The rather restrained and carefully appointed front lawn of this 1980 brick-box home makes the barely tamed nature center installed on its back lot an unexpected twist. A series of wooden decks, patios, terraces, garden follies, and walkways meander through the half-acre ravine property like a theme park’s winding queue, peppered with distracting greenery. The outdoor ensemble overlooks Spring Branch Creek, beyond which a detention pond and the Katy Freeway feeder road lie:

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At backyard-deck level, a koi pond joins the paverscape:

And the house? Its oversize front doors (described separately in the listing as cast iron and steel) open into a foyer with a seemingly overeager grand staircase.

The study (above) and dining room (below), both with granite floors, are off the foyer.

The shutter count in the 2-story family room hints that it’s on the sunny side of the site:

A small wet bar — also louvered up — occupies a corner of the floor plan:

In the updated-at-some-point kitchen, freshly stained cabinetry joins Viking appliances, and a titanium sink:

A breakfast room has steel-door access to a patio:

The master suite, downstairs, includes a small fireplace on the brief commute to the bathroom end of the room:

In the listing’s sole photo of the second floor, a game room appears to be at the top of the staircase. The 5,066-sq.-ft. home has 3 or 4 secondary bedrooms, 3 and a half bathrooms, and a 2-car garage.

The listing cites foundation work, duct work, and fresh paint inside and out.

• 19 Hickory Shadows Dr. [HAR]