From Parking Pad to Backyard Courtyard: A First-Timer's Journey

A Yearlong Labor of Love in Seattle

Jordan and Leanne Rubin's only outdoor space was a lifeless rectangular parking pad of concrete, gravel, and asphalt beside a busy street—no fence, no plants. Inspired by books, magazines, and neighborhood walks, they designed a private 33-by-25-foot courtyard paved with Pennsylvania bluestone, adding a greenery screen, garden shed, and dining area. With scant construction experience, they paced the space, laid strings and hoses, and embarked on a yearlong adventure with unforeseen twists.