Small Backyard Sauna and Outdoor Living Design in Irvington Neighborhood of Portland Oregon
In the 1990s I sat on the steps in teacher Barbara Fealey’s backyard garden while she coached a group of us on proportion. She mentioned her favorite stair riser for comfortable sitting—and then said something that has stayed with me ever since: “It’s all about how you move.”
That simple idea guides every project we take on at Landscape Design in a Day, especially on Portland’s compact city lots. When we understand how clients will move — between doors, around furniture, through daily routines — we can make small spaces feel intuitive, integrated, and use every square foot wisely.
The Brief: Big Living in a Small Irvington Backyard
In 2024, I was talking with Claudia and Harry who wanted an experienced design to take on the redesign of their small backyard on a corner lot in Irvington. They wanted:
- A sauna and outdoor shower (their top priority)
- Space to cook, dine, and lounge
- Privacy and lush plantings
- A cohesive outdoor living room in their small backyard that felt effortless to use
The constraints were intense and while they didn’t know why their backyard seemed hard to work with…I could see several big issues:
- Four exterior doors opening into the yard-lots of transportation space will eat into functional space
- The house sits about 4 feet above grade-lots of square footage for stairs and a landing
- A garage occupying one edge of the space
- Limited square footage for circulation and sitting areas
Small-city properties are our specialty. The challenge is never just fitting features in—it’s orchestrating movement so the backyard feels comfortable to live and relax in every day.
Solving the Puzzle: Putting the Sauna Where It Belongs
Our designer Hilary led this project. With her own recent experience installing a backyard sauna, she quickly recognized the single best location: the narrow space behind the garage—a spot that is often awkward and underused. Her successful design for this tiny backyard made the clients very happy. She made the solutions look so easy, but believe me this was a tough one.
In many gardens, this area lacks flow and rarely becomes a destination. Here, proximity made it work. Hilary transformed that overlooked corner into a wellness retreat with sauna, a dry place for robes and towels and an outdoor shower. This narrow area behind the garage is also very private without needing to add additional privacy structures. Nearby, colorful architectural plantings—including hardy ginger lilies that rise to five feet and a fern walk to the shower add to the feeling of a lush spa experience. The result: a purposeful, beautiful space tucked exactly where it belongs.
Designing Movement: Steps, Decking, and Daily Use
Because the house sits 48 inches above the yard, circulation had to be precise. Hilary preserved the main landing and there are still stairs on each side of the landing but she reoriented how people use it:
- One side serves as the primary passage between garage, sauna, and house
- The other side organizes cooking and dining
Layered decking steps down first to the BBQ zone—aligned with the side yard and utility gate—and then down again to the dining area. The main open space remains uncluttered, becoming a comfortable conversation lounge with appropriate sized furniture. Having the levels flow from one to the next is key to the feeling of wholeness this backyard evokes.
A redesigned fence with trellis section at the top supports evergreen jasmine, creating year round privacy and seasonal fragrance. Existing concrete was thoughtfully retained, blending old and new materials to control costs while strengthening cohesion.
The Details That Make Small Spaces Work
On a compact property, every square foot must serve more than one purpose.
Smart placement of functional elements
- The BBQ sits close to both the kitchen doors and adjacent to dining
- Circulation paths double as service space when cooking
- A robe rack fits perfectly beneath the garage overhang near the sauna
Respecting existing assets
- A mature cherry tree remains, offering summer shade and bird habitat
- Steps follow the house line to protect the central open area. Protruding steps would have killed the center open space and the potential of this whole inviting backyard design.
Designing with movement in mind
- Guests may pass through one seating area to reach another.
- In small gardens, thoughtful compromise creates harmony rather than congestion.
- Furniture selection is key to success since we don’t want our guests having to plow through furniture arrangements to reach another area.
What This Project Shows About Our Approach
At Landscape Design in a Day, we specialize in Portland’s small urban properties—places where constraints invite creativity. This project demonstrates our core strengths:
- Clarity of circulation — spaces arranged around how clients actually live
- Integrated functions — wellness, dining, cooking, and lounging in balance
- Plant-driven privacy — lush structure without sacrificing openness
- Cost-aware decisions — reusing materials when they enhance the design
- Complete finish — details, art, and planting that elevate the experience
Design Tips for Small Portland Backyards
- Use corners for functional elements. In some properties, this will preserve an open center and make the yard feel more spacious.
- Let plants work hard. Layered, structural plantings provide privacy, beauty, and seasonal interest.
- Treat circulation as usable space. Paths can serve multiple roles only when carefully dimensioned.
- Plan the BBQ intentionally. It requires both storage space and safe working clearance—design for both. The needs of the BBQ use can be the killer of many a great design.
A Garden Designed for Living
This Irvington backyard now functions as a true outdoor living room: Sauna and shower tucked into the corner and uses square footage behind the garage, cooking and dining seamlessly connected to the house, and a central space for conversation located to best enjoy the view of art and plantings. The plantings and the artwork from this design project are worthy of another blog.
“It’s all about how you move.” When movement is right, even a 30’ x 30’ garden can feel generous, coherent, and deeply satisfying to use.
If you have a small Portland property that needs clarity, beauty, and smart integration, Landscape Design in a Day would love to help you bring it together. Get the process started today!
