Burbank’s housing stock is wonderfully varied: post-war bungalows and ranch homes on the flat streets around Magnolia Park and the Burbank Boulevard corridor, mid-century homes, larger lots in the Rancho equestrian area near Griffith Park, and hillside homes climbing into the Verdugo foothills. Each calls for a different approach to shade and outdoor space.
What most Burbank backyards share is heat. Summer afternoons in the eastern San Fernando Valley can be intense, which makes well-placed shade the single most valuable upgrade for many homes. A pergola oriented against the western sun, or a solid patio cover off the kitchen, can turn an unusable afternoon patio into the most popular room in the house.