When you are building a new home there are many choices to make, inside and out. To keep the project manageable, homeowners often decide to take on the interior during the build, and then focus on the exterior later. Such was the case for our clients. Their Fishers, IN home came with a simple, poured concrete patio that was too small for their needs. It was time to give them the ability to use their outdoor space as another living area, not an afterthought. We came up with a new landscape design that gave them exactly what they were looking for.
The larger patio needed to be flexible, with room for a portable fire pit with seating and outdoor dining. A large 25’x20′ Boardwalk paver patio with an Oxford border did the trick. We designed it with a curved, natural-looking shape for visual interest. Using larger pavers for larger patios looks impressive over the square footage and are easy to install.
Our clients also wanted a bit of structure to the space, so we added a seating wall that had the added benefit of breaking up the backyard view, making the patio feel a bit more intimate. The fire pit was placed near the wall but could be moved if that space was needed for another purpose. The rest of the patio opens up to the backyard and has plenty of room for a dining area and activities. We also cut in landscape beds to make things look neat and clean and to prepare for a landscape plan to be completed in the years to come.
The largest challenge of this project came as a result of the original builder’s design. A set of stairs led from the back door to the existing patio, the removal of which was central to the new design. It turns out whoever installed that stoop wanted it to last longer than the whole house. Once we began to tear it out we realized that it had been poured with 24” of concrete and rebar that was attached to the foundation. What usually takes us 2-5 hours to remove took us 2-3 days. It was a fortress stoop! We won the fight though; we got it out and replaced it with 4 ft sandstone steps leading from the house right to the patio. This element was a large part of our design, and once we started demolishing the fortress, we could not stop. Fortunately, good communication with our clients made this surprise go as smoothly as it could.
We help many homeowners turn their focus to the outside of their new construction home after the initial build. And remember, just like completing your new house, getting your dream landscape does not have to happen all at once. These clients were looking for a long-lasting quality product – good materials, good installation practices and good landscape design. So, they spread their project out into phases to ensure they could get what they wanted. Multi-year projects are fine with us! Whatever needs to happen to give you a backyard you love. If you are considering a large landscape design project, contact us here or give us a call at (317) 997-4803.
