty yards can become highly intentional outdoor living spaces with the right design approach and planning.
