Before and after photos of the front and rear patios

First photo in each group was taken shortly after we purchased the home.  The second photo in each group is after our cactus and desert plant garden was installed and the front patio and pavers were installed.

 With new gravel and removal of lava rocks and borders, in order to give it a more desert appearance:

Back patio:

Back patio has a lot of cast iron and other metals, low walls, and openness to outside.

Surface of patio was gravel and concrete when the home was purchased.  A stump of a tree was in the graveled area outside the bedroom, and a full-grown tree was in gravel right outside the dining room window, completely blocking the view and making it impossible to walk out of.

Here are photos of the rear patio when we purchased it:

Now it has the same Scabos pavers as there are in the front.  The huge overgrown tree at the far end was removed, and now we can see the outside from all three rooms on this side of the house (all have sliders, and two of them also have a door).  The theme is openness. 

View of the outside from the living room slider:

View from the front door through the house through the living room slider to the outside.  One can stand on the Scabos pavers outside the front door and at the same time look through front door and see the same pavers on the rear patio.  The house is that open.