A home’s purpose and function can often change once the kids leave the nest.
That’s what one Beavercreek resident found after her two girls grew up and moved away. The home’s pool, which for years served a very good purpose, suddenly became an unused spot for mom and dad. Without the kids and their friends to fill the space, the homeowners suddenly realized things they had never noticed before, such as how far out the pool seemed to be from the house and how unusable the space around it had become. So, when they transformed an upper level deck into a sunroom, they decided to extend their redevelopment plans to the pool area and back yard.
The couple hired The Site Group to assess their yard and develop a plan that would make it more appealing to entertain friends and family of all ages. The New Carlisle-based landscape architectural group drew up plans to make the pool area a multi-purpose outdoor living space for swimming, entertaining, lounging and cooking. “They had a Charleston garden look going on and we felt like there was a lot of potential with that,” says Dave Swearingen, landscape architect with The Site Group.
Charleston-style gardens traditionally include the use of brick and stone to create walls, walkways, pools, steps, terraces and patios. Such garden areas are often easily accessible outdoor living spaces. Most designers that use a Charleston flavor rely on a strict palette of 25 different perennials such as wisteria and azalea.
The first thing Swearingen and his team changed was how the steps flowed from the back of the house. They removed a steep set of deck steps and replaced them with a new set which includes a landing halfway down. Steps going in two different directions branch out from the landing, one leading to the grilling area and the other leading to the patio.
The new outdoor cooking area features a wall niche comprised of stone, allowing the homeowner’s existing grill to be rolled into the opening. The walls are capped with cultured stone that was sealed to protect it against any stains that might set in from grease or spilled drinks, such as wine. “I didn’t want an elaborate kitchen outside,” the homeowner says. “We wanted the grill to be built in somewhat, but to still have the ability to roll it out and replace it if it broke.”
On the other side of the home’s steps sits a patio created by a combination of stone pavers and brick. A pergola adorns the patio area to create the appearance of a living room, as well as to scale down the 30-foot wall from the back of the home.
A second pergola sits on the other side of the home, by the pool. Wisteria vines slowly creep up the sides of the pergola, which was also created to complement the fire pit that was designed right beside it. The brick fire pit offers another entertaining option for the homeowners and is often used on cool summer nights.
A brick wall with an 18-inch seat on top was constructed along part of the pool. Not only does the wall prevent mulch in the surrounding landscaping from encroaching into the pool area, it offers a nice seating area for entertaining. It’s an element of the new design that the homeowners really enjoy and say they use often with family and friends.
Landscaping was then worked in around the new structures. The yard had three different elevations and The Site Group worked to bring it to one level. Plants were put into the landscape to soften the hardscape that was created around the pool. Boxwood, hydrangea, irises and hostas help pull all the elements together.
The homeowner also enjoys adding her own potted plants to color the area. Blue, aqua and white flowers helped complement the blue-ish gray stone laid around the pool. Some of the flowers chosen even invite hummingbirds on a daily basis.
The homeowners say they have gotten more use out of their pool area since the project was finished than over the past 18 years of living in their home. While the area served its purpose for their two daughters, it has now become a better entertaining option for them as a couple. It’s a place they hope will only continue to prove its usefulness as the years go on.
Resources: Landscape architect: Dave Swearingen, RLA, The Site Group; Plant supplier: Studebaker Nurseries; Plant installation: The Site Group; Hardscapes: Snyder Brick and Block; Pool: Knickerbocker; Patio: Hanson stone; Belden Belcrest panels; Outdoor kitchen: Belden Belcrest with Dutch Quality countertop tiles