Natural Bluestone front walk, walkway and steps leading straight to your front door. Mixed nicely with used brick.
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The subtle changes begin as soon as you walk out the back door of the house. The existing decking had a lot of what we call "tweeners"; areas that are overly generous walkways, yet not large enough to house furniture. The awkwardly small bluestone patio was expanded to accommodate a generous seating area. This was done by pushing the step-down closer to the pool. Our talented stone mason carefully married the new bluestone into the existing portion of the patio, resulting in an imperceptible difference between the two. As you descend the new bluestone steps to the pool level, your bare feet will be thankful for the new smooth-finished, limestone-colored concrete, with a hand cut pattern carefully etched into it's surface. The old red brick decking was so hot that the owners could not walk around the pool with their bare feet. The brick coping was also replaced with an eased edge, Pennsylvania Premier Stone which matches the new step treads throughout the project. Between the house and the pool, a large raised planter was reconfigured, giving additional space to the pool deck for a shaded lounge chair area. Across the pool, a bank of rather tall painted brick retaining walls were cut down, shortened and moved. This lessened the visual impact of the walls (which were overwhelming in the space) and also opened up a new seating area, nestled under the arms of the massive Pecan tree at the back of the property. Rather than continuing solid decking around the entire pool, the area near these walls has been transformed to large stone stepper pads set in a sea of beautiful St. Augustine lawn. This creates a visually softened area that is still suited to setting tables and chairs when the guest list calls for additional seating. The spa area is possibly the most dramatic change on this project. Yet more raised planter walls divided this area into awkward spaces, unsuited for proper furniture placement. The planters were removed, new stone decks added, and once again expertly married into the existing decks, opening the area to house a large dining table and a newly built-in BBQ area. The spa itself was re-imagined with the bluestone coping and painted brick veneer. The most impressive addition though is the new handmade glazed tiles that surround the existing cast stone water feature. This water feature was almost unnoticeable against the painted brick wall, but now the dramatic arch and pop of color draw the eye to this quaint little corner of the property. Originally designed by one of the most notable landscape architects in town, this once impressive project had faltered in recent years. The pool and spa still functioned well, and the client wanted to keep it intact. In addition, they wanted to keep as much of the existing landscape as possible. But, the surrounding decks, walls and steps were fair game. At first glance, one might think that our changes were simple material changes. However, upon closer inspection, one can see the subtle-yet-transformative changes that came together to update this classic pool in a tasteful, timeless manner, as well as to improve the flow and usability of the deck areas, while softening the feel of this massive hardscape.

The first goal for this client in Chatham was to give them a front walk and entrance that was beautiful and grande. We decided to use natural blue bluestone tiles of random sizes. We integrated a custom cut 6" x 9" bluestone border and ran it continuous throughout. Our second goal was to give them walking access from their driveway to their front door. Because their driveway was considerably lower than the front of their home, we needed to cut in a set of steps through their driveway retaining wall, include a number of turns and bridge the walkways with multiple landings. While doing this, we wanted to keep continuity within the building products of choice. We used real stone veneer to side all walls and stair risers to match what was already on the house. We used 2" thick bluestone caps for all stair treads and retaining wall caps. We installed the matching real stone veneer to the face and sides of the retaining wall. All of the bluestone caps were custom cut to seamlessly round all turns. We are very proud of this finished product. We are also very proud to have had the opportunity to work for this family. What amazing people. #GreatWorkForGreatPeople As a side note regarding this phase - throughout the construction, numerous local builders stopped at our job to take pictures of our work. #UltimateCompliment #PrimeIsInTheLead

Photo by Marcus Gleysteen
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Retaining Wall Repair, Patio Repair, Monroe County Rochester NY by Acorn 585-442-6373 Another hardscape repair by Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls. Certified Aquascape Designer of Rochester NY. Did this patio and retaining wall repair work out well? Click here to see a review from our client: http://www.houzz.com/viewReview/121547/Acorn-Landscaping-review Do you know someone who has a retaining wall that is falling down? We can help. Call now or view more of or work and fill out a Contact Form on out website to schedule a design consultation here: http://www.acornponds.com/contact-us.html Check out our website http://www.acornponds.com and give us a call 585.442.6373. Patios in Rochester NY by Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls. 585-442-6373 Certified Aquascape Contractor since 2004 specializes in Patio and Walkway Design and Installation. From Installing Walkways, retaining walls to outdoor garden rooms we do it all! We can include stairs, steps, Sitting Walls, Low Voltage Landscape Lighting, Plantings, Pathways and More. Perhaps you would like an Outdoor Kitchen or a Fire-pit? We can do it. From design Ideas to installation, we do it all! Our service area includes Rochester NY and the Monroe County surrounding areas such as Pittsford NY, Penfield NY, Victor NY, Fairport NY and Brighton NY. We offer quality workmanship and stand behind our work. Give us a call now to sign up for a design consultation! Patios Rochester NY, Retaining Walls and Retaining wall Repairs, Patio Installers Rochester NY, Monroe County NY Patio and Walkway Contractors by Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls. of Rochester NY, Patio Design, Brick Patios, Paver Patios, Natural Stone Patios, Patio Replace, Hardscape Designer, Permeable Paver Patios, Permeable paver Driveways, Landscape designer Rochester NY, landscape construction, Run-off or drainage problems and solutions. Walkways, Retaining Walls, Outdoor Stairs and Steps, Low maintenance Patios, Pathways and Trails, landscape lighting Rochester NY, Patio Repair, Patio consultations, Patio Construction. We serve Pittsford NY, Fairport NY, Penfield NY, Webster NY, Henrietta NY, Victor NY, Mendon NY, Spencerport NY, Chili NY. To learn more about our services, please click here: http://www.acornponds.com/services.html

This client in Falls Church had a deteriorated front walkway. We designed and installed a mortared brick walk in herringbone pattern and overlaid the front porch - the brick and mortar match was perfect!

Pam Singleton | Image Photography
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Antique teak gazebo nestled into the trees at the rear of the garden through an opening in the low, perimeter brick garden wall.
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The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
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Photograpy by Liz Linder ( http://www.lizlinder.com/)
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Landscape Architect: Douglas Hoerr, FASLA; Photos by Linda Oyama Bryan
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This walkway passes through the crepe myrtles at the front of the house. The brick is the older structure of the 1950's home while the grey shingles indicate the modern elements of the addition. Stepping stones guide the way to the front door. Photo: Ryan Farnau

Front Entry Photo Credit: Maxwell Mackenzie
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Located in Highland Park, Texas and completed in 2015, this traditional residence underwent a complete garden renovation which included new walkway approach, bluestone walkways, steps, decorative urns, custom lattice screen panels, gates, outdoor kitchen and extensive landscaping.