This collection of beautiful photographs showcases the artistry of those who sculpt outdoor living environments with solid rock, impressed and tinted concrete, and brick in many forms. You will be both inspired and informed. This practical guidebook will help you choose a patio style suitable for your home, learn to speak your contractor's language, pick a plan that fits your budget and style, furnish and organize outdoor areas for entertaining or intimate family dining, create containers and border areas for dynamic gardens and landscaping displays, and develop outdoor sanctuaries with artfully placed planter boxes, shrubs, and privacy screens. There are also step-by-step instructions for the successful installation of your own paver patio! Depending on one's climate, a well-designed patio is often a home's most popular "room," offering homeowners a much-needed respite. Skinner offers a collection of more than 400 color photos showing the numerous possibilities available (provided that one's pockets are deep enough, of course). Although brief instructions are provided for laying a basic paved patio, this is mainly a design book offering hundreds of beautifully conceived creations for nearly every type of landscape. For comprehensive public library collections. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Tina Skinner has authored more than 20 books, including two books on decks, Outdoor Woodworks*, and The Big Book of Kitchen Design Ideas*.