The Garden Behind the Gate is defined by its secluded and unexpected nature. Designed for a client drawn to Imagine’s signature aesthetic, the project transforms a modest backyard into a refined outdoor retreat. A restrained material palette, combined with granite and wood accents, elevates the space into a contemporary entertainment-focused garden rooted in simplicity, contrast, and detail.

A formal black metal gate opens to the entry corridor paved in Techo-Bloc slabs, framed by a layered composition of espalier trees and red begonias. The plantings reinforce the sense of enclosure while introducing a subtle orchard quality, producing seasonal fruit that enhances the garden’s evolving character.

As the path bends, the landscape reveals a modern cabana oriented toward an aqua-blue pool. The existing water feature is refined with Techo-Bloc Mika pavers, incorporating a dedicated fire terrace with integrated lounge seating designed for family gathering and evening use. In-ground lighting contrasts against the surrounding Onyx pavers, visually connecting the fire feature to the broader nighttime composition.

Within the pool, in-water loungers occupy a curved recess, balanced by adjacent daybeds that frame a trellis structure softened with sculpted topiaries. At the center of the composition, the cabana’s 20-foot sliding doors fully retract, dissolving the boundary between interior and exterior and allowing the outdoor environment to flow seamlessly inside.

The interior space is defined by a slatted ceiling with integrated lighting and a statement chandelier suspended above a large central island, flanked by dual rows of bar seating. Behind it, a custom 12-foot metal hood anchors a fully equipped gourmet kitchen featuring a pizza oven, deep fryer, grill, and stovetop. Opposite the cooking zone, a wall-mounted flatscreen TV sits above a modern fireplace, extending the lounge experience and completing the indoor-outdoor entertainment environment.