Courtyard Love...

I find courtyards absolutely enchanting.  I first fell in love with them while living in San Francisco, where many old city blocks have apartments that surround a courtyard in the middle.  It's such a great design for letting lots of light into a space and providing a bit of quiet greenspace.  Here are a few inspiring courtyard images:

This looks like a lovely little London courtyard to me...

{Marco Meneguzzi}

This screams Santa Barbara home design, and I love it.

This house and courtyard are massive but I'd just take the terraced part

until the grass...oh, and the inside too!

Um, the pool is a nice touch.

This looks like a feasible courtyard design for Oregon's rainy weather!

I love how this whole house wraps itself around the outdoor living spaces.

What do you think of courtyards?