Whether you have a fire pit or fireplace, outdoor furniture, a grill or other kitchen area, the point of an outdoor living space is to create a room in your yard. Our clients in Zionsville wanted to build their own outdoor living and dining room, perfect for hosting friends and family year-round.
We had a lot to build in this project: the large fireplace, the new patio, the deck makeover, the grill area and seating wall.
The fireplace was designed to serve as the centerpiece of this outdoor living space. Outdoor fireplaces come in kits, similar to fire pits, but they are by no means easy to put together. The included instructions are often inadequate—experience and intuition are needed to fit it together, which Eagleson Landscape has of course. We can also customize a fireplace to our clients’ personal tastes. For this project, we changed small details that added a lot of style, including the custom-cut diamond faceplate and the rough-edged front piece stone lying horizontal over the fire area.
The back deck is a staple of many homes. Our clients had an existing deck that was slowly degrading, so we gave it a facelift. We began by raising and releveling the base deck, then re-laying the surface with new boards and rails. The surface deck is actually a paver surface—stone that is pressed to look like wood.
It’s a relatively new material we love working with, and its look and texture are a perfect match to the new patio and fireplace. We even used two sandstone steps as deck stairs, their texture matching the front piece on the fireplace.
The new patio emphasizes the stone theme even more. Our clients chose these large, uniquely colored stone pavers that are roughly 10 times the size of normal pavers, giving the space huge impact.
The grill area is positioned directly across from the back door, making it easy to walk to and fro with tools and food. The counter next to the grill is a dark-toned granite, better for outdoor use because stains from nuts, birds or berries will not be as obvious.
The seating wall is the finishing touch to this hardscape tour-de-force, further defining the space and emphasizing the impression of a private room. But the ultimate final touch is the landscaping. To bring color to the now stone-dominated yard, we planted coneflowers, daylilies, hosta, hydrangea, Japanese maple, cotoneaster, and other perennials that complement the natural look of the new hardscape. We also installed a weeping white pine, a tree that usually draws a lot of admiration from visitors because of its distinct shape and rare use in regular landscaping designs.
Our clients are delighted with their outdoor room. Next, they plan to put weather-resistant outdoor couches around the fireplace for year-round fireside enjoyment!
Eagleson Landscape Company provides landscape and hardscape services in the Greater Indianapolis area, including Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Fishers and Geist.
