The Lencastre family is of royal Portuguese lineage – descended from Antonio Pinot Garces Mandureira, who was named the First Barão da Varzea do Douro by Portugal’s Queen Maria II on July 16, 1846. The family’s royal residence is Vila Nova, near the town of Penafiel and close to the eastern border in Portugal’s Vinho Verde wine region – about a 30-minute drive east from Oporto.

Meander back to Jim and Kristie Dean’s unparalleled pool, and you’ll find it’s perpetually island time, thanks to an endless amount of resort-inspired features granting the sort of serenity you’d (usually) be hard-pressed to find this side of the Equator.

Give your feathered friends a stylish spot to stop and grab a drink with a backyard birdbath.

one: Vintage floral birdbath, available at Terra.

two:  Daring dragonfly birdbath with stand, available at Terra.

three: Berry birdbath in falling blue, available at Frisella Nursery.

four: Garden birdbath, available at Passiglia’s Nursery & Garden Center.

When a Town and Country couple purchased a teardown in 2005, they knew part of their rebuild would include an exquisite backyard landscape featuring a pool house for year-round entertaining. “We wanted a space where we could entertain outside of the home,” the homeowner explains. “Something intimate and cozy.”

Priory Chapel, St. Louis, MO. Photography by George Silk and courtesy of HOK

Classic

“Grassless backyards have been around for quite awhile. We lived in Arizona, and most of the yards have no grass. The landscaping is done primarily with rock and other materials. I don't think it was ever a craze. There are even some places in California, such as Palm Springs, that do the same thing. It is cheaper in the long run, and the water bills wouldn't be as high, plus you aren't supposed to use as much water in the desert areas.” Nancy Minkus, An Eye for Color and Design.