© Ethan Rohloff Photography

This great outdoor living area is perfect for the quite getaway or for entertaining friends. The colors of this Tennessee fieldstone are spectacular and go great with the lighter travertine. One of my favorites.

Outdoor gas fireplace

© Lauren Devon www.laurendevon.com

Stepped, split-face fieldstone seat walls enhance the change in elevation from upper to lower patio. A Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’) is the focal point in the nearby planting bed. Westhauser Photography

Outdoor living design with swimming pool, decorative concrete patio, fire pit, fire place bocce ball court, pavilion, outdoor kitchen, dining and seating areas, and natural plantings.

Exterior Worlds Landscape, Pool & Patio Design & Installation Case HistoryExterior Worlds was recently involved in collaboration with renowned Houston architect Gary Chandler. Mr. Chandler was hired to remodel a home for a resident who spent considerable time entertaining business clients at his residents. The new space was intended to function as a dining terrace and lounging for clients. Mr. Chandler designed this terrace as a grotto with a distinctively classical tone. It consisted of the dining space itself, a fireplace, and seating areas. Exterior Worlds was contracted to develop the surrounding outdoor space with a landscape and garden design that would support the vision and structure of the grotto. The primary support element we created was a garden. Its design was abstract, being characterized by only a few elements distinguished by very simple forms. Gravel was used profusely throughout in order to provide plenty of walking space. Vegetation was kept to a minimum to ensure low maintenance. Antiques were then placed in the garden as decorative focal points. This created a color scheme that alternately complimented and contrasted that of the grotto. To ensure the privacy of visiting clients, we screened the garden off from the neighboring residence by planting an alley of trees. The near side of the alley functions as a walkway that provides visiting guests with a sweeping tour of the garden. The backside of the trees presents an attractive, albeit impenetrable screen that prevents anyone outside the property from looking into its interior. Our team further developed the landscape as a whole by planting a backdrop of trees. These trees, when illuminated with artificial moonlight, created silhouettes that bathed the surrounding yard, and the garden within it, in an ambient blend of light and shadow. Transition in and out of space was another important support element in this project. In order for guests to comfortably enjoy the dining area, and then move with ease into the landscape at will, it was necessary to create simple and inviting transition areas. We decided that gravel would be the best material to use in building pathways through the garden. We based this on several factors. Gravel has a Zen-like quality to it that makes it very calming to the mind. Guests walking through the garden in the evening would feel more relaxed and comfortable discussing business. The aesthetic of gravel is also a curious blend of classical and modern tones, so it is the ideal complement to anything with classical architectural elements. It is also an excellent material to use for planting trees in the hardscape because it facilitates irrigation and drainage. One of the pathways we built in this project, in fact, doubled as a concealed drain. Additional visual interest was created with sculpture and dwarf mondo mounds. The irregularity of green forms and pottery contrasted with the rectilinear forms of the classical hardscape. When viewed in its entirety, the final scene took on the dimensions of a painting. Landscape lighting was done by a partner company, Illuminations Lighting and Design. ILD uplit the trees and feature lit the sculptures. They also created functional, artificial moonlight with mercury vapor tree lamps. Transition spaces throughout the property were illuminated with path lighting.

Jeri Koegel

Ipe decking, Earthworks EW Gold Stone decking, and exposed aggregate concrete create a beautiful contrast and balance that give this outdoor architecture design a Frank Lloyd Wright feel. Ipe decking is one of the finest quality wood materials for luxury outdoor projects. The exotic wood originates from South America. This environment contains a fire pit, with cobblestone laid underneath. Shallow, regress lighting is underneath each step and the fire feature to illuminate the elevation change. The bench seating is fabricated stone that was honed to a beautiful finish. This project also features an outdoor kitchen to cater to family or guests and create a total outdoor living experience.

We were commissioned by our clients to design this ambitious side and rear extension for their beautiful detached home. The use of Cotswold stone ensured that the new extension is in keeping with and sympathetic to the original part of the house, while the contemporary frameless glazed panels flood the interior spaces with light and create breathtaking views of the surrounding gardens. Our initial brief was very clear and our clients were keen to use the newly-created additional space for a more spacious living and garden room which connected seamlessly with the garden and patio area. Our clients loved the design from the first sketch, which allowed for the large living room with the fire that they requested creating a beautiful focal point. The large glazed panels on the rear of the property flood the interiors with natural light and are hidden away from the front elevation, allowing our clients to retain their privacy whilst also providing a real sense of indoor/outdoor living and connectivity to the new patio space and surrounding gardens. Our clients also wanted an additional connection closer to the kitchen, allowing better flow and easy access between the kitchen, dining room and newly created living space, which was achieved by a larger structural opening. Our design included special features such as large, full-width glazing with sliding doors and a hidden flat roof and gutter. There were some challenges with the project such as the large existing drainage access which is located on the foundation line for the new extension. We also had to determine how best to structurally support the top of the existing chimney so that the base could be removed to open up the living room space whilst maintaining services to the existing living room and causing as little disturbance as possible to the bedroom above on the first floor. We solved these issues by slightly relocating the extension away from the existing drainage pipe with an agreement in place with the utility company. The chimney support design evolved into a longer design stage involving a collaborative approach between the builder, structural engineer and ourselves to find an agreeable solution. We changed the temporary structural design to support the existing structure and provide a different workable solution for the permanent structural design for the new extension and supporting chimney. Our client’s home is also situated within the Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and as such particular planning restrictions and policies apply, however, the planning policy allows for extruded forms that follow the Cotswold vernacular and traditional approach on the front elevation. Our design follows the Cotswold Design Code with high-pitched roofs which are subservient to the main house and flat roofs spanning the rear elevation which is also subservient, clearly demonstrating how the house has evolved over time. Our clients felt the original living room didn’t fit the size of the house, it was too small for their lifestyle and the size of furniture and restricted how they wanted to use the space. There were French doors connecting to the rear garden but there wasn’t a large patio area to provide a clear connection between the outside and inside spaces. Our clients really wanted a living room which functioned in a traditional capacity but also as a garden room space which connected to the patio and rear gardens. The large room and full-width glazing allowed our clients to achieve the functional but aesthetically pleasing spaces they wanted. On the front and rear elevations, the extension helps balance the appearance of the house by replicating the pitched roof on the opposite side. We created an additional connection from the living room to the existing kitchen for better flow and ease of access and made additional ground-floor internal alterations to open the dining space onto the kitchen with a larger structural opening, changed the window configuration on the kitchen window to have an increased view of the rear garden whilst also maximising the flow of natural light into the kitchen and created a larger entrance roof canopy. On the front elevation, the house is very balanced, following the roof pitch lines of the existing house but on the rear elevation, a flat roof is hidden and expands the entirety of the side extension to allow for a large living space connected to the rear garden that you wouldn’t know is there. We love how we have achieved this large space which meets our client’s needs but the feature we are most proud of is the large full-width glazing and the glazed panel feature above the doors which provides a sleek contemporary design and carefully hides the flat roof behind. This contrast between contemporary and traditional design has worked really well and provided a beautiful aesthetic.

This Featured Project is a complete outdoor renovation in Weston Florida. This project included a Covered free standing wood pergola with a cooling mist irrigation system. The outdoor kitchen in this project was a one level bar design with a granite counter and stone wall finish. All of the appliances featured in this outdoor kitchen are part of the Twin Eagle line. Some other items that where part of this project included a custom TV lift with Granite and stone wall finish as well as furniture from one of the lines featured at our showroom. For more information regarding this or any other of our outdoor projects please visit our website at www.luxapatio.com where you may also shop online. You can also visit our showroom located in the Doral Design District ( 3305 NW 79 Ave Miami FL. 33122) or contact us at 305-477-5141.

This beautiful free standing covered patio stands out with a barrel roof and ceiling. The extended accent pergolas on both sides widens the outdoor living area. The fireplace has a cast stone mantle that creates a beautiful focal point for the project. There’s wood storage with cast stone caps on both sides of fire place for added functionality. Details: The flooring is Flagstone with an Arizona/Blue Mist blend. The ceiling is pre-stained tongue and groove in a Smokey Bourbon color. Photo Credit: Shutter Scope Photography

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Landscape St. Louis, Inc.

Complete Outdoor Renovation in Miramar, Florida! This project included an Open aluminum pergola attached to the house with a white finish and double layered columns. The outdoor kitchen in this project was a ground level design with a granite counter and stone wall finish. All of the appliances featured in this kitchen are part of the Twin Eagle line. Some other items that where part of this project included a custom TV lift with Granite and stone wall finish, custom waterfall / fire pit, artificial grass installation and a pool / deck design. For more information regarding this or any other of our outdoor projects please visit our website at www.luxapatio.com where you may also shop online. You can also visit our showroom located in the Doral Design District (3305 NW 79 Ave Miami FL. 33122) or contact us at 305-477-5141. URL http://www.luxapatio.com