Projects on the wish list included a patio design that incorporated various entertainment, dining, and living spaces. More specifically, they desired a cigar patio off of the sunroom, a dining patio for guests or family dinners, an entertainment area, and a cozy fire pit zone. It was a tall order for a small space and required some out-of-the-box thinking.
Because of the fact that we were working with a smaller space, and the outdoor living area was so closely adjoined to the home, it was of vital importance that the two areas flowed seamlessly. The new outdoor living area design had to match the house design in its overall look.
Given the beautiful stone on the house, we used flagstone as well as pea gravel to create a space that complemented the home and had a classic, old-world feel. The homeowners were interested in a “cottage garden style look” and we took that into account as well. There was an adjacent stone carriage house at the back of the property that also had to be planned around both appearance-wise and space-wise.
Plant life was also important to the homeowners. As part of the “cottage garden look,” they were going for, they desired a variety of perennials in the space. Plant material was incorporated into much of the design, adding bursts of color as well as softening the look of all of the stone.
With the proximity of this outdoor living area to the home itself, the views from inside were also an important consideration. From the home’s kitchen window, you could see the entire backyard space. Since the homeowners said they were often in the kitchen, looking out, we paid close attention to exactly what view they were seeing from their window.
While the homeowners wanted to be able to see their gorgeous outdoor living area from inside the home, when seated in their new fire pit area, they wanted privacy. They did not want to be able to see the driveway or the basketball hoop that were right around the corner. Therefore, the driveway was reshaped to allow trees and raised beds to be installed in order to create privacy screening.
This was certainly a complex project in many ways. There were grading issues and drainage concerns that needed to be solved. And there was a need for a high level of attention to detail from their patio contractor in order to ensure the project was truly complementary to this historic estate home.
At Earth, Turf, & Wood we are accustomed to working with historic homes and properties that require a close level of attention to detail. We can also handle big wish lists. While these homeowners had design ideas that appeared to be more than the yard size could possibly allow, we were able to work within the confines of the space we had to make it happen.
The result was the cottage garden style backyard with multiple patio areas that the homeowners truly desired.
If you’d like to start a conversation about bringing your backyard ideas to life at your Reading, Lancaster, Lebanon, or Hershey, PA home, contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at (717) 276-9447.