Private retreat in the sliver of space between houses

Sunset, May, 1989

In the narrow strips of space between city houses, two things are often in short supply: light and privacy. But in Seattle, Anita and Taylor collings turned a silver of property like this into a comfortable, relatively secluded garden retreat.

To mask the area from the street, they constructed a tailored 6foot-high fence. Inside, cedar decking over the ground brings it up to the house's floor level and eliminates the need for a lawn or other ground cover. A self-contained spa was set in the deck, with a stylish mini-pavilion built around it. Operable shutter walls give soakers privacy, keep leaves from overhead camellias out of the water, and make for comfortable bathing even in rainy weather.