Inspired Outdoor Spaces

Scott Freedman

Come Together (Entry #3)

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Landscape Fun Fact of the Day:

Of the reasons people work with Rolling Acres, approximately 90% of them are related to creating or revising their outdoor living space. Of these clients, around 18% include a pool or spa in their design plans; 11% include an outdoor kitchen; 22% include a fire pit or fireplace; 14% include a shade structure; 23% want multiple features, and 12% want only the patio or deck space.

The idea of “Outdoor Living” is relatively new; the backyard, certainly is not. If you had the right amount of land adjoining your property in the late 1800’s you were using it for growing various vegetables, fruits and other kitchen ingredients such as lavender and thyme. You might also be using that space for raising livestock. Also, don’t forget that your outhouse would have been back there as well.

So how did we get to where we are today and where does that leave us with the current backyard space?

The modern-day backyard can be traced to the post WW2 boom. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System of the mid 1950’s would change the landscape of the U.S. forever. A total of 47,856 miles of highway were created and nearly 60 years later, about ¼ of all vehicle miles driven in the U.S. are on these roads. Additionally, soldiers coming home from the war were given financial boosts by the government to start businesses, go to school to learn a trade or get a degree, and to buy homes in the new suburbs that were popping up. Also, advances in food preparation and storage, as well as the rising popularity of grocery stores, meant that not growing your own vegetables or caring for your own livestock was becoming more of the standard. So, what to do with all this space?

How about some leisure and relaxation in the comfort of your own home (or right outside of your own home, for our matter)?

The deck and the patio were the first to join the club. Swimming pools were soon to follow. Open brazier grills were also getting popular, but original versions would often burn the meat without cooking it, and a windy day would send ashes flying. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when the previously invented domed Weber grill switched the design to use propane instead of charcoal, that the popularity of outdoor grilling at home really took off.

So, what is the deal with Outdoor Living?

Well, the simple answer is having any or all of these features available to your use in outside spaces on your property. And in this day and age, people are doing anything and everything they could ever want with them. The aforementioned decks and patios are still the main focus as they constitute the gathering space. But, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, pools, water features, and so many other features serve as essential additions to how people use their space.

When a landscape designer can take their clients end goal, and combine it with their own visions of the flow of the individual spaces, the various materials, the landscape plantings, proper drainage, and even lighting, it’s nothing short of the most original piece of art one could ask for. And that is what we’re seeing with today’s outdoor living spaces.

In the ever-rising popularity of the outdoor living spaces, different design styles and material trends have taken a foothold. I’ll breakdown these different styles and options in the blog titled “Here, There, and Everywhere”.

Here, There, and Everywhere (Entry #4)

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Landscape Fun Fact of the Day:

The largest backyard pool in the U.S. holds a whopping 600,000 gallons of water and was built for The Mobley Family at their house in El Campo, TX. It features a 500’ lazy river, 6 waterfalls, a 21’ waterslide, 2 smaller water slides for the kids, a rope swing, a 28-person hot tub, a kitchen /swim-up bar, a fire pit, and more. If you’d like to break the record held by The Mobley Family since 2009, please call me… Immediately… Seriously, right now….

In a previous blog, titled “Come Together”, I offered a quick history and some additional information on what is known in the landscape world as Outdoor Living. What I didn’t get into in that blog, that I’d like to get into now, are the myriad of styles and material options that exist for these projects. Please note that there are so many different factors that lead into this type of work, I’m merely going to cover some of the more popular concepts. If they aren’t what interest you or if you have questions about other styles or options, feel free to let me know or talk with your designer about them before the design work starts.

Outdoor Living could simply be described as the customizable practice of incorporating patios, decks, pools, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, fireplaces, landscape plantings, and many other features into an area on the outside of your house. And it’s my belief that even though you might have a pool or other really neat items, it’s the deck or patio that would be considered the main gathering spot, and thus, the most important; and so, I will review both of those in this blog.

When thinking about your main gathering spot, whether it be a deck or patio (or other), the first thing that I look at are the grades. And the real question that comes of it is how high off the ground am I leaving the house and entering the outdoor living space? If the answer is 6’ or higher, I tend to recommend a deck, since it’s more cost effective to do so. If the answer is 2’- 6’, I might say it’d be nice and simple to have a small deck/landing transition and then step down to a patio. If the answer is 2’ or less, I could suggest that we do a patio all the way up to the door (with a few steps built in as needed). “Does this mean that I can’t have a deck that is at ground level or a patio that’s 10’ off the ground?” No, you can do that. But, we should have a talk about style, materials, and budget, first:

Styles-  The first of the two main styles for patios has sharp, hard lined edges. This is for people who like clean, crisp looks. Coincidentally, I’ve found that if you had a parent who was an engineer, you’re more likely to like this style than the next one. The second style would be considered more curvy, natural, and free-flowing. This style tends to be more preferred if you feel one with nature and the raw natural beauty of the world. Just know there is no right or wrong answer; it’s simply a matter of who you are and what you like. If you’re not sure what you like, here is a cheat sheet to help you decide:

  • Cottage- You’re probably more into the natural style, but some patios and walkways could end up being strait.
  • Japanese- You should consider yourself pretty naturalistic.
  • English/ French/ Traditional- Everything is going to be asymmetric and strait, unless you get to a circle, in which case it’s a perfect circle. You like the sharp lines style.
  • Colonial- Once again, strong, crisp lines accentuate this style. Landscape plantings could take on more of a natural cottage style, as opposed to the English/French/ Traditional where both the hardscapes and plants would mostly be asymmetric.
  • Custom – Hey, mix it up some! This is your dream project and you don’t want to be like everyone else.

 

I should note that the above-mentioned styles tend to go more with patios and plantings than decks and plantings. Decks can have some style, but 99% of the time, their rectangular in shape with some 45-degree angles because that’s the best way to build a deck.

Materials-

Deck materials are long removed from the standard natural wood that seemed to be the only option up to a decade or two ago. Now, you can choose from natural wood, composite wood, or natural stone/ tile for your deck surface. Composite wood is far and away the most popular choice because it’s low maintenance, low to moderate cost, and it’s usually under warranty for as long as 25 years. Not to mention there are countless textures and colors to choose from. In addition to the deck surface, material decisions on railings, trim boards, and under the deck will need to be made. If you end up going the route of the deck, I would encourage you to find some pictures of decks you like and present them to your designer. While the deck surface and railing will always come up, trim details and how to treat the area under the deck might get overlooked if they’re not brought up with your designer.

Patio and Hardscape Materials (although there are many types) could reasonably be separated into three areas; Natural stone, concrete, and pavers/ manufactured block. I won’t go into all of the material options (because there are so many), but I will give you a quick rundown of each. Natural Stone for both the patios and walls, is often the most expensive of the three, but people love the look that it affords. And they don’t all have to match. The Flagstone is a popular choice for the patios, while a different type of wall stone can be used when going vertical. Concrete is a very traditional option that lends itself to some styles. Patios can be regular, colored, or stamped concrete. And walls, can be stucco’d (and painted, which was usually the case out in Tucson, where I used to live before coming back home to MD). The pavers/ manufactured block options are the fastest growing sector of all outdoor living related work, and many big companies such as Techo Bloc, Belgard, Nicolock, and Cambridge are fighting tooth and nail to be bigger than the next guy. They all have nice materials options for any style, in any color, and for any application. As always, pictures speak 1000 words, so look at pictures online or ask your designer to bring catalogs and/or a portfolio of previous work.

And since this blog entry has gotten pretty long winded, and I’m still not through all of Outdoor Living yet. I’ll go ahead and set up some additional talking points about pools, outdoor kitchens, and fire features in my next blog entry “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”.

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite (Entry #5)

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Landscape Fun Fact of the Day:

The most expensive grill ever assembled was done by the Australian company, Beefeater. They took one of their SL4000 mobile grills, which would typically retail for around $5,500 and plated the entire thing in 24k gold. The company never put the gold-plated model up for sale, but estimated that if they did, it would retail for around $155,000. If you’re interested in the most expensive grill that can actually be purchased, you’d be looking at the Kalamazoo K1000HS Hybrid Fire Grill w/ side burner which retails for $26,095.

For the benefit of Mr. Kite, there will be some fun tonight in his backyard. The Henderson’s will all be there, with lots of good food to share, so avant-garde.

For those of you who haven’t noticed yet, I’ve been using Beatles songs as the titles of my blog entries. The other titles I chose for each article, paired up nicely. But, this one was a stretch. This fact can be noted by my attempt to rewrite the opening lyrics of the song to better relate to this blog. If anybody has any ideas or suggestions for a better title to use, please let me know. As for now, that’s all I have to go with as I use this blog to wrap up my three-part series on outdoor living.

In the previous two blog entries, titled “Come Together” and “Here, There, and Everywhere”, I started taking a look at some of the history of our outdoor living spaces, as well as some of the styles and material options that go into the design of these spaces. In this blog, I’d like to get into the big three components of current outdoor living schemes: Pools, Outdoor Kitchens, and Fire Features.

Pools- Big, Small. Rectangular, Curved. Spa, Negative Edge. There are so many ways to design a custom pool for your backyard. In order to do so, a landscape or pool designer will need to think about spaces, distances, slope, utilities, pedestrian flow, aesthetics, and safety. Not to mention, the users’ needs and wants, as well as budget. When done cheaply and with minimal thought, a user will typically get what they want, but not much more. But when done right, the words beautiful, perfect, and oasis often get used. Suddenly, your yard has been changed into something that is so desirable, it will instantly add to the value of your home.

After you decide that a pool is a worthwhile investment for your home, the first question you’ll have is “who should I call”? There are two answers to this question. The first is a pool company and the second is a landscape design/ build company. A pool company knows how pools are built and how they should be designed to fit your needs. A landscape design/build company also knows how pools are built and how they should be designed to fit your needs. But, they also know a lot about pool decks/ patios, retaining walls, drainage, ornamental and screen plantings, fences, and a myriad of other items that will be incorporated into your future “oasis”. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which one fits your needs, as there are certainly pros and cons to both options. The second question you will face is whether you want to have a rectangular or curved shape. Sometimes, the lay of the land means we should pick one over the other, but if you have the option to do either, there are a few items to think about when making that decision. A rectangular pool means you are going formal, while a curvilinear pool would relate better to an informal space with maybe a little more of natural feel to it. A rectangular pool gives you the added option of installing an automatic cover, but in a curvilinear pool this option is nearly impossible. Lastly, I believe there tend to be a few more coping options for a rectangular pool. There are still some nice ones for curvilinear pools, but most people decide on some sort of bullnose paver to better deal with the various radiuses. If you’re still not sure what you want by the time you meet with a designer, ask the designer what they think. Maybe you can get a design for both types of pools. That might mean a little higher design cost, but at least you’d be able to see what the differences would be before making a decision.

Outdoor Kitchens- One of my favorite things to design is an outdoor kitchen. I don’t exactly know why, but they can be so challenging and fun to play around with, and there’s an infinite amount of options that can go into them. Grills, side burners, sinks, fridges, ice makers, kegerators, trash and recycling cans, pizza ovens, gaucho grills, big green eggs, and so much more. Want more options? How about bar seating for friends? Should it be covered? Would you like a tv mounted? Would you like to attach it to a pool so there can be a swim-up bar? Like I said… challenging and fun to design.

Just like with pools, you will need to talk with your designer about your needs and wants, as well as budget. As my Landscape Fun Fact of the Day shows, these appliances can get very expensive. And while you might be able to find a good and cost-effective grill, you’re still building an entire custom structure around it. Other important items to consider are electric and gas (or propane) hookup, as well as water to the kitchen and away from the kitchen if you’d like a sink or ice maker. Please also note that while every jurisdiction is different, most in MD, DC, and VA establish that water leaving the sink is considered gray water and must run into the same sewer or waste lines for toilets and other gray water producing items in your home.

Fire Features- If you want to add some fire to your outdoor living space, the most practical ways to do this are with the fire pit or the fireplace. And, there is a very big difference between the two when it comes to pricing and design technique. For wood burning (which is cheaper than the gas options), a fire pit will usually start around $3,000 for a real basic manufactured block unit. A fireplace on the other hand will typically be at least $10,000 more for a very basic model, and when switching to a stone finish, these prices will only go up. From a design standpoint, fire pits can be designed as both formal and informal, with countless styles to choose from to support the rest of your outdoor living space. A fireplace, on the other hand, would be considered formal, and can often be found tucked into the back of a pergola or other covered structure. For these reasons, I would say 90% of clients seeking some sort of a fire feature end up going with a fire pit instead of a fireplace.

And with that, I’m wrapping up by three-part blog on Outdoor Living. I tried to cover the basis of what Outdoor Living is, but please know that the extents of what are possible can only be determined by the talent of your designer, as well as your personal tastes and interests. I could really go into a lot more detail about all of these items, but I’d feel like I was writing on forever, and there are many other things worth writing about. If you have any questions (or suggestions for a better title), just shoot me an email or give us a call.

Sfreedman@Rollingacreslandscaping.com

301-421-9600

In My Life (Entry #1)

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Landscape Fun Fact of the Day:

Approximately 17,000 Landscape Architects are Licensed in the U.S. That roughly equates to one Landscape Architect for every 19,005 U.S. citizens.

As of this date, I have gotten my degree in Landscape Architecture from West Virginia University, have worked professionally for over 20 years, and have become a Licensed Landscape Architect (MD License # 3942).  Through the years, I’ve seen lots of different places and have met lots of different people. The general concept of what I do for a living is met with wide acclaim and fascination by both the people I meet along the way, as well as myself.

As a Landscape Architect, I have commitments to the people and the planet. My clients and coworkers are the most important, since without them, what I do wouldn’t be possible. I remember this fact every day and am incredibly appreciative of the opportunities that exist because of them. I also try to repay this debt by being a good person and striving to leave a little bit of myself in every design. The rest of the design is comprised of the dreams and aspirations of the client, as well as the welfare of our planet.

Rolling Acres Landscaping brings with it a blend of passion, dedication, and the ability to create. We consider ourselves Artisans of the Landscape, and we strive to demonstrate that through each project by adhering to the highest standards of landscape design and construction. When you have the ability, as I do, to have a company like Rolling Acres standing behind my designs with the highest quality of work and service, it makes life much more simple and incredibly gratifying.

As I move forward with this blog, I will look to offer more insight into my commitments. I will also talk about different practices in designing and installing the components of outdoor living. Ultimately, I’d like to share as much information as possible on the industry that helps make me, me. I look forward to sharing these thoughts as well as answering any questions that anybody might have. My name is Scott Freedman and I look forward to being your Landscape Architect.