Wait. That's in there, too.

I always wanted a second kitchen," Mary explains.

And Jared got his basketball court, though it's easy to miss as you take in the full sense of the project.

Reclaiming the unusable

While the Magids have a generously portioned backyard - about a third of an acre - most of it falls away almost as soon as you step out the back door.

"The yard was unusable," says Alves. "Just a narrow strip of grass and trees on a hill."

Ralston adds: "it had about 14 feet of flat space, and the rest fell away in a 30-degree slope."

To make better use of all of the wasted vertical space, Ralston first took down a wall. Then he cut patios, multiple flights of stamped concrete staircases and other features right into the hillside. Helping people make it up

and down that slope in style required the loving addition of some 220 linear feet of steps, about 33 stair steps in all, with seating and entertaining space here and there to break up the monotony.

Or, to put it in more practical terms, "The patios are places to catch your breath as you walk up the hill," according to Dr. Magid.