The backyard challenge on this project was to recreate the look of an ancient Roman aqueduct. Scale was the biggest issue, says designer Richard Winget of Authentic Environments. "We did not want it to become too overpowering. You will also notice the shape of the pool is curvilinear while the ruin walls are symmetrical. Making the two work together was a real challenge."

When these New Jersey homeowners contacted Mike Hilton, owner of Hilton Concrete, for their backyard project, they described their dream of a multilevel, circular patio, an idea inspired by a trip to a resort. The project includes multiple tiers of concrete that create five distinct outdoor rooms, including areas for dining, a bar, and a fire pit. There's also a shallow water feature incorporating benches and footrests.

Two limiting factors called for creative thinking for this small backyard patio: cost and space. Jerry Panico of Ultimate Design of New York came up with this clever Tiki bar theme, including a stamped concrete patio made to look like natural stone, a small above-ground pool, and a kitchen area with a built-in BBQ, refrigerator and sink.