The walled front of Beth and Butler Fuller’s home creates an aura of mystery by concealing a large courtyard enclosing two separate “houses,” one on each side.

A stone bulkhead wall and overlooking balustrade decks add drama to the front elevation. Entry to the home is via a gated, ivy-walled front courtyard.

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"The back wall was overgrown with a foot-thick ivy. I had to rip that right out," he says. In went tree ferns, bamboo and a rampant bougainvillea for color.

The courtyard is more than 1,600 square feet overall, Dillon said. That's about half the city's standard 25-by-125-foot lot.

Instead of a staid front door, French doors along the south wall now link the open living space to this sunny "vestibule." New stairs to second-floor bedrooms were installed outside the original ...

Homes & Gardens Three entry courtyards balance intimacy with invitation Updated: Dec. 31, 2009, 7:53 p.m. | Published: Dec. 31, 2009, 6:53 p.m.