Do You know the quote “If you build it he will come,” from the classic movie Field of Dreams, where Kevin Costner builds a baseball diamond in his Iowa cornfield and the 1919 Chicago White Sox come and play? Well, it kind of reminded us of our featured project. Lesley and Keith G. had built their home six years prior on the edge of a beautiful New Jersey farm field. They knew they wanted a space where they could entertain and they also like to grill and eat outside, but they needed help to transform the ideas in their heads into a reality, because when they looked out their back door what they saw was a whole lot of “nothingness.” Like many of our clients, Lesley had received one of our catalogs in the mail and brought it to Keith’s attention. “After we got the catalog,” Keith recalled, “we did some additional research and got confirmation from other folks on the quality of Gasper’s work.” And ultimately after a visit to Gasper’s location, they decided to see what Gasper could offer.
The office staff set Lesley and Keith up with an appointment at their home with sales designer, John Schweizer. “John came out pretty quickly after I made the first contact. We sat down and went over the budget, what we were expecting to spend and the general view of what our vision was going to be for the patio. John was great about asking very specific questions such as: what we wanted to use the space for, how large our table would be in the dining area, how many people we foresaw in the area, etc. He really thought through the process and listened to us. As a result we were just blown away with what Gasper was able to offer.” Lesley remembers.
One of the things they liked most about working with Gasper was the 3-D model. “We were a little bit nervous at first because we are both very visual people,” confessed Lesley, “but the model allowed us to see what the patio would look like finished, with all the colors, patterns and stone materials that we had selected.” Keith adds, “The process was very clear and efficient. We did not feel pressured. There was the right level of service and follow up. John gave us time to think things over.”
Lesley and Keith both knew that they wanted to use irregular bluestone because they liked the natural stone look and there were a lot of blues and grays inside the house, and they were very appreciative of John’s help in selecting other materials to compliment the bluestone such as the concrete pavers and the wall stone. The paving design used irregular bluestone as an outdoor ‘rug’ underneath the dining table in the pavilion and as the cap material on the walls and cook station. The balance of the patio is Cambridge’s concrete Ledgestone XL pavers whose tan and gray coloring perfectly compliment the tan and grays in the bluestone
Our families and friends have a great time on the patio and we have built great memories.
Details About the Project
The large patio is broken up into four different areas: the cook station, the dining pavilion, the fire pit area and a smaller seating area. Each area feels like a distinct outdoor room and makes the patio feel intimate and cozy. The patio also bridged the gap between the house and their son’s Tyler play set area so the whole family can be outside together. Their favorite area is the fire pit. “We have really taken a liking to the fire pit. We come out there a lot. Just sit outside with a glass of wine, make some s’mores, hang out, have friends over, put on some music and it just becomes a little party.” Lesley laughs, adding “And because it is so well lit, we can use it late into the evening.
We even use it throughout the winter. Sometimes we just come out and sit on the fire pit wall, don’t bother dragging out the cushions. We just chill out, Tyler runs around and we have a great time.”
It is also important to note that the entire project was built in phases. The patio was built in phase one. The pavilion was added during the second phase. Having the entire area planned ahead of time ensured that the finished project all looked compatible and worked together seamlessly.
“Six year ago, there was no patio. We never used the space. There was no reason to use the space. We never came out here.” says Keith. “Now we have such a beautiful aesthetic in our yard that we can use. Our families and friends have a great time on the patio and we have built great memories,” adds Lesley. “When you do something, you want to do it right. So we ultimately spent the time and found the right partner with Gasper and it turned out great.” said Keith.
Hopefully, you can see now why we call this featured project a Field of Dreams. What plans have you been dreaming of? Let Gasper build it for you then see what comes.
