Yard Crashers

Surfing loving couple, Todd and Julie, turn their desolate and rock filled Las Vegas yard into a tropical paradise. With a surfboard garden with planted surfboards, a shell water feature and waves of colored glass, a shaded patio with pavers made from crushed seashells and a custom beach themed fire feature, the empty desert yard becomes a surfer's Shangri-la.

Homeowner Bodie and his girlfriend Kalli love their house that has been in Bodie's family for years, but unfortunately, the backyard hasn't been updated in all that time. An old-fashioned patio cover, uneven bricks and no privacy make this space unusable for them and their young son. Their love of Tahoe is the impetus behind the transformation which includes a faux river rock water feature, new entertaining area with pergola, updated patio cover and beams, and a unique piece of art made from a resident tree.

Dave and Emilie Beecroft love the bright colors, water and painted arches of Mexico, but have a backyard with a tiny deck and awkward spaces that make it a far cry from a resort destination. Mexico is brought to their backyard with the addition of a large concrete patio stamped to look like Mexican tile, a water feature with a Mexican clay pot and a fire pit lined with Mexican saltillo tiles. The old unsightly wooden deck gets a bright terracotta makeover and a wooden arch is painted to frame a new garden area and create the feel of a Mexican Resort Retreat right in the backyard.

A boring backyard is transformed from a non-usable space to a little piece of the Italian countryside with various areas to both entertain and to relax. The creation of a large elevated patio covered in pavers and an outdoor fireplace create a lounging area that provides a view reminiscent of the Italian countryside. The addition of large raised garden boxes and a multi-tiered fountain and benches create a strolling garden. With posts and wire framing a grapevine planting, a new stain on the existing patio and a handmade rustic wooden dining table, the yard becomes the perfect piece of Italy to use for entertaining.

This large backyard was empty except for a slab of concrete. Matt Blashaw and his crew totally transformed the space. A new outdoor kitchen wrapped in stone and topped with salvaged redwood, privacy walls using reclaimed farm wood, and a custom metal fire pit are just a few of the knock out designs. Surrounding the fire pit are custom-made campfire roasting forks. This large space transforms to an entertainment, eating and relaxing area for the whole family.

This Fijian couple would love to have a taste of their homeland in their backyard, but not in its current state. Matt and crew repurpose dilapidated deck into a tropical thatched palapa, turn an uneven paver deck into a fresh looking space using interlocking pavers and add bamboo plants for privacy.

A Tampa couple has no entertainment space, just grass on a sloping, uneven backyard. This backyard makeover consists of two thick paver patio areas. The top level has an outdoor bar made of polymer cabinets topped with granite and illuminated by different flashing colored LED lights. It also has a 40-inch TV built in. Adjacent to the bar are four grand water fountains underneath a decorative wood arbor. Then, step down on to a flagstone pathway leading to the lower level patio with a central fire feature adorned by three fire bowl columns.

Tampa homeowners Elizabeth & William Gourdine have a new house and a blank slate of a backyard with a lake view. The space goes from empty to entertaining with a unique bar complete with infinity edge water & fire features; a metal pergola; built in stone kitchen area and a custom TV cabinet.

This first-time homeowner wants an entertainment space out of her existing bare hillside. What she gets is three 3 terraces cut into the hillside. Level one is off the master bedroom, accessed via a new glass door to take in the view and features "T" arbors framing the view of her new space. All three levels are connected by new decorative concrete steps. Level two features a hot tub and custom fire feature. Level three features a massive, ancient olive tree. The three terraces are ringed with retaining wall seating for 40! The new space is also warmed up with additional plantings of Redwood trees, Japanese Maples, and a Willow tree.