We wanted to create a backyard paradise at this home in Yorktown, but with 1200 square feet of pavers, we had a lot to do - and a lot to work with! The first step was to add some additional privacy with a fence and landscaping that includes green giant arbor trees to create a little separation from the neighbors.

The main event is the River Pools swimming pool, where we added some curves, colors, and textures to make the space pop. Since kids will be visiting this backyard a lot, we added a water wall both for beauty and to create a 'natural' diving board - we can promise it will be used over and over again! On the side for the adults is a hot tub surrounded by a stone wall, so the grown ups can relax while the kids play.

And believe it or not, this is only phase 1...

This backyard design in Yorktown is going to feature almost everything: columns, walls, outdoor lights, and a fire pit, all in about a 450 sq foot space. The key with smaller spaces like these is making sure that the elements are both cohesive and unique, so we set about making that happen within the constraints we had.

One day we did this was by laying the pavers at different angles to highlight the fire pit, which you can see below in the video and slideshow. We added a few other touches as well...

The playground at Peninsula Community Chapel in Yorktown is the place to be on Sundays before and after services for kids of all ages. But as much as the parents loved chatting while seeing their kids have a blast, there were a few roadblocks that kept this space from being truly enjoyable. One of the major issues was the traffic flow problem it created when everyone stood in the sidewalk while the rest of the congregation filtered out through the lawn and to the parking lot.

We set out to solve this issue and added a lot more to the space, too...