How We Created a Modern Outdoor Living Space for a Small Edina Backyard

Just outside Minneapolis, the city of Edina, Minnesota is one of the most prestigious suburbs of the Twin Cities. Whereas outer-ring suburbs show their prestige with more sprawling estates, Edina homes are all about understated beauty, elegantly making the most of their space in this comfortable community. 

A recent client in Edina wanted to make the most of their space by doing just that: converting a small backyard into a cozy but comfortable patio space. Though the property provided plenty of spatial challenges, we were able to collaborate with our client to create a contemporary and sophisticated outdoor living space that turned out to fit perfectly.

Our Solution: Patio with a Pergola

We consulted with our client to develop the ideal approach within tight constraints that this Edina property offered. The space that was available to us was hemmed in on three sides, with the detached garage and driveway on one side, the house on the other, and the lot line, demarcated by a row of arbors, between them. 

Our plan for a patio with distinction was to install a pergola, lending both functional and aesthetic value to the outdoor space. A pergola provides partial shade while still allowing enough sunlight through to make the most of a summer day. A naturalistic wooden structure would also add a dash of curb appeal to the space between the house and garage.

Perhaps most importantly, the pergola would clearly define the patio as a discrete outdoor room, so to speak, rather than just a concrete square alongside the driveway. Designing with intentionality is critical in smaller spaces, and is something we have taken to heart on other similar patio projects.

The Design Process: Maximizing Our Space

After a full consultation with our client, we devised a strategy for making the most of this small space. In addition to the drainage system, our project would include a hardscape, a pergola, new fences, a retaining wall, and a new complement of plants. Our design team laid out the plan below.

An Added Concern: Sending Away Water

Before we even began hardscape construction, our team noticed considerable drainage concerns in the backyard. Neighboring yards all drained to a centralized low point in the client's yard, causing pooling and flooding that even infiltrated the previous garage structure. That damage ultimately led to the first garage's demise, and a new one was built in its place. Even this second detached garage, however, was starting to show signs of weakness from taking on too much water from collected rainfalls. The neighbors' drainage may have been outside our purview, but within the lot lines, we had to find a way to redirect as much water as could from the vulnerable back yard.

To make sure that poor drainage would not affect the new patio, we undertook an ambitious but ultimately effective plan. In front of the garage door, we designed and installed a large dry well and drain tile system that would collect and redirect rainwater. A long channel drain would run the width of the driveway flanked by angled tiles to ensure water collection, and the dry well in the back yard would work in concert with a new sump pump installed well below the frost line for year-round efficacy. This pump would force the water underground and across to the front yard, where it would connect directly to Edina's storm sewer system. In order to complete this portion of the project, KG Landscape sought and received all necessary permits from the City of Edina and completed the work pursuant to the city code's specifications. 

We also had the existing sump pump and its discharge to reckon with, as well as a downspout system that was doing the yard no favors. Several downspouts emptied into a side yard along the home's north side, which ultimately drained to the back yard. We were able to connect these downspouts and the old sump pump to the new underground drainage line, sending all the water that once pooled in the back to existing city infrastructure in the front.

With our drainage considerations accounted for, we were now free to focus on making the most of a new patio.

When choosing a pergola, the options for a material of choice are numerous. Aluminum structures offer durability combined with a modern appearance, while vinyl pergolas are the best choice for families seeking an affordable and low-maintenance addition to their patios. However, for the natural, rustic look that an Edina home demands, there's no competition for good old wood. In this case, cedar, with its natural resistance to rot, termites, and moisture damage, was the perfect choice. No matter how attractive, the pergola had to fit the space. It was important that it not block the flow between the patio and driveway, or obstruct the side-access garage door. We designed and installed a bespoke pergola for the new patio that would provide key amounts of shade in the summer while defining the outdoor living space in a cohesive manner.

Fencing can be another important aspect of intentional design in a smaller yard. We further defined the space by erecting horizontal privacy fencing around the yard, trading the trees along the property line for a cohesive wraparound fence. Not only did the horizontal planks match the top of the pergola for a streamlined and unified appearance, it also conferred a warmth and coziness upon the space. 

The fences, only 18" tall, got an additional boost from a short retaining wall along the property line. These retaining blocks helped us create a flat level backyard where it had once had rolling contours--contours that treacherously drained toward the garage. 

To further soften the modest privacy fencing, we designed and installed a variety of fresh plantings along the new fence line facing the patio. In addition to perennials and hydrangeas, we placed a small ornamental tree between the driveway and the patio in a space we set aside to help soften and define the outdoor living space. Were the patio to have directly abutted the driveway without greenery as a buffer, the space would have been open to a fault: rather than intentionally cultivated, the space would simply look overpaved. 

Finally, to make sure this was a thoroughly modern living space, we installed electrical outlets on the patio to allow the client to access electricity without running unsightly and dangerous extension cords around the yard. We even added a special plug-in to allow string lights for the pergola without running a cord down the side of the house.

The Final Result: A Cozy but Comfortable Patio

Our Edina client wanted an eye-catching outdoor living space even without a lot of space to work with. KG Landscape's team used our vast experience and design talent to create a cohesive design that, once complete, feels simple and obvious, as if there were no better use for the space than what we created.

📍 Local Twin Cities expertise
💧 Proven drainage solutions
🏡 Designed for tight urban lots

Contact KG Landscape today to schedule a drainage evaluation and take the guesswork out of fixing your yard.