Patio of the Week: Outdoor Party Area and a New Carport
A design-build team gives an Austin, Texas, couple plenty of room to gather outdoors with guests and let their dog roam
This Austin, Texas, couple loved their home, but they did not love that it had no covered parking or place to safely store electric bikes, throw an outdoor party or let their French bulldog, Cash, roam free. They embarked on a long design journey with Dick Clark + Associates and Stephen Thomas Construction to add style and functionality to their steeply sloped front yard.
“This project required a variance, and the permitting process was long and challenging,” project manager Bob Perez says. “From the time the architects started the design to the time we finished building was about two years.” Luckily, the couple’s patience paid off. They now have a two-car carport, a protected bike garage, a reworked entry and an expanded patio that includes an outdoor kitchen, a covered area and full smart home technology outdoors for fans, heaters, lighting, speakers and misters.
“This project required a variance, and the permitting process was long and challenging,” project manager Bob Perez says. “From the time the architects started the design to the time we finished building was about two years.” Luckily, the couple’s patience paid off. They now have a two-car carport, a protected bike garage, a reworked entry and an expanded patio that includes an outdoor kitchen, a covered area and full smart home technology outdoors for fans, heaters, lighting, speakers and misters.
Creating the carport also meant reworking the entry procession. The homeowners enter the house through the French doors at the top of the stairs. There’s a walkway that leads past the doors to the expansive new patio area. The Texas limestone retaining wall on the right side of the stairs is new and blends in with existing walls on the property. The wall on the left was existing but had to be reworked a bit for the project. “We tried to fill in with stones that matched to make it look as though it had never been touched,” Perez says.
The new stairs are steel, and so are the custom planters. The planters serve as a substitute for railings in some spots, increasing safety — it’s a long drop down to the driveway. Local welder Roberto Beccera made the planters and the bike garage door.
The new stairs are steel, and so are the custom planters. The planters serve as a substitute for railings in some spots, increasing safety — it’s a long drop down to the driveway. Local welder Roberto Beccera made the planters and the bike garage door.
The original patio was located off the house and was only about 10 by 15 feet. The new design extends the patio from that area across the yard and over the new carport. A new covered lounge sits atop the carport, with a slatted wood screen for privacy. This screen and the ceiling accommodate lighting, fans, heaters and speakers. The patio also has a misting system. All of these systems were installed by MCS Outdoor Living Specialists, and they can be controlled by an app.
The covered patio’s surface is poured concrete. The architects edged it in steel to delineate it from the adjacent uncovered patio. That patio is composed of decomposed granite, or DG, and river rock gravel.
Shop for outdoor furniture in the Houzz Shop
The covered patio’s surface is poured concrete. The architects edged it in steel to delineate it from the adjacent uncovered patio. That patio is composed of decomposed granite, or DG, and river rock gravel.
Shop for outdoor furniture in the Houzz Shop
The dining tabletop is concrete with tiles. “That is one very heavy table,” says Perez, shown here in the baseball hat with his wife and others who worked on the project. The coffee table is also heavy. Its monolithic block shape is modern, while its log splice details add a rustic touch. An outdoor rug ties together all the elements of the covered space.
Party lighting was a must on this patio. The covered patio’s ceiling provided an opportunity not only to light with pot lights but also to hang a festive chandelier. This chandelier resembles fireflies. To the right is a small globe-shaped light with a bat flying over it. They home is “not far from our famous bat bridge, so it’s a nod to Austin,” Perez says.
Shop for outdoor lighting
Party lighting was a must on this patio. The covered patio’s ceiling provided an opportunity not only to light with pot lights but also to hang a festive chandelier. This chandelier resembles fireflies. To the right is a small globe-shaped light with a bat flying over it. They home is “not far from our famous bat bridge, so it’s a nod to Austin,” Perez says.
Shop for outdoor lighting
“This house was made for indoor-outdoor living, but it didn’t have much space for the outdoor part before,” Perez says. “There are two big sets of French doors that lead outside.” The first set, seen here behind Perez and his wife, is the entry point seen in the first photo above. A second set is out of this photo’s frame to the right and leads to the outdoor kitchen area.
The railings above the carport are flat-bar steel. They play beautifully off the new structure and keep the views open.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
The railings above the carport are flat-bar steel. They play beautifully off the new structure and keep the views open.
Check out our beginner’s guide to get started on your home project
Here’s Cash, the couple’s French bulldog, waiting to greet visitors just outside the set of French doors seen in the previous photo. The planters enclose an entry zone path. New plantings include cactus, Knock Out roses, white-tipped yuccas, agaves and various grasses.
This area includes a large outdoor kitchen that has a Big Green Egg ceramic grill, a large expanse of countertop space for serving and lots of storage. A bar is located just inside the second set of existing French doors (just out of frame to the left), so the homeowners did not need to install a bar on the patio. The tall retaining walls on the sloped lot were existing and provided inspiration for the material palette.
Marine-grade cabinetry and outdoor-rated quartz countertops stand up to the elements. Speaking of weather, all the furniture pieces have covers for protection. “The bulk of the cabinetry in the outdoor kitchen was designated for storing the furniture covers,” Perez says.
A lounge area in front of the outdoor kitchen has a coffee table with a built-in fire pit for chilly nights. The table also houses a propane tank. The homeowners and Cash are finally able to enjoy their outdoor space and share it with their friends and family.
Cabinets and wood wall: Tribute Custom Woodwerks; counters: Palm Shade, Caesarstone
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of patio photos
Hire a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
Marine-grade cabinetry and outdoor-rated quartz countertops stand up to the elements. Speaking of weather, all the furniture pieces have covers for protection. “The bulk of the cabinetry in the outdoor kitchen was designated for storing the furniture covers,” Perez says.
A lounge area in front of the outdoor kitchen has a coffee table with a built-in fire pit for chilly nights. The table also houses a propane tank. The homeowners and Cash are finally able to enjoy their outdoor space and share it with their friends and family.
Cabinets and wood wall: Tribute Custom Woodwerks; counters: Palm Shade, Caesarstone
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse thousands of patio photos
Hire a landscape contractor
Shop for your outdoor spaces
Patio at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 900 square feet (84 square meters)
Architect: Mark Vornberg of Dick Clark + Associates
Contractor: Bob Perez of Stephen Thomas Construction (project manager) and De Luna Site & Landscape (landscape installer)
The project involved jackhammering through 9 feet of limestone to carve out part of the carport. The retaining walls are poured concrete, and the structure is steel. Above the carport is expanded patio space, which is covered with another steel structure.
The bike garage is located to the right, with the snake-shaped door pull. The homeowners chose that pull “to remind themselves that they need to be on the lookout for snakes once they enter, just in case one has gotten in there,” Perez says. It’s not all that likely, but that’s life in Texas.
Steelwork: MetalWork Austin; concrete work: Brothers Professional Concrete
Hire local design and remodeling pros