Outdoor Kitchens

Even with a large property, it can sometimes be challenging to design an outdoor space that everybody in the family loves and can utilize to the fullest. That was certainly the case for this landscape design near Harrisburg, PA, for a family with four active boys.

There’s nothing wrong with having a backyard living area built over the years (as opposed to all at once). In fact, phasing is one of the best ways to incorporate multiple outdoor living zones into one complete space. But that’s all assuming it’s completed in a way that looks like all of the spaces were always meant to be one. When it’s not, it can negatively impact the entire look and functionality of the area. For this particular landscaping project in Strasburg, PA, there were multiple existing spaces that were built and added over the years by different contractors—and every single one looked like it was built as a separate project. The individual areas lacked unification and it was quite obvious that this outdoor living area was designed and developed over time. That’s why the family was looking to redo all of the individual zones to make it look and function as one intentional space.

Sometimes an existing outdoor space just doesn’t work. You may try to make the most of it but there comes a point when you realize it’s just never going to be the backyard that you love. An outdoor living area like this can actually start to have a negative impact on your overall enjoyment of the outdoors—and for that reason (among others), may be worth renovating.

Landscaping can have a tremendous impact on a home’s overall value. In fact, an ROI study by RealEstate.com expressed that landscaping and hardscaping can deliver a return on investment as high as 150 percent. That puts backyard landscaping ROI higher than other home improvement projects like a bathroom or kitchen update. Whether you are certain that you will be selling your home in the future or it’s just a possibility, you might be thinking about the best landscaping to sell a house before having a major project completed. After all, you want to love your backyard—but if you do go to sell, you want potential buyers to love it, too.

Is your outdoor living wishlist growing bigger than your budget? If it is, then you’re not alone. When push comes to shove, most homeowners, regardless of means, have bigger dreams for a space than they actually plan to spend on it. And that’s okay—because it’s great to dream big. We only live once and there’s nothing wrong with putting some thought into what you really want, if your budget would allow for it.

One of the most critical steps in bringing your outdoor living dreams to life is the design phase. This invaluable process is where ideas start to evolve from mere conceptions to reality. Given the value of a great landscape design, it’s important that you fully maximize your first step in this process, the landscape design consultation meeting. If you're considering or have already scheduled a landscape design consultation with us, then this article is perfect for you. In order to get the maximum benefit out of your consultation, here are 6 questions you should ask yourself in advance.

When this York, PA family moved into their new home and set up their existing patio furniture, they were dismayed to find that it barely fit. Chairs were practically falling off the edge of the tiny concrete patio and there was hardly any room to move around the space. The family knew that they needed a bigger patio—not only to accommodate their furniture but to properly entertain. This led them to start looking for the best patio builders in York, PA.

Deciding to have a large landscape project completed at your home is an exciting endeavor. Of course, whether it’s an outdoor kitchen, a patio, a pavilion, or all of the above, you want to be sure that it’s built right. That means hiring a landscape designer to professionally complete your design. But excellent landscape design isn’t exactly cheap and you want to know that investing in it will be worth the cost. You may have been searching for “landscape design near me” online but you’re still not exactly sure what you’re going to get for your expense. The last thing that you want is to invest a lot of money into a “design” that took someone a measly 15 minutes to sketch.

Whether you have children now or you plan to in the future, you want to make sure that your landscape design takes into account safety just as much as it takes into account how your kids will use the space. After all, as a family that likes to spend time outdoors, you want them out there having good, safe fun with you or their friends. Of course, they won’t stay little forever. That means you also want a landscape design that will be appropriate as they grow. You don’t want to worry about making poor design choices now that will end up being a frustration down the road.

Just as homeowners are looking to expand their living area with outdoor spaces, churches are also looking to extend their usable space to the outdoors. As your church grows, you might be thinking about how you can expand and improve your campus for visitors and attendees.

Whether you have an outdoor living space that you’re looking to upgrade or you are adding something from scratch, the last thing that you want is an ordinary space that can’t be used for extraordinary events.

Whether you already have (or you’re looking to add) functional outdoor living space, then you might be thinking about outdoor organization ideas. However, you want solutions that are going to be an attractive enhancement—not something that’s going to be an eyesore.

Are your ideas for your outdoor living area bigger than your budget? If they are, you aren’t alone. Oftentimes, homeowners have grand ideas that they’d like to see brought to life but they simply can’t afford to do them all at once. That’s not a problem as landscape design for your Lancaster, PA home can be phased—as long as there is a strong professional design to begin with.

With a daughter in high school, only a year away from graduating, these Lancaster, PA homeowners were eager to turn their backyard into a space where their family could make long-lasting memories. Of course, they also wanted it to be a space that could be used in the years ahead—when their daughter would return home from college or maybe even have a family of her own.

Any good landscape designer takes the wants and the needs of the homeowners they’re working with into account. And, every homeowner enters the design process with a different level of involvement. Some have lots of ideas of their own while others are looking for direction.

Lancaster County is known for its unique blend of residential areas and rural countryside. The picturesque views of sprawling farmland are part of what makes the region so charming. Small towns throughout the county each have their own specific personality. It’s no surprise that one such community in Lititz, PA was voted the “Coolest Town in America” in 2013. Lititz homes are highly sought after. In fact, it’s quite desirable to find a home that has one of the stunning views that overlooks the countryside. For this reason, when you find that perfect setting, you want to ensure your Lititz, PA landscaping goes a long way in enhancing that view.

Your outdoor kitchen countertop is an important detail of your overall outdoor kitchen space. It’s where you’ll prep and cook your food on your outdoor grill and will likely include a seating area for your family and friends to socialize. When designed properly, outdoor kitchen countertops can be the showpiece of your kitchen. But when not done properly, your countertops can turn your dream kitchen into a nightmare. The wrong choices can really have a negative impact. For instance, instead of enjoying time seated at the countertop, you can’t sit there because the dark stone you chose is burning hot. Or perhaps the spatial layout of your kitchen wasn’t taken into account and you barely have enough room to squeeze into the cooking space or move around in your U-shaped kitchen.

Whether it’s boiling a big pot of corn outside, grabbing a cold soda from the fridge, or even just having a place to neatly tuck away the trash, it’s the outdoor kitchen appliances that can make or break the convenience factor of your brand-new outdoor kitchen. They might seem like small details, but it’s appliances like these that really complete the space. After all, nobody wants to take a seat at the bar only to realize they have to trudge all the way back to the house to get a cold drink. And when you’re in the midst of cooking raw chicken, it’s not enough to just wipe your hands on a towel. You want to be able to actually wash them in a sink with running water.

When it comes to entertaining, the layout of your outdoor living space can make or break the party. That’s exactly what this Downingtown, PA family found out with their existing deck. It was not only very small, but it was fenced in on all sides, giving it a “playpen-like” feeling. The family wanted to be able to spread out and truly enjoy their outdoor area with a space that was thoughtfully designed. This would allow them to get more use out of the space for themselves, and for their guests.

Imagine spending time in your beautiful new outdoor kitchen, connecting with family and entertaining friends. What is integral to that outdoor experience? The grill, of course. While it is ultimately just one piece of the outdoor kitchen for your Harrisburg, Lancaster or York, PA backyard, it’s a pretty crucial part. After all, you’ll use the grill to prepare your meals and that’s typically why you’re gathering outside in the first place. Even the act of grilling is an experience, and it’s fun to have family and friends gather round while you cook up something delicious.

When tackling a project as important as a backyard renovation complete with a new pool, you want to work with the best company for the job. It’s a big investment and a space that you plan to enjoy for many years to come. Knowing that your decision in hiring a contractor will impact all of this, you should be determined to choose wisely. Of course, the most typical pattern of thought when having a pool built is to hire a pool company. It sounds logical, after all. There are some amazing pool builders in York, PA and surrounding areas like Lancaster, Reading, and Hershey. But the truth is that we’ve seen some pool companies fail to think of some of the pool design essentials that would make your space truly complete.

Exceptional vs. Typical: Landscape Design in Lancaster, York, Hershey, and Reading, PA Imagine stepping outside in your dream backyard—the yard that you’ve been thinking about for quite some time. Your favorite colors are reflected in the plant material. That idea for a unique water feature is in just the right spot where you can enjoy the sound of the water while reading a book on the nearby bench. And your patio was designed in a way that it’s not only gorgeous, but it’s extremely functional and you aren’t quite sure how you ever lived without it.

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably experienced what it’s like to have workers come to your home that you’re not exactly comfortable around. You hire a contractor to complete a job and suddenly you feel as though you have to cover your children’s ears because of bad language or you can’t even step out for a quick errand because you don’t trust them alone on your property.

Every project we do at Earth, Turf, & Wood is exciting for us since it means we get to help bring our clients backyard dreams to life. But some projects certainly stand out. This project, completed just outside of Reading, PA is one such endeavor. In addition to providing beauty and functional use to this client's backyard, this project received two significant recognitions on the national stage.

At Earth Turf & Wood our goal is always focused on creating one-of-a-kind outdoor living spaces for our clients that truly suit their wants and needs. In this particular outdoor kitchen and patio design project in Lititz (just outside of Lancaster, PA), the homeowners wanted an open design concept. They previously had a screened in porch but decided to open everything up. The end result was an outdoor kitchen and patio that was perfect for entertaining with multiple spaces for lounging and dining.

Nothing quite extends your outdoor living space like a pavilion. Incorporating a pavilion gives you some shelter and allows you to find respite from the heat or even from inclement weather. One of the first questions we ask when designing a pool and landscape pavilion is: How do you plan to use it? The answer to that question will then dictate everything that goes into the project. While some may just want a space to sit and eat others may also want to be able to cook in the space, so we’ll design a pavilion with outdoor kitchen. As you think about what you might want to incorporate in your landscape pavilion design, consider these popular must-have design elements.

Outdoor kitchens are an incredibly popular addition to any outdoor living project. In fact, about half of the projects that Earth Turf & Wood designs and installs include a kitchen. The goal of an outdoor living project is always to keep people outdoors by eliminating any reason to have to go in and out of the home—and that’s exactly what outdoor kitchens provide.

Once pool building season begins the pool companies in Lancaster, PA and its surrounding areas are looking to get as many jobs done as they can. The sad reality of this way of doing things is that (in most cases) they just want to build a pool, pour a concrete patio, and move on to the next job. Unless you hire them for any ongoing maintenance of your pool, their relationship is pretty much over after it's built.

Gone are the days when an outdoor kitchen consisted of just a grill, sink, and at most, also including a refrigerator. These days, outdoor kitchens are more elaborate and customized than ever before. We believe that Outdoor kitchen plans should be personalized for you and your specific lifestyle whether it’s how you like to entertain or what your family regularly enjoys your backyard oasis.

Outdoor kitchens are a sizzling hot trend in outdoor living. Studies continue to show that outdoor kitchens remain the most requested outdoor feature of a home in Reading and Lancaster, PA, and beyond. But, resale value aside, an outdoor kitchen is a destination location for you and your family to enjoy. It is a space that will help you truly capture the full potential of your outdoor living area.