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A local couple transcends the small size of their Salt Lake City bungalow by creating an inviting outdoor oasis
Do your home’s walls define its livable space? If so, it’s time to think outside of the box—literally. Beyond the confines of most homes is a yard just waiting to be transformed into spacious open-air living areas. And for owners of smaller houses, creating outdoor “rooms” is an easy way to augment the interior quarters of their abodes. Case in point—Patrick and Frances Hays’ Sugar House bungalow in Salt Lake City.
Hitting the century-old mark next year, this charming 2,200-square-foot house has been home to the couple for 32 years. During that time, the duo—with the help of Frances’ sister, associate architect Lisa Arnett—renovated its cozy interior, gracing it with updated livability. At the same time, Patrick and Frances kept their sights on the yard, where the two avid gardeners could put their green thumbs to work expanding their living quarters.
They began by creating a small pond, removing a few old trees and shrubs, and adding a fence. Over the years, their visions grew and efforts escalated, and today, they enjoy unique outdoor living areas in which they spend as much time relaxing and entertaining as they do indoors. Here’s how they did it.
Divide and Conquer
With a home that occupies the center of a quarter-acre corner lot, Patrick and Frances divided the property surrounding the abode into distinct areas that serve different purposes and have varied exposures.
On the north-facing, more public side of the home, lush flowerbeds serve as a buffer to the street while creating a visual treat for neighbors and pedestrians.
The private south side boasts a sun-dappled, curved gravel path and shade gardens linking the front yard to the back living area.
This back yard is the most-used space, hosting multiple water features, an entertainment patio with dining and lounging area, gardens and a hot tub.
The front yard, recently renovated with the help of a number of pros including Arnett and landscape architect Bruce Jorgensen, is perhaps the most distinctive area, replete with a contemporary fountain-fed trough, gardens, a xeriscaped parking area and an expansive patio, home to a firepot and sitting area.
“It’s a modern take on the old days when people had front yards in which they spent time,” says Patrick. “It’s very livable.”
Add Water
Throughout the property, a variety of water features stimulate the senses, adding movement and sparkle to the gardens, a trickling sound that drowns out urban noises and a cooling effect—whether psychological or real—that makes the entire yard comfortable even during the hottest days of summer.
These same splashy elements lure birds, as well as unexpected guests, into the gardens. “We’ve often come home to find neighbors or passers-by sitting in the front yard admiring the fountain or giving their dogs a drink from the trough,” says Patrick.
Plan Plantings
Avid gardeners, Patrick and Frances spend half of each year planning their gardens and the other half passionately planting and caring for them. With different areas of the landscape presenting different growing conditions, the couple built a fitting foundation of various shrubs and perennials throughout the yard.
Every spring, they select annuals, based on appearance, site suitability and maintenance requirements. Open to the west, the front yard hosts more drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plantings including a minimal amount of lawn, succulents in the parking area and a ribbon grass hedge along the sidewalk.
Elsewhere, under-tree gardens and shady side yards grow hostas, ferns and vibrant impatiens while sun-loving beds showcase colorful coleus, red salvia and variegated iris. “We love working in the gardens all day and sitting back and then enjoying them with friends in the evening,” says Patrick.
Create Movement
From most any point in the yard—and even inside the house—prominent landscape elements serve as focal points that catch the eye and lead you into the yard. Ponds and fountains lure you to their edges, arbors tempt you to pass beneath, and undulating paths persuade you to wander in discovery of what’s at the other end.
“Guests walk the yard, they don’t just sit like they’re in a park,” says Frances. In the back and side yards, shapely curved flowerbeds and patios encourage the eye to continually move around the small areas, never stopping in corners. This treatment also helps disguise the property’s boundaries, making the yard appear larger.
Incorporate elements you love 
Outdoor spaces should reflect the personalities and passions of their owners. This presented a challenge, given the Hays’ opposing styles—Patrick is a traditionalist, whereas Frances favors the contemporary. To reflect both styles, the couple gave the front yard a clean-lined, modern look, while the back and side yards enjoy a less edgy, more traditional treatment. To help create continuity throughout, cherished elements and accessories of both styles pepper the entire yard.
Share the Space
For most gardeners, the true reward for all of their work is sharing it with friends and family, and the Hayses are known for hosting some of the best summertime bashes around. “They have one of the smallest homes I know, but because of their yard, can easily host a party of 50,” says Arnett, who has attended most of the gatherings.
And for guests, each get-together promises something new. “The yard is never finished, it’s always evolving” says Patrick.
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