Standing close to the top of the hill at the end of March/beginning of April, the delightful view of the pool confirmed the need to tame this slope.

The client briefly considered adding a small water feature.

Borealis Smoked Pine by Techo-Bloc saved the day! This paver was created to look like wood ... so we had samples dropped off so we could see the real thing ... a deck was no longer necessary or the only choice

Browsing the Techo-Bloc website, the client liked the matching Borealis step product ...

The search was on for a retaining/seat wall face stone that would complement the Smoked Pine Borealis paver. The new Dark Ridge color Pro-Fit Alpine Ledgestone by Boral really jumped out at the client as he browsed my manufacturer catalogs.

Black Rundle - Pro Fit® Alpine Ledgestone looked interesting too ...

Or Black Mountain - Pro Fit® Alpine Ledgestone? It was hard to tell how the colors would look next to the Borealis Smoked PIne ... so it was time to order samples.

First stop, a visit to Stone Center in Manassas. A sample board of the Dark Ridge color, Profit Alpine Ledgestone by Boral on loan to the client by Stone Center in Manassas.

Sparkly! Will the client like it next to the Borealis Smoked Pine wood look-alike pavers? Hunters Ridge by Center Cut sample board at Stone Center in Manassas.

What about real stone? Let's check the Weatherface sample board out too? Nope, no sample board to borrow, but a few real stone pieces available to take to the client to show the color, shape, and size variation. Weatherface Natural Thin Stone at Stone Center, Manassas

This leads to consideration to lighten the color palette to better match the client's existing pool stone. First, switch from Borealis Smoked Pine to Sauvignon Oak?

Next, client likes the long, rectilinear Pro-Fit Ledgestone pattern the best but wants to look at lighter colors that will complement the Borealis Sauvignon Oak. Southwest Blend color of Pro-Fit Ledgestone caught his attention, as did some other patterns and colors. Time to order more samples.

Finalized the design drawing for the client and his HOA

Day 1: Carefully digging by hand to try and lessen our disturbance to the roots of the existing Star Magnolia. Kudos to my crew working diligently even when the temperatures hit 95 degrees!

Day 4: Materials delivered. Setting up concrete block retaining/seat wall.

End of Day 5: Light beige wall cap a brilliant match with the Boral pro-fit ledgestone in Southwest color!

Cutting the circular edge to fit at the curved retaining seat wall

Laying the cut pavers with a curved shape ...

Lots of cutting!

Day 7: Finishing and Site Restoration