Outdoor Photos

Hood House is a playful protector that respects the heritage character of Carlton North whilst celebrating purposeful change. It is a luxurious yet compact and hyper-functional home defined by an exploration of contrast: it is ornamental and restrained, subdued and lively, stately and casual, compartmental and open. For us, it is also a project with an unusual history. This dual-natured renovation evolved through the ownership of two separate clients. Originally intended to accommodate the needs of a young family of four, we shifted gears at the eleventh hour and adapted a thoroughly resolved design solution to the needs of only two. From a young, nuclear family to a blended adult one, our design solution was put to a test of flexibility. The result is a subtle renovation almost invisible from the street yet dramatic in its expressive qualities. An oblique view from the northwest reveals the playful zigzag of the new roof, the rippling metal hood. This is a form-making exercise that connects old to new as well as establishing spatial drama in what might otherwise have been utilitarian rooms upstairs. A simple palette of Australian hardwood timbers and white surfaces are complimented by tactile splashes of brass and rich moments of colour that reveal themselves from behind closed doors. Our internal joke is that Hood House is like Lazarus, risen from the ashes. We’re grateful that almost six years of hard work have culminated in this beautiful, protective and playful house, and so pleased that Glenda and Alistair get to call it home.

A truly beautiful garden and pool design to complement an incredible architectural designed harbour view home.

Behind the Tea House is a traditional Japanese raked garden. After much research we used bagged poultry grit in the raked garden. It had the perfect texture for raking. Gray granite cobbles and fashionettes were used for the border. A custom designed bamboo fence encloses the rear yard.

Lake Front Country Estate Outdoor Living, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling.

Turning into the backyard, a two-tiered pergola and social space make for a grand arrival. Scroll down to the first "before" photo for a peek at what it looked like when we first did our site inventory in the snow. Design by John Algozzini and Kevin Manning.

Craig Westerman

This gourmet kitchen includes wood burning pizza oven, grill, side burner, egg smoker, sink, refrigerator, trash chute, serving station and more! Photography: Daniel Driensky

A natural pool setting creates a oasis in the midst of a busy neighborhood.

Centered on an arched pergola, the gas grill is convenient to bar seating, the refrigerator and the trash receptacle. The pergola ties into other wood structures on site and the circular bar reflects a large circular bluestone insert on the patio.

This masterfully designed outdoor living space feels open, airy, and filled with light thanks to the lighter finishes and the fabric pergola shade. Clean, modern lines and a muted color palette add to the spa-like feel of this outdoor living space.

Designed to compliment the existing single story home in a densely wooded setting, this Pool Cabana serves as outdoor kitchen, dining, bar, bathroom/changing room, and storage. Photos by Ross Pushinaitus.

Modern Courtyard integrated with home style, view corridors and flow patterns. Concrete has sand finish, artificial turf is installed between the pavers, IPE deck tiles used for dining area and restoration hardware fire pit was used.

Genevieve de Manio Photography

Mr. and Mrs. Eades, the owners of this Chicago home, were inspired to build a Kalamazoo outdoor kitchen because of their love of cooking. “The grill became the center point for doing our outdoor kitchen,” Mr. Eades noted. After working long days, Mr. Eades and his wife, prefer to experiment with new recipes in the comfort of their own home. The Hybrid Fire Grill is the focal point of this compact outdoor kitchen. Weather-tight cabinetry was built into the masonry for storage, and an Artisan Fire Pizza Oven sits atop the countertop and allows the Eades’ to cook restaurant quality Neapolitan style pizzas in their own backyard.

The client wanted to convert her porch to a indoor sunroom as well as set up her waterfront backyard with a firepit, and dining area. It was important to build a retaining wall and we added a second deck down by the water.

This bespoke pergola was inspired by the colours and aesthetics of the client’s home, a stunning grade II listed 17th century property set within a small hamlet in St Albans. The brief was to create an outdoor area that would work socially and house a dining/BBQ area whilst providing protection from the elements. We used a small, mild steel profile to construct an elegant frame that supports a flat roof of 16mm twin wall polycarbonate roof which naturally provides shelter in wet weather. We included a 50x25mm Iroko timber batten soffit to introduce horizontal lines as a decorative feature that are spaced apart to let natural light through into the dining area. The inclusion of our bespoke pivoting shutters was to offer solar shading in a variety of positions, especially against the evening sun.

Modern pool with outdoor living area and concrete slab.