Cedar & Sky
The yard where Sundays feel like tradition
In the wide-open flats of Chilliwack, a rural property has been transformed into a private world of sport, play, and feasts. For this large family with kids ranging from tweens to college age, weekends revolved around movement and togetherness. They wanted their home to be the place where everyone gathered, whether for Sunday football games, impromptu basketball matches, or long afternoons spent around the pool. Practical at heart but drawn to quality, every feature needed to provide lasting value while encouraging both active play and relaxed downtime.
A yard that evolved with the family
Unlike many landscapes, this one didn’t arrive fully formed. It unfolded in phases across multiple years, each layer responding to the family’s changing needs. The pool and firepit patio came first, quickly becoming a hub for the kids and their friends. Later additions, like the pergola, hot tub, and front-yard putting green, added depth and variety as the family grew older. This phased approach made the space feel less like a staged installation and more like a property that matured alongside its owners.
Independent spaces, shared experiences
One of the guiding principles here was balance. The family wanted everyone to feel connected, but also to have enough space for different conversations and activities to be happening. The outdoor living room became the anchor for adults on game days, offering a fireplace, BBQ bar, and the option of screens to keep bugs and wind at bay. Just steps away, the pool and sport courts pulled the kids into action, while the broad lawn and putting green ensured there was always one more game to play, and a different part of the property to use. Every element was close enough to feel like part of a single gathering, but distinct enough to create natural breakout zones that didn’t overpower one another.
Crafting privacy and presence
Originally, the backyard was wide open, more field than retreat. The transformation relied on creating a manufactured sense of enclosure, with layered plantings and mature trees forming a forest-like backdrop around the pool. The subtle steps down to the pool patio as well as the sunken firepit intentionally define those areas as their own, even though they’re still open to the other living spaces around them. Concrete boulders were sculpted to become a waterfall diving rock, creating a unique aesthetic around the pool not found elsewhere on the property. The hot tub, though added last, was tucked so seamlessly behind those boulders that it feels original to the design. Together, these moves gave the family not just function but atmosphere. a place that feels private and settled, even within open farmland.
A home that lives outward
Now, the family spends as much time outdoors as in. Sundays often mean football on TV in the screened living room while kids cycle between the pool, sports courts, and lawn. Meals spill out into the patio and firepit area, and evenings end with everyone gathered by the fireplace or under the stars. The putting green in the front yard adds a playful welcome, while the backyard serves as the stage for memories that stretch across generations. For a family like this one, that takes pride in hosting, this landscape aligns completely with their values and grounds their lifestyle in recreation and joy.
