Skip to main content
The completed Mill Creek project in Magnolia, Texas — a multi-gable patio cover with exposed timber trusses and a white pergola behind a sunken fire pit ringed by Adirondack chairs on a raised retaining wall terrace
Magnolia

Mill Creek Project: Retaining Walls and Patio Cover in Magnolia

A custom outdoor build in Magnolia, Texas that turned a river slope into usable elevations — a reinforced retaining wall system carrying a multi-gable patio cover and a white pergola, with a sunken fire pit and Emerald Zoysia lawn below.

LocationMagnolia, Texas
Project TypeMulti-Level Outdoor Living Build
DesignerTony
Investment$165,000 – $185,000
TagsOutdoor Living, Patio Covers, Pergolas, Fire Features, Hardscape, Landscape Design
01 — Overview

Located in Magnolia, Texas, this custom outdoor build shows how intentional design and quality craftsmanship can completely transform a property. The goal was to create usable elevations, preserve natural light, and layer covered and open-air spaces for entertaining and everyday living.

Design Approach

The project began with extensive structural work to address the natural slope toward the nearby river. We constructed a reinforced retaining wall system with deep concrete footings and compacted crushed concrete to safely build up the grade. Oversized 10×10 posts and Dimension 12 pavers with border stone formed the foundation for the outdoor living areas.

Multiple gathering zones were created, including a white pergola for alfresco dining and a large multi-gable patio cover designed to allow sunlight into the home while providing shade. Integrated lighting, ceiling fans, and electrical outlets make the space functional year-round. Below, a sunken fire pit and a field of Emerald Zoysia grass add depth and a welcoming area for kids, pets, and guests.

Finished in a modern farmhouse style with white oak tongue-and-groove ceilings, white structural elements, and black accents, this Magnolia backyard is a cohesive, multi-level retreat built for both entertaining and everyday enjoyment.

02 — Features
  • 01Large multi-gable patio cover
  • 02White pergola for alfresco dining
  • 03Reinforced retaining wall system
  • 04Deep concrete footings
  • 05Compacted crushed concrete grade build-up
  • 06Oversized 10×10 posts
  • 07Dimension 12 paver patio with border stone
  • 08Sunken fire pit
  • 09Field of Emerald Zoysia grass
  • 10Integrated lighting and ceiling fans
  • 11Exterior electrical outlets
  • 12White oak tongue-and-groove ceilings
03 — Materials
  • 01Dimension 12 pavers with border stone
  • 02Retaining wall block over deep concrete footings
  • 03Compacted crushed concrete fill
  • 04Oversized 10×10 posts
  • 05White oak tongue-and-groove ceilings
  • 06Emerald Zoysia sod
  • 07White structural elements with black accents
04 — Walkthrough

Walk the project.

A walk through the finished build — the retaining wall system that made the elevations usable, the multi-gable patio cover and pergola, and the sunken fire pit below.

Watch on YouTube
05 — Design

The design, rendered.

Rendering of the Mill Creek build from the lawn — the white pergola and covered patio running along the back of the house above a curved retaining wall, with Adirondack chairs at the fire pit terrace
Rendering of the rear elevation, showing the gabled patio cover with exposed white trusses over the dining area and the raised terrace stepping down to the lawn
Rendering of the white pergola over the flagstone terrace, with the covered patio and grill area behind it and the fire pit terrace at the lawn edge
Rendering from beneath the patio cover, with the white oak tongue-and-groove ceiling and ceiling fans above lounge seating and the dining table beyond
Rendering of the gabled cover and pergola seen across the corner of the property, with the sunken fire pit ringed by blue Adirondack chairs inside the seat wall
Rendering of the long trestle dining table under the patio cover, with the white oak ceiling above it and the pergola visible past the posts
Rendering looking out from the covered patio across the dining table to the lawn and the fire pit terrace
Rendering taken from under the white pergola, with string lights strung between the rafters over the flagstone dining terrace
Rendering of the back of the house with the pergola and covered patio spanning it, and the fire pit terrace set into the lawn below
Rendering looking down from the covered patio to the sunken fire pit, with the blue Adirondack chairs arranged inside the curved seat wall
Night rendering of the finished build, with the patio cover and pergola lit from within and the fire pit burning on the terrace below
Dusk rendering from under the patio cover, with the fire pit lit and the Adirondack chairs drawn around it
06 — Gallery

Detail & craft.

The Mill Creek covered patio in Magnolia, Texas, looking out over the paver deck to the sunken fire pit, the new lawn, and the pine woods at the rear of the property
White pergola over a flagstone terrace and a trestle dining table at the Mill Creek project, with the covered patio and pine woods behind it
The sunken fire pit at Mill Creek — a copper bowl on a river rock bed circled by blue Adirondack chairs inside a curved retaining wall seat wall, with new planting along the tree line
The multi-gable geometry of the Mill Creek patio cover seen from below, with the white oak ceiling folding across the gables above the white painted brick elevation and paver deck
Dimension 12 paver decking running the length of the Mill Creek covered patio, with white posts, a timber truss, and the fire pit terrace visible beyond
The approach to the Mill Creek fire pit terrace across the paver patio, showing the border stone edge, the retaining wall that builds up the grade, and the covered patio and pergola behind
Aerial view of the Mill Creek property in Magnolia, showing how the pergola, multi-gable patio cover, sunken fire pit terrace, and stone-edged Emerald Zoysia lawn sit together on the built-up grade
The rear elevation of the Magnolia home from above, with the covered patio and pergola spanning the back of the house and the fire pit terrace stepping down to the lawn
Two of the Texan Landscape Group project team on the paver deck beneath the Mill Creek patio cover, with the white oak tongue-and-groove ceiling and black fans running the length of the space above them
The Mill Creek patio cover from the lawn, its exposed timber trusses meeting at the gable, with two of the Texan Landscape Group project team standing on the raised paver terrace between the posts
07 — Before

Where it started.

The property as we found it, before design and construction began.

The Magnolia house before the build — the original narrow concrete porch along the white brick elevation, with patio chairs and a stack of firewood beside it and the lawn running away from the house
Before
The Magnolia property before work began — the original brick house with a dark roof behind a patchy lawn falling away toward the tree line, with no patio or terrace
Before
The side of the house before construction, showing the ground sloping down toward the river and the bare, uneven grade the retaining wall system was built to correct
Before
08 — Construction

How it was built.

The timber frame going up over the new slab and seat wall, and the multi-gable roof taking shape above it.

Aerial view of the Mill Creek build underway — the timber posts and rafters of the patio cover standing over the stripped ground, with the roof deck partly laid and the curved seat wall poured below
During construction
The multi-gable frame from behind the house, with the ridge and rafters set, ladders against the structure and the retaining wall going in at the terrace edge
During construction
A crew member working beneath the new frame at Mill Creek, with the block seat wall being laid and the ground still bare beneath the cover
During construction
Looking straight down on the patio cover as it is roofed, with the new decking and shingles meeting the existing roofline of the house
During construction
09 — Before & After

The transformation.

After — a gabled covered patio with exposed timber trusses, paver decking, and a raised stone fire pit terrace set into a finished lawn
Before — a bare backyard of cleared ground and stump debris behind the original covered patio
BeforeAfter
10 — Related Projects

More work.

Aerial view of the completed East Shady Lane backyard renovation in Memorial Houston, with a freeform pool and round spa set in creamy white travertine decking beside lounge seating, new turf, and evergreen screening along the fence line
Memorial · Renovation

East Shady Lane

Braeswood backyard renovation in Houston — freeform pool with raised spa, light paver decking, and an A-frame gabled patio cover on the elevated deck behind the house
Braeswood · Renovation

Braeswood Project

All Projects
Start Your Project

Ready to start yours?

Every project starts with a conversation about your property and what you want the backyard to become.

Request a Consultation →

4.9 average from 396+ Houston reviews