Being outdoors and maintaining that feeling of openness was high on our homeowners’ design wish list for their new outdoor space built by Gasper Landscape Design & Construction.
The design for John & Judy S.’s new Pennsylvania bluestone patio by Gasper Landscape Designer, Nick Lupinacci, incorporated three different outdoor ‘rooms’ in the patio to mimic the corresponding rooms inside the house. By breaking down the larger patio into distinctive areas, each area feels more intimate without sacrificing the space and flow needed for when John & Judy are hosting their 5 kids and grandchildren.
The three areas are:
The Dining Room
It is easy to imagine yourself dining well into the evening hours under this enchanting Gasper-built pergola. A key architectural structure, a pergola helps to define any outdoor room but remains open to the sky and stars above. The maintenance on this pergola is practically zero because all the wood is wrapped with high quality PVC. Unlike wood, PVC does not require any painting or staining, and it will not rot or deteriorate over time. Defined primarily by the structure of the pergola overhead and the elegantly curved masonry stone seat walls, this area of the patio makes dining outdoors a true experience.
The Kitchen
Locating the outdoor cooking area right outside of the finished basement doors allows for good flow whether entertaining inside or out. The masonry cook station, with its Lynx professional grill, works equally well for weeknight grilling for two as it does when you are entertaining for many. The stainless-steel, built-in cooler, trash & recycling drawer and storage cabinet add to the functionality of the outdoor kitchen.
I did not realize how much I would love the pergola. It adds just the right level of shade, but still feels open.
The Living Room
You want the same thing outside in the living room that you do inside the house—comfortable seating arranged to encourage good conversation and relaxation. A fire feature is like a powerful outdoor magnet; everyone will be drawn to it! With its gracefully curve and real stone veneer, this seat wall is very aesthetically pleasing. But beyond just looking good, the wall helps to create the feeling of an outdoor room by defining the outer edge of the patio and it can also be used for overflow seating when entertaining larger numbers of guests. Note: The deck was constructed by the builder.
Kudos to Erik. (Gasper Sales Designer Erik Freeman) Not only is he a phenomenal listener but he asked all the right questions, took our thoughts, modified them with our likes and tastes and the end product was spot on.