Tag Archives: patio

Our Clients’ Dream Outdoor Spaces, Revisited

Putting greens, ponds, fire pits and water wells, oh my! Take a look at a few of Outdoor Environments‘ most recently completed projects to see what our clients are requesting in their dream outdoor spaces.

Want to know what else is up our design sleeves? From shade arbors and pergolas to spa decks and grill enclosures, check out our photos of our recent outdoor living projects and tell us what’s most important to you, your family and your home.

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Our passion for building and design are rooted in our projects to help you creatively unleash the beauty of your natural surroundings.

Recently Completed Projects

Through our blog, Outdoor Environments hopes we serve up deck-design inspiration on many levels, whether you’re choosing accents for your deck (like the dreamy outdoor love seats we blogged about last week) or over-the-top features to warm up your space, like a Bocce ball court, meditation garden or canopied daybed.

But today we wanted to share some of our own residential projects, ones in which we’ve had the pleasure of fulfilling the dreams of our clients, which is one of our biggest inspirations.

Case in point: Take a look at the project below; for these homeowners we pulled out all the stops, from an open-air covered porch perched above a deck spa and bar, to a cozy outdoor fireplace, tile-surfaced deck and  outdoor grilling station. And that’s in addition to an enviable landscape that includes lush green lawns and open horizontal views.

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Stay tuned for more coverage of our projects in the upcoming weeks!

Harmonious Outdoor Design

In a recent post, we covered some Dreamy Outdoor Spaces to give our clients and readers some inspiration. Today, we thought we’d share a few more spaces worthy of a second glance, courtesy of HGTV. Here are a few examples of how hardscaping and landscaping combine for a harmonious design.

Image via HGTV.com

Image via HGTV.com

Perfect for entertaining, this space offers respite in both the sun and shade.

Image via HGTV.com

Image via HGTV.com

An empty, soulless backyard in its previous life, this pleasing patio has been transformed into an elegant and visually interesting space the homeowners enjoy with family, friends and guests.

Photo via HGTV.com

Photo via HGTV.com

An outdoor kitchen, fireplace and sitting area — with killer views, we might add — is accessible from this home’s basement, patio and driveway.

Can’t get enough? Check out “Pleasing Patio Designs.”

Finding the Perfect Outdoor Loveseat

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought it appropriate to showcase some of the most stylish love seat’s out there, thanks to a recent article in House Beautiful magazine.

Yin Yang, synthetic rattan, $2,916. Kenneth Cobonpue for Janus et Cie: 800-245-2687; janusetcie.com.

Yin Yang, synthetic rattan, $2,916. Kenneth Cobonpue for Janus et Cie: 800-245-2687; janusetcie.com.

Mariposa, teak, $6,900. Ted Boerner for Henry Hall Designs: 800-767-7738; henryhalldesigns.com.

Mariposa, teak, $6,900. Ted Boerner for Henry Hall Designs: 800-767-7738; henryhalldesigns.com.

Santa Monica, teak, $1,185. Restoration Hardware: 800-910-9836; restorationhardware.com.

Santa Monica, teak, $1,185. Restoration Hardware: 800-910-9836; restorationhardware.com.

Kingston Shelter, synthetic wicker, $2,046. Laneventure: 800-235-3558.

Kingston Shelter, synthetic wicker, $2,046. Laneventure: 800-235-3558.

Here’s to hoping your Valentine’s Day is filled with as many x’s and o’s you deserve. In the mean time, check out more living-room-worthy outdoor love seats here.

Warming Up your Outdoor Spaces

There may be snow on the ground, but that doesn’t keep us from dreaming up inspiring outdoor spaces. Which brings us to the question, if money were no object, what elements would you like to see in your outdoor environment? Here are a few ideas to get your ideas flowing…

Living in the mountains does not have to be a prerequisite for installing a crowd-pleasing Bocce ball court into your outdoor space.

James Carter/Sunset

James Carter/Sunset

A Bali-inspired “meditation meadow,” perhaps?

Thomas J. Story/Sunset

Thomas J. Story/Sunset

An outdoor space equipped with a cozy fireplace and roll-down glass panels that both your family — and the pups — can enjoy year-round?

Roger Davies/Coastal Living

Roger Davies/Coastal Living

A canopied daybed ideal for springtime napping?

Lisa Romerein/Coastal Living

Lisa Romerein/Coastal Living

Dreamy Outdoor Spaces

When it comes to designing your outdoor space, what inspires you? We have many a client who start envisioning their design by tearing pages from magazines that speak to their lifestyles and style sensibilities.

A built-in space that practically recedes into the landscape?

Mali Azima/Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Mali Azima/Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

A second-story porch above the “mosquito line” to negate a need for screened enclosures?

Erica George Dines/Atlanta Homes & LIfestyles

Erica George Dines/Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Rattan furniture with custom upholstery in colors that pop?

J. Savage Gibson/Coastal Living

J. Savage Gibson/Coastal Living

An outdoor fireplace as cozy as the one indoors?

Ralph Anderson/Southern Living

Ralph Anderson/Southern Living

Share your design inspirations with us!

Deck Design Tricks & Tips

What are the three main components of deck design? “How it looks, how it functions, and how much it costs,” according to an article in Residential Design & Build magazine.

Some other fun facts: “the rectangle deck of the past has been pushed aside to make room for new shapes and options inconceivable 25 years ago.” Today, designers are adding angles to deck edges and corners to create visual interest, or raising areas to define various spaces. Deck design today has advanced to interesting shapes, color and can include several levels.

Image via www.rdbmagazine.com

Image via www.rdbmagazine.com

Today’s homeowners are also taking their sweet time to create their dream outdoor space. According to the article, “homeowners can take up to two years from the time they think about their deck until the time they actually pull the trigger on a project.”

So after you’ve done your research, dreamed about the details, including the multiple levels, grills, and gardens that will encompass your landscape makeover, be sure to consult with us at Outdoor Environments.

Bringing the Outdoors In

As craftsmen, carpenters and engineers, it’s our duty to inform you of the latest developments in outdoor living, whether it’s screened-in porches, mulit-level decks, gazebos and hot tub or spa enclosures. But what about bringing the best of the great outdoors inside of your home?

Our friends at Kansas City Homes & Gardens recently blogged about some gorgeous, sustainable hardwood furniture manufactured by Stone Forest. The bench would look equally great in an entry hall as it would in a garden, and the pedestal sink definitely adds a ‘Wow’ factor to any powder room.

What are some of your favorite ways to bring nature indoors?

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Looking Forward: 2010 Garden Symposium on Feb. 20

“What the world needs now in this Twitter-mad and Facebook-frantic world is a personal place to go and practice deep meditation and celebrate natural beauty,” writes Kimberly Stern in the January issue of Kansas City Homes & Gardens. And we couldn’t agree more.

Kansas City’s own Powell Gardens, with nearly 1,000 acres of botanical gardens, offers its visitors such respite.

Kansas City's Powell Gardens

Kansas City's Powell Gardens

And the 2010 Garden Symposium on February 20–sponsored in part by Friends of Powell Gardens–promises to touch on celebrating that sense of place in the garden with demonstrations and lectures by four celebrated garden gurus: Claire Sawyers, Stephanie Cohen, Suzy Bales and Rosalind Creasy.

In addition to the day-long symposium, there will be a pre-symposium demonstration and dinner lecture on February 19. For more information, and to buy tickets, visit shop.powellgardens.org or call 816.697.2600, ext. 307.

Time to get back to our roots!

Extreme Deck Makeovers – Kansas City Homes & Gardens

What are the elements of a dreamy outdoor living space that are most important to you? For a pair of homeowners in Johnson County, it was designing a space that would not only accommodate their guests when entertaining, but also make it spacious and inviting enough to be enjoyed both from the deck outside their breakfast nook and from the ground on the the lush landscape of their sprawling backyard.

A Johnson County deck transformation, as featured in Kansas City Homes & Gardens

A Johnson County deck transformation, as featured in Kansas City Homes & Gardens

The resulting 1,700-square-foot transformation, as envisioned by Outdoor Environments, is a “cozy outdoor alcove with more than enough amenities,” according to an article in Kansas City Homes & Gardens. Those bells and whistles include an outdoor kitchen equipped with a grill, searing plates, refrigerator and beverage trough; a gas fire pit, wishing well, and four-season screened-in living area with radiant-heat tile flooring, flat-screen TV and floor-to-ceiling windows.

A four-season outdoor room, at the top of the homeowners' wish list

A four-season outdoor room, at the top of the homeowners' wish list

Like what you see? Check out more photos from this project in the KCH&G article called “The Place to Be“. We couldn’t agree with the title more!

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