3,900 SF home that has achieved a LEED Silver certification. The house is sited on a wooded hill with southern exposure and consists of two 20’ x 84’ bars. The second floor is rotated 15 degrees beyond ninety to respond to site conditions and animate the plan. Materials include a standing seam galvalume roof, native stone, and rain screen cedar siding. Feyerabend Photoartists

Watercolors Series GW8M82348T5 Aqua Glass Tile with matching TRIM-GW8M82348T5
Pool - backyard tile pool idea in Miami

Japanese forest grass Le jardinet
Photo of a landscaping in Seattle.

Inspiration for a transitional patio remodel in New York

Meadow blazingstar / Liatris ligulistylis Photo: Flickr user Marilena, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Inspiration for a landscaping in Other.

Hear what our clients, Karen & Robert, have to say about their project by clicking on the Facebook link and then the Videos tab. Hannah Goering Photography

Photo: Chris Helzer, The Nature Conservancy
Inspiration for a landscaping in Other.

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry at dusk. Photo: Linda Oyama Bryan
Photo of a traditional landscaping in Chicago.

Here in Florida, we’re blessed with great weather year-round. So it’s no surprise that outdoor entertaining areas are an extremely popular way to enhance outdoor living. When our clients requested an update to their existing outdoor kitchen while they were away on vacation, we were ready to hit the ground running. While their beautiful 2-story home on a golf course had a pool and covered lanai area, the existing outdoor kitchen just didn’t function well for their needs. Mainly, they craved additional counter space and more seating. And, as avid football fans, with a son playing on a renown Division 1 college team, they also wanted a large screen TV to watch games. After all, what better way to share game day excitement than at a barbecue with family and friends? A Bigger, Better Kitchen Layout Our brilliant design team came up with a much larger, u-shaped outdoor kitchen layout for increased functionality. The extra base cabinets provided plenty of storage as well as a foundation for additional countertop space. Adjacent to the sink, we added a 24” outdoor refrigerator to keep food and beverages chilled, and the high top bar allowed for more seating around the perimeter. For cooking, our clients selected a much larger Lynx grill and side burner to replace the original grill. While the kitchen was already set up for a grilling area, it required a hood, so we built and installed a custom hood for proper ventilation. Then, we added a large screen TV above the hood for easy viewing. Finishing Touches To softly illuminate the entire space at night, we installed additional recessed light fixtures into the ceiling and under the grill hood. We also tied the Cypress wood ceiling and the crown molding together into the design with a luxurious cabinet stain. Along with these finishing touches, we added a decorative travertine stone backsplash behind the grill and homogenized the front face of the bar for a polished, matching look. Ventilation Challenges With the outdoor kitchen lanai located directly under a second-floor living area, we had expected to tuck away ventilation ductwork between the second-level floor joists and the exterior wall running parallel to the grill hood. However, upon further investigation, we discovered the second floor joist system, in fact, ran perpendicular to the grill hood. In short, we needed a new way to hide the venting without compromising the original design. Our team came up with an inspired solution: Construction of a false wall behind the outdoor kitchen allowed us to run ductwork without creating a visible chase for the vent, thus maintaining a symmetrical look on both sides of the grill and decorative hood. Exceeding Expectations In the end, we didn’t just meet our clients’ needs for a beautiful outdoor kitchen update – we exceeded them. As planned, we completed the new outdoor kitchen while they were out of town. But when our clients returned from vacation, they were so impressed with the results (and the stress-free design/build experience) that they promptly hired us for another extensive remodel – a stunning home addition!

Design ideas for a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

Boston ferns with bold-leaf succulent plants add drama to this tall, narrow container.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary partial sun backyard landscaping in DC Metro with decking for summer.

This is an example of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

Living room - contemporary living room idea in New York with a ribbon fireplace and a stone fireplace

Walk-in shower - transitional master walk-in shower idea in Toronto with gray walls

Area around Corinth Christian Church in Hamilton County, FL American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana). Photo: Flickr user Marsanne Petty, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

Lakota™ Santa Fe Coneflower / Echinacea hybrid

Sedum morganianum (Burro's Tail)
Design ideas for a rustic shade landscaping in Los Angeles.

Blue flowers of Ajuga repens 'Catlin's Giant' in spring Le jardinet
Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Seattle.

Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Houston.