For example, if you are building an outdoor
fireplace there is nothing like a wooden mantle.
Wood and stone work incredibly well together,
including wood and metal, or stone and metal.
Is there anything nicer than a rustic reclaimed
wooden pergola over a high-end stone patio with
beautiful outdoor lighting and a black powder
coated metal dining table with large comfortable
seat cushions? It’s also the subtle choices that
make a big difference.
Incorporating a centerpiece tree in the landscape
design with a canopy that we uplight. Believe me,
there is nothing that enhances the beauty of an
outdoor room design like the canopy of a
beautiful magnolia, willow, or weeping cherry tree
with led uplighting on a beautiful night.
Including these four features in your design
doesn’t always have to be a bold choice.
Sometimes less is more than enough in many
outdoor designs.
When you are ready to start designing your
outdoor room, the next step I suggest is to give
it a title. What is it? For me, I love to cook and I
love good wine. My outdoor room is the
Tuscan Room, which is centered around my
pizza oven. That is where I began in my initial
planning. The design should always start with
the function of the room. What is your thing? Do
you have a great ocean view and love hanging
out with family and friends having some great
cocktails by a fire pit or fireplace? Are you into
brewing your own beer and would love to have an
outdoor bar with a working kegerator? How about
a simple living room with comfortable outdoor
couches and chairs that truly make it feel like you
brought the Indoors Out? FUNCTION. Function
is the word that starts your design and gets you
laser-focused on what masonry products,
appliances, furniture, and lighting to start you
on your journey.
Do your homework. Today in the world we live
in, doing your research has never been easier.
By taking some time in front of your computer
or your local masonry supply store, you can find
numerous patio products ranging from natural
stones, concrete pavers, brick pavers, and
decking products. The more you educate yourself
with hardscape and carpentry products, it
12 | Masonry Design
reduces your chances of making costly mistakes.
Avoid falling in love with products that are not
right for your project, cost way too much, and are
not right for the climate in which you live.
For example, if you live in the Northeast where
we get very cold winters, a lot of dampness, and
crazy freeze-thaw cycles, falling in love with a
softer stone or wood for your patio or deck is not
a very good choice. Weather always wins and
your new patio can start crumbling or staining in
a matter of a few years. Another advantage of
doing your homework is that you start to learn the
language. You start to sound more like a
contractor than a homeowner. It allows you to
communicate with suppliers and installers much
more efficiently. I love working with educated
clients. It makes my job so much easier,
especially when the work gets started. There is
nothing worse for a contractor or designer than to
have a homeowner constantly questioning their
choices.
Why are you prepping the base with that
material? How come you are putting that stone
there? Why are you digging up the grass over
there? We never spoke about that. These are just
a few scenarios that occur every day on a jobsite.
Spending time getting educated helps to avoid
most of these situations, develops a
partnership between you and your contractor
working on the specifics of products and the
design.
The next challenge I find clients face is making
decisions on the basic layout. After doing
numerous designs, I have come to realize that
once a homeowner steps into their backyard,
they completely get lost and confused when it
comes to design. If you were designing your new
kitchen or living room inside the house,
chances are you would be very specific on where
to place the stove, the area where the dining
table would go, or where to build the fireplace.
You would never put the table right next to the
stove, or design a kitchen island in the living
room. You should approach the design of your
outdoor room the same way you would design
your inside room.