When these homeowners wanted a backyard sauna that honored their Spanish Revival home's architectural heritage, we designed both the structure and the surrounding landscape to embrace the warmth and craftsmanship of Mediterranean courtyard gardens. The paving itself tells the story – Porfiori tiles imported from Mexico bring authentic color and texture underfoot, their handmade character perfectly complementing recycled brick pathways that wind through the space. A raised patio creates an elevated vantage point overlooking a tranquil pond, transforming what could have been a flat backyard into a landscape with drama and purpose. The elevation change provides both visual interest and practical function, offering a place to gather and watch the water while staying above the moisture of the pond's edge.

Perennial gardens flow throughout the property in abundance, their informal exuberance echoing the romantic plantings of Spanish courtyards where roses, lavender, and flowering vines soften stucco walls and terra-cotta tiles. The plantings provide seasonal color and movement without the rigid formality of manicured hedges, instead embracing the slightly wild, slightly overgrown aesthetic that makes Mediterranean gardens feel so lived-in and loved. The result is a landscape that feels like an extension of the home's architectural soul – honoring the Spanish Revival style not through literal copying, but by capturing its warmth, craftsmanship, and connection between indoor and outdoor living that makes these homes so enduringly beautiful.