Meet a Front Yard Designed for Gathering

When you live in a Southern California beach town and an ocean view is right outside your door, it makes sense to turn your front yard into a gathering spot. That was the thinking of Sacha McCrae, homeowner and principal of Living Gardens Landscape Design. “The front is where friends and neighbors gather. The back of the house is a more intimate family space,” she says.

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Sacha McCrae; her husband, Rob; and their son, Josh

Location: San Clemente, California
Size: 4,600 square feet (427 square meters) combined front and backyards

The Front Yard

The front yard is divided into separate zones — a stone patio, a raised deck and a seating area around a fire pit — giving each area the feel of a destination. When McCrae started her yard renovation four years ago, the patio against the house was existing, but the deck and fire pit areas were an overgrown hodgepodge.

To capture the view of the Pacific, McCrae built an ipe wood deck that sits 6 inches off the ground. For furnishings she played off the soft color of the existing patio.

A succulent garden planted in a painted wood frame adds texture.

Read more about Contractor Fees, Demystified

Meet a Front Yard Designed for Gathering