This '70's vintage house
was expanded to include a considerable amount of new
living space with generous views to the backyard.
It has a two-car garage and there's plenty of usable
land.
The homeowners wanted a good
sized patio with stair access to the upper portion
of the yard and walk access from the rear yard to
the driveway. We also installed paver lighting
units along the perimeter which operate
independently of the pedestal lamps.
After discussing some ideas it was decided that a
focal point was needed to break up what would have
been just a very large, walled-in patio, so we
decided on a water feature.
See this water feature in more
detail by visiting our
"Ponds" page.
We discussed building a waterfall
and pond that would seem as if it "broke through" the
wall and "splashed" into the patio. The higher
level of the rear yard was quite helpful in facilitating
this idea and the result was an eye-catching water
feature which provides the focal point we were after and
the sound of running water is both pleasant and
relaxing.
This stairway leads
to the upper level of the backyard.
They feature two landings and the treads
are made from Tennessee Crab Orchard
Stone.
Future plans for this property include
an in ground pool farther back and these
stairs will one day begin a walkway to
that pool. For now though, a small
landing at the top transitions from the
hardscape to the lawn.
The stairs as well as the entrance to
the main patio are each framed by a pair
of lamp pedestals made from the same
material used to build the walls and
they are also capped with Tennessee Crab
Orchard Stone.
This was
the original driveway.
It served the purpose of parking cars and offering access to
the garage, but it was too small and too narrow at the apron
to be as functional as the homeowners wanted it to be.
We
expanded the apron and widened the driveway and
extended it around the side of the house and the
entire driveway is bordered in cobblestone.
The apron is made from the same pavers used for
the rear patio. We also used these pavers to
build a new front entry walk (below left) which
replaced an old clay brick walk.
We used the same paver
style in this entry walk as we used for the patio.
It's free-form design and "flare" into the driveway create a
relaxed and casual feeling.
The vestibule (above) used to be a simple
slab of concrete but we ripped that out, poured
new concrete and topped it with Rainbow
Flagging. This is an interesting stone
known for its dramatic figure and its color
allows it to be used in many applications.
We
finished everything with a simple stepped planter
wall starting at the entrance to the home and
winding its way down and around a beautiful
flowering tree.
All in
all, this project with its variety of colors and
textures along with the water feature in the
backyard turned an ordinary property into a
functional outdoor living space. The property
now "fits" the home and there's more than enough
room for expansion of the overall design in the
future.
