The winds of Hurricane Ike in 2008 made the first big change to the back yard of Christine and Tim’s Washington Township home. “The storm damaged many of our trees, including those around the swimming pool,” says Christine. Their back yard is actually two tiers, separated by about a 20-foot drop. The loss of trees caused shifting of the upper area of land, where the patio and pool are located. When the pool started developing cracks, a retaining wall was recommended to fortify the top portion of the yard. “We decided it was a good time to completely redo the backyard space,” says Christine.
The results are a splendid transformation, thanks to the creativity of Christine and Tim; landscape architect James Teske, now owner of Woodbourne Landscape Architects, Inc.; contractor Jason Schell of Custom Outdoor Structures, located in Enon; and Matt Curry of Kayden Hardscapes, of Tipp City.
On the upper back yard, where once there was a “pretty but plain” pool and patio area, the family now has a wonderland of spaces to relax, to entertain and to soak up the sun. Delights include an outdoor bar and kitchen, living room and a pergola dining space as well as assorted benches and lounging spots.
There is also a hot tub and a large wooden playset that is perfect for their 5-year-old daughter.
The lower portion of the yard, once a wasted area, now offers a nature retreat. “If ever there was a case of life handing you lemons and you making lemonade, this back yard is it,” says Teske.
“We use the space a lot, starting early in the day when Tim and I have our coffee,” Christine says. “We also have big family gatherings out here every Sunday for our entire family, which includes two kids at home and five grown kids.”
Seating areas begin with the raised patio area right outside the back door. Dark rattan furniture with deep, comfy cushions is where Christine enjoys reading time.
Looking around the back yard, you see lots of curves, including the kidney-shaped swimming pool outlined by a meandering terracotta border within the paver patio. The open-air buildings that Schell constructed are individual marvels, but with a crossover of materials and design lines.
Christine wanted to create an elegant backyard retreat. “We didn’t want a crab shack or a tropical look to the buildings,” she says. “We wanted more of an English garden look.”
The covered bar with its fun appointments—a beer tap, flat-screen TV and wine cooler—is a favorite hangout for Tim and friends on game day.
Round curves are used for the roofline and the island.
In-the-round design elements continue next door in the outdoor living room, with its kick-back-and-relax furniture and a showpiece fireplace built by Kayden Hardscapes. “When designing a back yard, I first ask people where they would like the fireplace,” Teske says. “All other designs stream from that.”
The fireplace features an under-the-hearth open cubby for firewood.
The hexagon-shape roof sports an inventive raised gable point where the roof faces the pool area.
Christine, a gardener at heart, has planted all of the gorgeous flowers and greenery seen in the flowerbeds and planters. “Everything I design, I know Christine will enhance with her terrific talent for gardening,” Teske says.
An out-of-the-ordinary place for Christine’s flowers is the curved portion of the retaining wall, which runs along the back side of the pergola.
The wide wall—a great safety feature—has a generous planter area, which Christine fills with bursts of color.
As Kayden Hardscapes created the beautiful stone retaining wall, Christine and Tim worked with Teske to totally re-imagine the lower tier. This previously unused section of land, overgrown with bramble-like weeds and surrounded by woods, had no access from the patio above.
Today, the space offers a quiet retreat. Christine wanted a rustic look and Teske came through, with a fire pit on a crushed limestone surface, surrounded by big boulders. Adirondack chairs tempt you to sit a spell.
For the steps to the upper tier, Teske repurposed irregularly-shaped hunks of concrete obtained when the Woodbourne Library’s outdoor area was undergoing a redo.
Christine, Tim and the family enjoy both levels of their marvelous back yard. “It’s all about family fun,” says Christine.