Faced with an old deteriorating deck, homeowners Anthony & Susan decided it was time to contact Gasper Landscape Design & Construction. The project had been on hold for a few years due to the frustration they experienced working with other design firms. The other patio designs they had received ended up “looking like a fortress” due to the number of steps between the house and the yard. Sales designer and registered landscape architect, Mary Anna Okin, had a different vision. Mary Anna worked hard to gain their trust and was finally able to convince them that a multi-level terraced patio was a better approach. Even after being presented with a 3D model of the proposed design solution, it was hard for the homeowners to even imagine that such a transformation was possible! “She was right about that.” recalls Susan.
The patio is such a pretty space now. There are a lot of cool little spots and it feels private and tucked in.
Details About the Project
Prior to the project, Susan and Anthony rarely used their back yard space, except when the family dog, Marley, needed a place to run. The new patio provides the family with many opportunities to enjoy the tranquility of their backyard. The new irregular bluestone patio has two main areas, one for dining and one for lounging. The homeowners had considered other materials for the patio, but finally decided that natural irregular bluestone fit perfectly into their wooded lot. A paver brick detail ties the natural materials to the brick on the house. Natural stacked fieldstone seat walls help to retain grade without looking out of scale. A fire pit that was built into one of the stone seat walls creates a great focal point on the lower level patio. The beautiful, hand-laid, stacked stone walls were skillfully built by Gasper’s talented masons.
Both chemical engineers, Anthony and Susan are very detail orientated by nature and expected the same from Gasper. They recall being pleasantly surprised by the amount of thought that had been put into Gasper’s design and proposal.
Every detail, every question we asked was answered with ‘Yes, we thought of that…Yah, we took care of that…There was tons of attention to detail.
This thoroughness continued through the construction phase. Mary Anna was on site frequently throughout the construction process and was able to quickly address all questions and concerns, “The construction was pretty painless. Gasper already thought through 90% of our concerns before beginning construction. The remaining 10% was either addressed immediately or carefully explained why not.”, remembers Susan.
The homeowners were so comfortable with the entire Gasper team and process that they decided to expand their renovations to tackle the front walkway and plantings as well. The front walk mirrors the same materials that were used on the back patio, except the bluestone is laid in a random rectangular pattern. This pattern is a little bit more formal which reflects the traditional architecture of the home but still has the natural look of real stone.
The construction was pretty painless. Gasper already thought through 90% of our concerns before beginning construction. The remaining 10% was either addressed immediately or carefully explained why not.
Last but not least, Anthony & Susan worked with Gasper’s Exterior furniture designer, Beverly Clemenson, to furnish their new space with new deep seating and high quality cast aluminum dining. “Bev made the right call on the furniture,” comments Susan, “It not only adds to the aesthetic of the space but is also really comfortable.”
Not every homeowner may pay such close attention to detail, but every homeowner will appreciate that our team at Gasper does. From design, through construction to the last placement of furniture, we take pride in good communication, superior customer service and expert craftsmanship. Problem-solved!
