Gallery Explore the Details
Key Features
The Difference Before & After
01 — The Challenge A Beautiful New Home with a Blank Canvas Out Back
The clients had just finished building their dream home — a charcoal gray craftsman with stone and brick accents — but the backyard was bare. They wanted an outdoor space that matched the quality of what they'd just built: a full working kitchen (not just a grill on a patio), covered dining for large groups, a fire pit area for evening gatherings, comfortable everyday lounge space, and a play area for the grandkids. The scale of the home demanded an equally substantial outdoor presence to feel proportional, and with everything being designed from scratch, the key challenge was ensuring distinct zones — cooking, fire pit, play — could function independently without the space feeling disconnected.
02 — Our Approach Designing an Outdoor Living Room to Match the Home
Every material was chosen to extend the home's architecture outdoors — the stone veneer on the outdoor kitchen, pergola columns, and fire pit wall matches the home's stone foundation; the white pergola echoes the trim and balcony railing; the paver color complements the charcoal siding. The outdoor space reads like part of the house, not something bolted on after. The circular fire pit projects from the main patio as its own defined zone, framed by a curved stone seating wall; the L-shaped outdoor kitchen anchors the pergola with a built-in smoker, stainless storage, and granite countertop with sink; curved planting beds soften the hardscape perimeter; and the artificial turf play area is low-maintenance and visible from every zone on the patio.
03 — The Transformation Designed for the Way Empty Nesters Actually Entertain
The result was a space built for a new chapter — empty nesters with a home big enough for the whole family to return to. The pergola and outdoor kitchen were built for weekend cookouts and long afternoons of grilling. The fire pit is the evening gathering spot for adults; the play area keeps grandkids visible from every zone; and the lounge near the home flexes between quiet weeknights and overflow seating when everyone's together.