How to design a backyard from a photo
Open Exterior Makeover in Pixly's Photo AI, add a photo of the garden and click Exterior Makeover. On its defaults — Auto style, Full makeover — it designs the whole yard as one scheme: planting, a terrace or deck, a pergola, lighting, a fire pit or a pool where they fit. The house, the fences and the neighbours stay as shot. 1 credit.
These are the real Exterior Makeover screens. Click a step to jump to it.
- 5 steps
- About a minute
- 1 credit per photo
The five steps
- 01
Open Exterior Makeover
In Pixly, go to Photo AI and pick Exterior Makeover under Exterior.
- 02
Add the garden photo
Upload it, drag it onto the page, paste it, or choose one from your library. A shot from the house with open ground in view works best.
- 03
Choose a style (optional)
Leave everything as it is and the tool designs what the lot wants: Auto matches the house and climate, Full makeover redesigns the whole yard. Or pick a Style such as Mediterranean, tick what to Include — a Pool, for example — switch How much to Add to my garden, or describe it under Anything else? (optional).
- 04
Click Exterior Makeover
The button shows the price: 1 credit. It takes about a minute.
- 05
Compare and save
The designed garden opens next to the original. Switch between them, then save it.
The steps on one page
Save it, print it or send it to your team.
Photos that work best
- Shot from the house or the back door, with most of the garden in view.
- Open ground to work with — lawn, gravel or old paving.
- Run it more than once: each run is 1 credit and designs a different garden.
- Selling as is? Lawn Replacement or Exterior Touch-up tidy the garden you have instead.
What to avoid
- Presenting the design as the garden that's there — label it as a visualisation.
- Expecting the house to change: walls, windows and roof stay as shot.
- Photos with almost no garden in frame.