DESIGNING YOUR DREAM
OUTDOOR ROOM
The days of building a patio or a deck with a few
chairs and maybe a charcoal or a gas grill are
long gone. Today outdoor living is a major
component in masonry and hardscape design.
Outdoor rooms have become so popular that they
have created their own segment in the hardscape
and design market, allowing for great
opportunities for business in the masonry
supply and design sector.
My cousin Derek Stearns and I spent seven
years of our lives doing a show focused on
outdoor rooms for the DIY Network called
“Indoors Out." Throughout those years, we spent
our time designing rooms for television and our
company Dean and Derek Inc. We were very
fortunate to be on the ground floor of the changes
in our hardscape and masonry business early
on. Traveling the country offered a great deal
of opportunity for us working on many projects.
We were able to expand our designs working in
10 | Masonry Design
WORDS: DEAN MARSICO
PHOTOS: IVANASTAR, ONEILLBRO,
PENGUENSTOK, TIM ABRAMOWITZ
different states and different climates, using many
unique products, and pushing ourselves and our
designs to think out of the box.
I grew up in the masonry trade, working for my
uncle Arther Stearns at a very young age.
Every summer, college winter break, and some
weekends in between were spent being what we
called a “Lumpy." The job of the Lumpy was
pretty simple, mix another batch, move that pile
of stone; carry those blocks up three flights of
stairs, set up the staging, take down the staging,
strike the joints, and most importantly clean up as
if you were never there in the first place. Not easy
work by any stretch, but some of the best times
and memories of my life. No need to go to the
gym to get rid of that baby fat from my youth.
My summers were well spent with Uncle Artie
working mostly outside on jobs with my cousins
getting a great tan and making money. We did a