Sammamish, WA
Sammamish Backyard Patio
A flat backyard becomes an after-dark living room.
Background
The project.
A 1980s rambler in Sammamish Plateau with an expansive but underused backyard — a large concrete patio, a gas fire pit that never got used, and lawn that disappeared into darkness after sunset. The homeowners wanted the backyard to function as a second living room for evening entertaining.
Challenge
The problem to solve.
The patio was a blank slab with no existing electrical runs. The homeowners wanted entertaining-grade lighting — not just safety lights — on a budget that prioritized living area over hardscape. They also wanted the ability to dim or turn off sections independently for movie nights vs. dinner parties.
Approach
How we solved it.
We created three zones: the patio perimeter (post downlights on the existing pergola posts, casting light onto the dining table surface), the fire-pit area (low-level in-ground markers defining the seating circle, with the fire pit itself as the primary light source), and the lawn edge (uplights at the property perimeter to create a visual boundary and depth). All three zones are separately controllable via a smart WiFi controller with dimming. The pergola posts were wired through the existing roof structure, and the lawn-edge fixtures were fed by a single buried conduit run.
Result
The outcome.
The homeowners now use the backyard 5-6 evenings a week during dry season. The fire pit gets lit multiple times a week. The zone control means they can set the perimeter low for dinner and bring up the lawn-edge lights when guests move to the fire pit. The total electrical cost is roughly $4/month.
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