Courtyards are charming little spaces that have a more intimate feel than gardens. Clever courtyard design can make even a smaller space feel special and give it purpose.
For those living in a city, a courtyard can provide a much needed respite from indoor living. For those living in larger homes with larger if not multiple garden spaces, courtyard designs can acts as an extra meditative space, or enclosed courtyards can become features in the home.
And courtyards are not limited to those with larger spaces either. There are plenty of townhouse courtyard ideas that can even make an indoor space feel open and fresh.
Take inspiration from these beautiful courtyard spaces that are full of fantastic design ideas for those with even a small garden area.
INSPIRING COURTYARD DESIGN IDEAS
green plant courtyard
In this cosy Binalong cottage, which has been lovingly restored, the leafy, plant-filled courtyard stands out as a highlight and is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet breakfast, lunch or dinner with loved ones.
rooftop garden courtyard
A penthouse apartment with views to the Blue Mountains and a lush sky-high garden has become an oasis in the city for its owner. A lushly planted courtyard flows off the bathroom, fit with stepping stones and an outdoor bath tub.
internal courtyard
Interior designer Sarah Davison’s studio reflects her belief in the life-changing nature of well-designed spaces. A steel-framed glass roof and large pivot door in the new extension that opens to the courtyard garden.
european-inspired outdoor courtyard
After working on the farm all day, friends and family often pile in the back of the ute to enjoy a picnic outdoors in the paddock, or in this European-inspired outdoor courtyard with ivy-covered walls, at this farmhouse in Boorowa, NSW.
internal courtyard
City living and outdoor living aren’t mutually exclusive. This cleverly designed courtyard gives its owners all they need to enjoy life alfresco. “It was important to maximise the area we had and create as many layers and textures of lush, loose, leafy garden as we could,” says landscape designer Frances Hale.
enclosed courtyard
Star jasmine is trained up a grid of stainless-steel wires to soften the surrounding architectural features. “It also makes the courtyard feel more enclosed,” says the designer, Jane Jones of Jane Jones Landscapes.
courtyard BBQ
A courtyard barbecue area is essentially an extension of this renovated worker’s cottage’s kitchen. Greenery makes a beautiful contrast against the black accents.
tropical courtyard
Tropical beauties in varying heights and foliage colours create points of interest around this Quercus Gardens designed courtyard in Bondi.
paved courtyard
An elegant home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs boasts a calming ambience. The paved courtyard planted with tall conifers which feels wonderfully private and quite European and the fountain contributes to the soothing ambience of the home.
internal courtyard
The brief to designer Richard Unsworth of Garden Life was to create an entertaining space that would give them a “sense of nature in the city” while providing a safe play area for the owners’ young daughter. The plant palette is a mix of natives and exotics, all hardy and lush and selected to suit the north-facing location, which is exposed to full sun in summer and semi shade in winter.
zen courtyard
This courtyard garden conceived by Matt Cantwell of Secret Gardens delivers intimate, meditative space. A bed of mixed succulents in the courtyard provides an outlook for a low-set dining room window cut into the wall.
private courtyard
The outside world disappears in this private courtyard garden of luminous greens and wondrous shapes. On view from every room in the home, the courtyard looks larger than it is thanks to a layered planting scheme of interesting species.
paved outdoor courtyard
Shaded by an arbour covered in climbing wisteria, this paved outdoor patio area is the perfect place to entertain at any time of day.
