Weathered steel fire bowl with smoke rising, surrounded by woven teak lounge chairs on a gravel patio, with boulders, allium, echinacea, and ornamental grasses in the foreground and an outdoor kitchen beyond

A Fireside Escape

This Havertown backyard was compact and underused, with plenty of potential and no clear way to live in it. GreenRoots reimagined it as a series of connected spaces that feel intentional and settle naturally into the existing landscape. Rather than a collection of separate features, the design reads as one outdoor retreat, with places to gather around the fire pit, soak in the hot tub, stretch out on a chaise, cook and dine, and simply enjoy the garden.

Location

Havertown,
Pennsylvania

Design/Install

GreenRoots
Design Firm

Photography

Mark Rutt
Creative

Elevated dusk view of a Havertown backyard landscape design with a steel fire pit and lounge chairs on a gravel patio, bluestone stepping stones, a granite step with black steel railing, a Japanese maple, and an outdoor kitchen beside the existing deck
Overhead detail of a granite step in a Havertown backyard landscape design, edged with steel and set beside chartreuse sedum, silvery groundcover, mulch, and blue-gray gravel

The Project Brief

  • A compact, underused yard reimagined as connected outdoor rooms
  • Fire pit, hot tub, and chaise spaces designed for gathering and unwinding
  • Outdoor kitchen built for entertaining without interrupting the flow of the yard
  • Custom steps, railings, and concealed storage that handle the practical details quietly
  • A backyard that feels layered, intimate, and connected to the home and garden
Aerial dusk view of a Havertown backyard landscape design with a steel fire pit and lounge chairs on a gravel patio, a hot tub and chaise lounges on a wood deck, granite steps with black steel railings, an outdoor kitchen, and a screen of evergreens

The Experience

Come evening, the yard takes on a different mood. Smoke drifts up from the steel fire bowl, string lights glow beneath the deck, and the hot tub casts a cool blue light across the weathered decking. A boulder set into the deck edge anchors the step down to the gravel patio, where echinacea and ornamental grasses soften every edge.

Every element balances function with visual simplicity. Custom steps and railings ease the transition between elevations, and the outdoor kitchen gives entertaining its own place without interrupting the flow of the yard. Behind the main gathering areas, a custom storage solution handles the practical needs while staying out of sight.

The result is a backyard that feels layered and intimate. Each space has a purpose, and all of them stay connected to the home, the existing deck, and the garden around them.

Twilight view from the wood deck across a Havertown backyard landscape design, with a boulder in the foreground, a steel fire pit and lounge chairs on a gravel patio, bluestone steppers, ornamental grasses, and an outdoor kitchen below the existing covered deck
Steel fire pit with stacked firewood and four lounge chairs on a gravel patio in a Havertown backyard landscape design, with boulders, echinacea, ornamental grasses, a steel log bench, and an outdoor kitchen at dusk

Small yard. Layered retreat.

Dusk view from the hot tub and wood deck across a Havertown backyard landscape design, with a lit steel fire pit and lounge chairs on a gravel patio, ornamental grasses, a boulder, an outdoor kitchen, and string lights under the existing deck