Giovanni Photography

We are so excited about this stylish Houston patio addition! It's one of our most recent outdoor living space design projects - and one of our new favorites! We particularly love the rustic corner fireplace, the beautiful, vaulted pine ceiling and the Restoration Hardware furniture and accessories. "Even though this space has an outdoor kitchen - often the highlight of our projects - the focus here is beautiful, comfortable outdoor living," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "And I have to say, I think this is one of the most gorgeous spaces we've created for doing that - in style." "This project was special from the start, as we were creating this space for a friend of Wayne’s who had been a long time mentor to his boys growing up," adds Lisha Maxey, owner of LGH Designs in Houston (she coordinated furniture and finishes for the project). "This client was the principal of their high school and knew all of them very well and Wayne, too. This made it very personal, indeed, and we wanted everything to be perfect!" The 23- by 16-foot addition, located at the back of the house in Cypress, looks out onto a manmade lake in the homeowners' subdivision. The focal point? A 9-foot-8-inch-high-by-7-foot-wide corner fireplace in Earth Grey rustic ledgestone from Colorstone in Houston. The fireplace features a custom wooden mantel, stone bench seating and a 52-inch Sunbrite outdoor TV. Another highlight is the flooring - silver travertine tile laid out in a Versailles pattern. "We chose silver travertine in a 'Tumbled' color palette with variations of cream and brown," says Lisha. "So we had those two colors, plus grey, to pull from." The 7-foot-long, stucco outdoor kitchen island's countertops are also noteworthy - Absolute Black granite in a leathered finish offering a modern look and a dark grey hue that works perfectly with the color palette. The kitchen island also houses an RCS 30-inch grill and fridge. The seating area includes a sectional couch, coffee table, two swivel chairs and two ottomans - all from Restoration Hardware. "We used Restoration Hardware's Biscayne sectional, swivel chairs and ottomans in gray, with textured linen weave in Sand and cushions and peacock accent pillows in gray," says Lisha. The coffee table is made of solid teak with a concrete top - as is the matching side table. "We added a console table, also in teak, behind the sofa. And for accents, we added three Amalfi lanterns from Restoration Hardware in weathered zinc." A Sunbrella® Heathered area rug (in Gray) was added to anchor the space and visually tie it together. "The space as a whole leans towards a transitional style, in that it has many traditional cozy comforts and colors, but the furniture gives it a more contemporary look," says Lisha. "The idea from the beginning was to marry these two styles, as our clients wanted a look that would not age and be in vogue for years to come." On the exterior, you can see how we worked to make the addition blend with the existing home - matching the shingles and stucco and continuing the landscaping. 3D graphic renderings and a virtual video tour allowed the clients to know exactly what the space would look like beforehand. "It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process," says Outdoor Homescapes' graphic designer, Kristy Buell Franks. "Floor plans and elevation drawings are good for giving an idea of the overall scope of the project, but it's the 3D renderings that really show what the space is going to look like." The 3D graphics and video tours also help immensely when choosing finishing materials and furniture, she says: "The clients' choices can be put into the design to allow the clients to see how the materials will work with the existing materials on the house and how the furniture will look in the space." What do you like about this space? Post a comment and let us know! URL http://www.outdoorhomescapes.com

The covered patio columns repeat the marble detail of the front facade. It is furnished completely and is completed by the conveniences of BBQ, bar, two sided fireplace, and TV. •Photos by Argonaut Architectural•

Easily position the set into love seats or sofas with the end sectionals, or into an L-shaped lounge sofa with the corner sectional. The ottoman/fill sectional can be used as a bench, footrest, or to extend any configuration. The Aman Dais 6 pc Teak Sectional features: 1 Aman Dais Corner Sectional, 3 Aman Dais End Sectionals and 2 Aman Dais Ottoman/Fill Sectionals. Cushions and bolster pillows included for the corner sectional, end sectionals and ottoman/fill sectionals. Made with Quick Dry Foam® core and 100% solution dyed Sunbrella fabrics. Built from 100% Grade A Teak, harvested from sustainable plantations in Indonesia. Every piece is precision manufactured to standard specifications for commercial and residential use. Optional Teak Finishes available.

Resort style chaise lounges and tables made of solid teak in a natural finish are the feature here across the pool. Navy Sunbrella cushions with white piping top them off. Add rolled white towels for a true spa touch. Bronze based umbrella stands with navy Sunbrella canopies frame the view. Glazed ceramic pottery is the finishing touch. Photography By: Grey Crawford

Treve Johnson Photography

Spacecrafting

Amazing outdoor living space transformation including a full Begard paver patio, mossrock kitchen with gas grill, smoker, storage, warming station, and separate bar, in ground firepit, covered area with lights, fans, and exposed beams, as well as irrigation modification, seating wall, and full landscaping, and lighting

Paint by Sherwin Williams Body Color - Backdrop - SW 7025 Trim Color - Worldly Gray - SW 7043 Exterior Stone by Eldorado Stone Stone Product Stacked Stone in Nantucket Doors by Western Pacific Building Materials Windows by Milgard Windows & Doors Window Product Style Line® Series Window Supplier Troyco - Window & Door Lighting by Destination Lighting Garage Doors by NW Door LAP Siding by James Hardie USA Construction Supplies via PROBuild Landscaping by GRO Outdoor Living Customized & Built by Cascade West Development Photography by ExposioHDR Portland Original Plans by Alan Mascord Design Associates

Photography by Starboard & Port of Springfield, MO.

Andrew Fyfe

This client needed a place to entertain by the pool. They had already done their “inside” kitchen with Bilotta and so returned to design their outdoor space. All summer they spend a lot of time in their backyard entertaining guests, day and night. But before they had their fully designed outdoor space, whoever was in charge of grilling would feel isolated from everyone else. They needed one cohesive space to prep, mingle, eat and drink, alongside their pool. They did not skimp on a thing – they wanted all the bells and whistles: a big Wolf grill, plenty of weather resistant countertop space for dining (Lapitec - Grigio Cemento, by Eastern Stone), an awning (Durasol Pinnacle II by Gregory Sahagain & Sons, Inc.) that would also keep bright light out of the family room, lights, and an indoor space where they could escape the bugs if needed and even watch TV. The client was thrilled with the outcome - their complete vision for an ideal outdoor entertaining space came to life. Cabinetry is Lynx Professional Storage Line. Refrigerator drawers and sink by Lynx. Faucet is stainless by MGS Nerhas. Bilotta Designer: Randy O’Kane with Clark Neuringer Architects, posthumously. Photo Credit: Peter Krupenye

View of this outdoor living and entertaining area looking into the cabana from the dining area.