When thinking of your current yard, you really need to think about whether the current layout really works for you and your family. For our clients of this home, they had lived in the house for several years before deciding they needed a change for their backyard. Their two sons were active and very skilled swimmers but the boys' spent their time at a local swim club and not in their own pool. Unfortunately the pool and the backyard as a whole was rarely if ever used by the family. So they had come to the conclusion to remove the pool but were at a loss of what to do with the space.
Design: Our favorite projects are always those where we get to rethink how to use the space. Removing pools is especially fun since the area truly becomes a blank slate. For the new design, we wanted to ensure to capture and highlight the yard's expansive view. We had to really think about the home's windows and make sure the inside spaces where they spent the most time would highlight the view. Our clients wanted a fire pit area, TV, kitchen area, synthetic grass, hot tub and some open area for their kids and a future dog to play. They also wanted low maintenance plants and loved grasses, structural plants and hydrangeas.
The goal of our design was to not only include all their wants but also create a stylish but open feeling in this new space. Raised beds were used to create not only dimension to the design but also helped create rooms for the hot tub and fire pit zone. We created a diamond pattern of synthetic grass to create a defined dining area. This use of a pattern kept the design simple but also more interesting to the eye. The outdoor TV hangs near the dining table since this is where the family most liked to be while watching sporting events. The TV is also visible from the outdoor kitchen and bar area. In addition, the TV can be rotated so kids can camp out on the grass for a late movie night under the stars. The water feature that we chose is clean and structurally interesting providing a nice focal point from my clients' indoor spaces as well as the outdoor kitchen/dining areas. The sound of the water feature compliments the calming environment that was created in this new outdoor space.
After: We always love how happy our clients are with the final install. We especially love hearing about how the family loves to use the space and their new puppy has a wonderful place to be and enjoy the outdoors. Honestly, the best part of our job is talking to our clients at the end of the project and hearing how much the space is now used. I mean seriously who wouldn't want to spend an evening hanging out in this space enjoying the fire and the stars overhead.
