Privacy and the opportunity to entertain on a back deck away from the blaring sun was of paramount importance to this Connecticut couple, who retained us to create a refuge amid a previously open space (see the "before" photo). We built an angled roof that followed the lines of the house, ending just before the second-floor bay window. The area provided space for a cozy new outdoor room complete with new furniture, a stone-encased grill, and a bar with a blue stone counter. Look closely and you'll see the back of the grill serves also as a raised bed -- our solution to an impenetrable rock ledge. Rather than continue the closed roof across the back, we created a second room with an open pergola and blue stone patio just a few steps down from the entertaining area. This space provides an entirely separate room, allowing the homeowners a second space to unwind and read, or watch family and friends in the pool. A cobble path and a rustic split rail fence frame the pool and pool house, a favorite spot for family and visitors. Photos (except of house before) by Karen Bussolini.