Outdoor Living for Families

A backyard the whole family uses, from morning coffee to movie night.

Family backyards have to work for everyone: shade for the little ones, a place for homework or dinner outside, room to play and a spot for the grown-ups once the kids are in bed. Here's how we design for families.

AY Luxury Designs LLC · Certified Building Contractor CBC1268168 · Amany Youssef: Registered Building Contractor RB29003947 · Registered Electrical Contractor ER13016631 · Registered Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor RU11066663

Book a Consultation · Call (904) 629-8803

Family-Friendly Outdoor Living

Shade and screening so outdoor time isn't cut short by sun or bugs.
Durable surfaces like pavers that handle bikes, toys and foot traffic.
A covered dining area for meals outside.
A fire pit with a seat wall for s'mores and family nights.
Lighting for safe steps and paths after dark.
Room to grow. Phase the backyard as the kids grow, with the whole plan designed up front.

NFPA recommends keeping children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area.

One safety note: the CDC says open structures like gazebos don't protect you from lightning, so go inside when you hear thunder.

Why AY Luxury Designs

You design it with the founder. Amany Youssef designs every project with you in person and stays involved through the final walkthrough.
We manage every step, from design to final inspection. We handle the AutoCAD design, the HOA paperwork, the engineering, the permits and the build. We handle electrical work with our licensed electrical partner, and gas and plumbing with our licensed trade partners.
Built for Florida. Every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.
A Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite.

Our Design-Build Process

Design session with Amany. Your project starts at our Jacksonville design studio, where you sit down with founder Amany Youssef and watch your project take shape live on screen in AutoCAD.
Free AutoCAD design and a custom quote. You get to-scale 3D renderings and a fully itemized custom quote within 24 hours of your consultation, so you know exactly what you're getting.
In-home design visit. Amany comes to your home for an in-person walkthrough, so we look at the project together where you're most comfortable, finalize the details and choose your colors and finishes.
Engineering, HOA and permits handled. We get the necessary engineered documents for every permitted structure, prepare your HOA/ARB package and pull the permits.
Build. We can start most projects within two to four weeks. Our crews follow a build process we've refined over many projects, and you get daily updates.
The AY Advantage. You hold back the final 5% for seven days after completion, so we can take care of any touch-ups before you sign off.

Financing is available through Synchrony Bank, including 18 months of no-interest financing, and we have other financing options as well.

Related Projects

Grand cedar gazebo, fire pit walk and color-changing waterfall, RiverTown (St. Johns) An expansive cedar gazebo tied into the roofline, inside a screen enclosure with our expanded-view upgrade. Out in the yard, a paver walkway follows the slope of the lot down to a wood-burning fire pit and a color-changing waterfall, with lighting throughout.

A-frame cedar gazebo with outdoor kitchen, Durbin Crossing (St. Johns) An A-frame cedar gazebo tied into the house roof, sheltering an outdoor kitchen with granite counters, with a new paver patio and a wood-burning fire pit just beyond.

Paver patio with gas fire pit, bench and seating wall, SilverLeaf (St. Augustine) A paver patio built around a gas fire pit, wrapped by a built-in bench, columns and a seating wall, with lights set into the pavers and the stonework for evenings outside.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I deal with bugs on the patio? Screening is the most effective way to enjoy the outdoors without bugs. We can add a screen enclosure or design one into your project.

Can we build in phases as our family grows? Yes. We design the whole backyard in AutoCAD first, so you can build in phases without redoing work later.