Above The Grade Landscape
Inspiration for a mid-sized southwestern drought-tolerant and full sun backyard gravel garden path in Other for summer.

Minimalist backyard deck photo in Toronto with no cover

Gabe DiDonato
Enclosed kitchen - small modern u-shaped vinyl floor and multicolored floor enclosed kitchen idea in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, gray backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and multicolored countertops

Example of an arts and crafts deck design in Seattle

This is a beautiful paint grade wood door with MDF overlays. This door rolls up on tracks. A beautiful compliment to this ranch home..
Large arts and crafts attached four-car garage photo in Los Angeles

Minimalist backyard deck photo in Toronto with no cover

Our friend Jenna from Jenna Sue Design came to us in early January 2021, looking to see if we could help bring her closet makeover to life. She was looking to use IKEA PAX doors as a starting point, and built around it. Additional features she had in mind were custom boxes above the PAX units, using one unit to holder drawers and custom sized doors with mirrors, and crafting a vanity desk in-between two units on the other side of the wall. We worked closely with Jenna and sponsored all of the custom door and panel work for this project, which were made from our DIY Paint Grade Shaker MDF. Jenna painted everything we provided, added custom trim to the inside of the shaker rails from Ekena Millwork, and built custom boxes to create a floor to ceiling look. The final outcome is an incredible example of what an idea can turn into through a lot of hard work and dedication. This project had a lot of ups and downs for Jenna, but we are thrilled with the outcome, and her and her husband Lucas deserve all the positive feedback they've received!

National Hardwood Flooring's French Galerie SL#308005, Deep Smoked Oak. Grade ABCD, Light hand scraped, carbonized (HS), brushed, white washed, randomly distressed on surface and edges, UV oil Room X Room Photography

This Wooded Retreat project started with the removal of a large area of bamboo roots, re-grading the area after, and installing bamboo containment barrier. All root materials were be excavated and disposed of off site. We then graded the side yard to eliminate mounds and low areas, removed rocks and boulders which were be used on front bank. Grading was also done in preparation for fence installation. Bamboo containment barrier was installed from street down to back of property. 2 truckloads of top soil was hauled in to fill areas where bamboo roots were excavated. The newly installed topsoil was fine graded to prep for the fence and plantings. Tree work including tree trimming and tree removal throughout the site was done by Arborist Enterprises. This luxurious portion of this project included a complete landscape design featuring Trees and shrub installation with all disturbed ground covered with natural wood chips. Natural stone steps along driveway were installed using local gray/earth tone treads. The patio surface was installed using natural irregular flagstone, natural stone treads for steps, and PA Limestone boulders to retain grade around patio. The fire pit consisted of a natural stacked stone ring and ‘Zentro’ Smokeless Fire Pit insert. Natural stone paths were installed using natural large irregular flagstone slabs. All landscape lighting installed was Kichler LED light fixtures.

Door style: Pierce | Species: Paint grade | Finish: Oyster Island: Channing | Species: Paint grade | Finish: Dovetail ShowplaceEVO: http://www.showplaceevo.com/

This Wooded Retreat project started with the removal of a large area of bamboo roots, re-grading the area after, and installing bamboo containment barrier. All root materials were be excavated and disposed of off site. We then graded the side yard to eliminate mounds and low areas, removed rocks and boulders which were be used on front bank. Grading was also done in preparation for fence installation. Bamboo containment barrier was installed from street down to back of property. 2 truckloads of top soil was hauled in to fill areas where bamboo roots were excavated. The newly installed topsoil was fine graded to prep for the fence and plantings. Tree work including tree trimming and tree removal throughout the site was done by Arborist Enterprises. This luxurious portion of this project included a complete landscape design featuring Trees and shrub installation with all disturbed ground covered with natural wood chips. Natural stone steps along driveway were installed using local gray/earth tone treads. The patio surface was installed using natural irregular flagstone, natural stone treads for steps, and PA Limestone boulders to retain grade around patio. The fire pit consisted of a natural stacked stone ring and ‘Zentro’ Smokeless Fire Pit insert. Natural stone paths were installed using natural large irregular flagstone slabs. All landscape lighting installed was Kichler LED light fixtures.

Differences in Installation: Concrete slab is somewhat easy to install, but the material takes time to dry and cure. The installation process includes excavation, grading, preparation of the foundation, setting forms, and pouring the concrete. One of the major downsides to concrete is it can crack when the ground below flexes. It is also very important to get the grading just right with a concrete installation, as it can be a very costly error to fix once the concrete has been poured. Improper concrete grading can lead to low spots which will retain water, leaving discolorations and staining. Paving stones require a lot more preparation which makes for a more labor intensive installation. The paver installation process includes: excavation, grading, sub-base compaction, geotextile fiber install, base preparation, base compaction, sand preparation, lay the pavers, cut the borders, prepare the bond beam, compact the stones, and finally seal the pavers upon completion. Since there is no curing time with paving stones, the paver installation is ready to use immediately upon completion. Also, if the grading happened to be slightly off or settling occurred later down the line, the pavers can easily be readjusted to correct the issue.

National Hardwood Flooring's French Galerie SL#308005, Deep Smoked Oak. Grade ABCD, Light hand scraped, carbonized (HS), brushed, white washed, randomly distressed on surface and edges, UV oil Room X Room Photography

custom exterior entryway built to customers specifications !! two 8 ft stain grade mahogany doors with decorative obstructed view beveled insulated tempered glass !! prehung in stain grade mahogany with oil rubbed bronze commercial grade hinges !! cincinatti ohio

This Wooded Retreat project started with the removal of a large area of bamboo roots, re-grading the area after, and installing bamboo containment barrier. All root materials were be excavated and disposed of off site. We then graded the side yard to eliminate mounds and low areas, removed rocks and boulders which were be used on front bank. Grading was also done in preparation for fence installation. Bamboo containment barrier was installed from street down to back of property. 2 truckloads of top soil was hauled in to fill areas where bamboo roots were excavated. The newly installed topsoil was fine graded to prep for the fence and plantings. Tree work including tree trimming and tree removal throughout the site was done by Arborist Enterprises. This luxurious portion of this project included a complete landscape design featuring Trees and shrub installation with all disturbed ground covered with natural wood chips. Natural stone steps along driveway were installed using local gray/earth tone treads. The patio surface was installed using natural irregular flagstone, natural stone treads for steps, and PA Limestone boulders to retain grade around patio. The fire pit consisted of a natural stacked stone ring and ‘Zentro’ Smokeless Fire Pit insert. Natural stone paths were installed using natural large irregular flagstone slabs. All landscape lighting installed was Kichler LED light fixtures.

This Wooded Retreat project started with the removal of a large area of bamboo roots, re-grading the area after, and installing bamboo containment barrier. All root materials were be excavated and disposed of off site. We then graded the side yard to eliminate mounds and low areas, removed rocks and boulders which were be used on front bank. Grading was also done in preparation for fence installation. Bamboo containment barrier was installed from street down to back of property. 2 truckloads of top soil was hauled in to fill areas where bamboo roots were excavated. The newly installed topsoil was fine graded to prep for the fence and plantings. Tree work including tree trimming and tree removal throughout the site was done by Arborist Enterprises. This luxurious portion of this project included a complete landscape design featuring Trees and shrub installation with all disturbed ground covered with natural wood chips. Natural stone steps along driveway were installed using local gray/earth tone treads. The patio surface was installed using natural irregular flagstone, natural stone treads for steps, and PA Limestone boulders to retain grade around patio. The fire pit consisted of a natural stacked stone ring and ‘Zentro’ Smokeless Fire Pit insert. Natural stone paths were installed using natural large irregular flagstone slabs. All landscape lighting installed was Kichler LED light fixtures.

National Hardwood Flooring's French Galerie SL#308005, Deep Smoked Oak. Grade ABCD, Light hand scraped, carbonized (HS), brushed, white washed, randomly distressed on surface and edges, UV oil Room X Room Photography

Door style: Pendleton Inset | Species: Paint grade | Finish: Vintage Oyster Island: Vintage Graphite This private hunting lodge is a converted and expanded farmhouse in central South Dakota's legendary pheasant belt. Showplace cabinetry was used to create the handsome kitchen, a laundry/mud room, bathrooms, and even custom bunk beds for visiting grandkids. Learn more about Showplace paint grade: http://www.showplacewood.com/WoodsFin2/woodsPG.0.html

This Wooded Retreat project started with the removal of a large area of bamboo roots, re-grading the area after, and installing bamboo containment barrier. All root materials were be excavated and disposed of off site. We then graded the side yard to eliminate mounds and low areas, removed rocks and boulders which were be used on front bank. Grading was also done in preparation for fence installation. Bamboo containment barrier was installed from street down to back of property. 2 truckloads of top soil was hauled in to fill areas where bamboo roots were excavated. The newly installed topsoil was fine graded to prep for the fence and plantings. Tree work including tree trimming and tree removal throughout the site was done by Arborist Enterprises. This luxurious portion of this project included a complete landscape design featuring Trees and shrub installation with all disturbed ground covered with natural wood chips. Natural stone steps along driveway were installed using local gray/earth tone treads. The patio surface was installed using natural irregular flagstone, natural stone treads for steps, and PA Limestone boulders to retain grade around patio. The fire pit consisted of a natural stacked stone ring and ‘Zentro’ Smokeless Fire Pit insert. Natural stone paths were installed using natural large irregular flagstone slabs. All landscape lighting installed was Kichler LED light fixtures.