Outdoor Improvements May

7/30/2019 Outdoor Improvements May

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www.northernvirginiaMag.coM 53

i m r v m t stoyour homeandyour life

By Jennifer Shapira

outdoorThese days,people are stayingin their homes and enhancing their four

walls rather than moving. But whether

you plan to sell or not, outdoor spaces

are desirable. A sunny stone patio is

pretty and unctional. A leay, shaded

portico provides shelter from the sun. A

screened-in porch protects rom all the

elements. A tricked-out outdoor kitchen

makes or an entertaining hot spot.

These are places where families gather,

where parties are in full swing, where you

seek solace in an early morning cuppa.

Why not enjoy springs rst dafodils,

summers bounty or the dazzling all

color of sugar maples from your perfect

outdoor perch?



3/12

54 May 2012

Enjoy cozy gatherings with amily and riendsunder the open sky with a handcrated re pitrom Merrield Garden Center.

In fact, experts say, thesespots are a must for any

suburban homebi or smallbecause people wan o eel conneced

o he ouside. Theres no shorae in

he ineres o creain new and im-

provin old oudoor spaces, especially

in odays economy.

Forunaely, hese spaces are scal-

able, says inerior desiner June Shea.

You don have o o bi o enjoy a slice

o he oudoors. Bu dependin on your

home, you cerainly can.

Wih a litle exper insigh, you can

have a cusomized, privae surround-

ing ha burss wih visual ineres.

Hit the DeckRick Maus, senior vice presiden, di-

recor o design and sales a Case De-

sign/Remodeling, says one imporan

change he has seen in oudoor spaces

is a move away rom decks. More ho-

meowners are ineresed in puting in

screened-in porches, which is a dra-

maic shi rom ve or 10 years ao,he says.

Oen, ha involves addin a sruc-

ure o an already-exisin deck, says

Maus, so ha cliens can acually en-

joy he oudoors, he says, no jus a

couple weeks in he sprin, bu acu-

ally hrouh he sprin, summer and

he all.

The biges concern wih addin a

screened-in porch o a deck is he pres-

ervaion o naural lih. No one wans

o sacrice he mornin sun o a break-as room or an oudoor space. Thas

where smar, creaive soluions come

ino play, says Maus.

Well suges putin skylihs ino

he screened-in porch and have i be

posiioned sraeically so ha i al-

lows sunlih o ler hrouh ino he

house isel. A lo o imes, he skylihs

ha we pu in screened-

in porches are no be-

cause we wan o make

he screened-in porcheven brigher; is really

because we wan o help

brin naural lih ino

he house.

Par o wha we

wan o do is educae he

clien, he says. We alk

o hem abou where he

sun is a dieren poins

in ime because i all he

sun is in he early morn- courtesyofmerrifieldgardencenter(firepit);rodho/shutterstock.c

om(patio)

in and youre goin o use he screened

porch in he aernoon and evenings,

you need o hink abou how o deal

wih he ligh.In erms o maerials, Maus says,

higher-end nishes are more popular

amon he requess his rm is hearin.

Tha is, use o mainenance-ree mae-

rials like PVC insead o wood rim, el-

ean beadboard ceilins and compos-

ie decking or he fooring, which, he

says, is expensive, bu i looks grea,

and ill las orever.

Decks vs. Patios

How do you know which opion is rihor you and your home? Maus oers

up his soluion.

When someone says, We wan o

have a deck ouside because has wha

all our neihbors have, we wan o look

and assess he condiions o he sie o

see i a deck is appropriae, or i a pa-

io is appropriae.

Anoher imporan consideraion:

Weve also ound ha i somebody has

o walk down a fih o sairs o e o


4/12


heir oudoor livin space, hey end o

no use i as much.

A x may be whas called a iered

deck, or a more enle ransiion: a cou-ple o seps down rom he main livin

space o a grillin area, hen a ew more

seps down o he main paio.

The mos common locally used

sones or paios are fasone and

slae. Flasone is a rea opion or

he homeowner who is ineresed in

shades o ray; slae oers more o a

color palete wih is rays, reens,

blues, pinks and purples.

Oher opions include inerlocking

pavers, which are becoming more ac-cepable, says Renata Hol, landscape

designer a Merrield Garden Cener.

People used o be adaman abou usin

radiional paio maerials, she says,

bu in he pas ew years, he producs

have been realy improved. Theyre

very sron and durable and hey re

equal o, and in some cases, less ex-

pensive, han naural sone.

One reen opion ha Hol is par-

icularly proud o: A homeowner in


5/12

56 May 2012

Sprineld buil his own brick paio

some 30 years ao. His rown children

had been aer him in recen years o

redo i because i had beun o se-

le and he seps were uneven. Hol

sepped in and redesined he pa-

io in more or less he same ooprin

ha he had. She used pavers o build

he seps ino landings so hey would

be easier o maneuver. The nishin

ouch: She breahed new lie ino he

exisin 30-year-old brick. I cerainlydoesn happen in all cases, bu some-

imes exisin maerials can be par o

a new soluion ha makes everyone

happy, says Hol.

Outdoor Kitchens: Cook-ing and Dining Al FrescoAlso popular, says Maus, is he ou-

door kichen. Tradiionally, he re-

quess or hese spaces are rom ho-

meowners who are already maximizin

heir oudoor living areas and do a loo enerainin; his is jus anoher ex-

ension o homes wih lare backyards.

Oher requess boh Hol and Maus

have seen on he increase include he

more personaliy-driven hearh-like

re pis and rusic pizza ovens.

When you enerain ouside re-

quenly, is imporan o have all he

necessiies close a hand. You don

wan o have o go back ino he house

or a beer, says Maus. Bu has rue

o he ood preparaion and sorae;

even special oudoor-only silverware

and lassware can be sored in drawers

and under couners ouside or conve-

nience. Top-o-he-line grills are buil

ino a sone srucure or a much more

nished look han ha o a reular,

ree-sandin rill ou on he deck. Wih

he proper wirin and plumbin, i can

be a homes second hih-end kichen,

complee wih rerieraor, sink, dish-

washer and warming drawers.When i comes o cabinery, A lo o

imes well use some kind o wood ha

will wihsand he oudoor elemens,

says Maus, so a lo o imes is eak

ha would be sained and sealed. We

do heavy sone or even concree coun-

erops. Granie can be used, bu wha

we nd is, i ends o become very dull

when le ouside hroughou he sea-

Screened-in porch with skylights thatlets plenty o natural light into the house

courtesyofvikingrangecorporation(grill);courtesyofc

asedesign/remodelinginc.

(porch&

firepit)

Outdoor stainless-steel cabi-nets, warming drawer, gas grilland inrared griller rom Viking


6/12


Q&Awith Rick MatusSenior Vice President,

Director of Design and Sales,

Case Design/Remodeling Inc.

Q Besides screened-in porches

and patios, what are some cre-

ative solutions or improving

outdoor spaces?

AA rat slti is t a

rla r a trllis, which basi-

cally mas its t a cl

articial clms, a its t

th ratrs at with th littl

crlic ctts at th s. It

braks th its sliht

a crats sm sha. Thats

a ic tail t a t a hs i

th back.

QWhat are some changes that

people can make to the ront

o their homes, to boost their

curb appeal?

AWll cm t a hm, a it

will hav a ic rt r a

th trim, bt thrs iti

whr th try is. S wll

sst i a rt rtic t

crat mr iti a tmak it y-catchi wh y

riv w th strt. W ca

als a lt csmtic -

ras that t hav t cst a

lt. This lik t ly ait-

i th hm bt ai w

shttrs, ai rmrs t b-

alws, t a sm itrst t

th hs.

QWhy are homeowners at-

tracted to the idea o outdoor

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58 May 2012

sons. So, somehin like a sone is rus-

ic-lookin, bu i looks rea even aer

ve years.

Overall, he desin o he oudoor

kichen enerally leans oward con-

servaive and houhul o he sur-

roundings, says Maus.

We don wan o have an oudoor

kichen be so lare ha i overakes

he use o ha space ouside. So even

houh is goin o be an eye-cach-

in piece, we don wan o overwhelm

he paio wih a lo o heavy srucures

rom he kichen. We also don wan

o compee wih he landscaping.

Backyard Green ThumbsOudoor spaces are no one size s

all. They should be ailored o he ho-meowners needs, says Hol.

Todays cusomers are much sav-

vier and more educaed. They know

wha hey wan, hanks o HGTV and

maazines, says Hol. They are oen

prepared wih heir own porolios o

plan and hardscape ideas.

When i comes o landscapes, here

are a couple o caveas, she says. Firs:

Naive plans do no necessarily mean

low-mainenance. And second: No

plan is no-mainenance.Even i you Goole naive plans and

buy hem a your local garden cener,

Hol says, i is sill imporan o con-

sul a proessional abou he amoun

o care and sunlih required o keep

hem hriving ouside your home.

Bu in eneral, people are seekin

year-round color: Tha is, a litle bi o

ineres wih each season like whies

and yellows in sprin, jeweled ones

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and imagine all

thats possible!

Top-of-the-line grills

are built into a stonestructure or a much more

fnished look ...

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ConTInued on pAge 61


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kitchens?

ATyically thyr larr hms,

which mas that thy hav lar

backyars. A mst th tim

thy alray hav a stablish

tr livi sac sm ki.

A ati, mayb a scr-i

rch, a th tr kitch is

a rslt i a lt trtai-

i tsi a t wati t

back it th hs t t a br,

r thy wat t b abl t rill

smthi that lks vry ic. S

w bil th hih- rills it a

strctr that st mv, a

it rally ivs it a mch mr l-

at lk tha jst havi a rlar

rill. W ca icrrat this lik

a bar ara t sit at, s that wh

smbys rilli si,

smby ca b sitti a stl

trs jyi a rik.

QWhat sorts o requests are yougetting or outdoor kitchens?

AThis ist riv by s tll-

i r clits what thy shl

hav; its th clits sayi, 'This

is th lk I wat.' It tyically i-

vlvs st r th ati

th tr kitch, cabitrya

lt tims wll s sm ki

w that will withsta th t-

r lmts, s a lt tims

its tak that wl b stai a

sal. W havy st r c-

crt ctrts. W t wat

t hav a tr kitch b slar that it vrtaks th s

that sac tsi. W als t

wat t cmt with th [sr-

ri] lascai.

Q Is there an interesting idea

or an outdoor space that you

havent done or client yet, but

would like to?

AWhat I wat t is hav a TV

that y ca hav th isi

art th hs a hav it b

sch that y ca sh it a tr

it ar s that its i th hs

i th witr. Th y ca si it

ar a s it i th smmr.

S hav it b a islat al

s that y ca jst tr it ar.

That way yr t taki th TV

f th wall. I it sits t i all sa-

ss, th lctrics th TV will

t ama. I wat try it s,

mayb i my w hs.

!"#$!$%

&' ()

!*$+ ,

-./01$


9/12

60 May 2012

Top Outdoor HomeImprovements

n wats t b th wr th

ihbrh ysr. Frm rt t

back, llw ths xrt tis a tricks

t icras yr hms crb aal a

hac ths rivat tr sacs i

yr backyar. A littl thht a mai-tac ca rl th baty a liv-

ability a aily basis. A i th tr,

shl y ci t sll, th tim a

frt y t it yr hms tr

imrvmts will sak r thmslvs.

It ss basic, bt i yr hm

st hav a icat tr sac,

csir ai a littl r. I y

t hav th rst thmb, y may

wat t start small. Ivst i a cl

batil ts a lat ctair ar-

s smmry tmats r a avrit

hrb. Thiki abt a tti i a a-

ti? Y ca lcat yr avrit st i

th s r sha br cslti a

xrt. I yr t ray t rma-

t, st a mvabl, makshit bistr

st. A a sm clrl cshis r

a cmrt.

Here are some other ideas:

To preserve ower pots, at the end o the

season when it starts to reeze, you really

need to make sure you turn those pots upside

down, so they dont ll with water, because

i they ll with water, the pots will expand

and contract. Thats how they break. Another

option, bring them inside. June Shea, interiordeSigner

Improve your homes entryway. Replace

an aging handrail. Clean up the pathway that

leads to your ront door. Fix any broken steps

and add a new light xture. BoB Bell, SpecialiSt,contractor ServiceS, home depot

I you think you might want to have an

outdoor kitchen, think ahead and get that

part o the home wired in advance. June Shea,interior deSigner

Bring in your cushions and/or outdoor

urniture to prolong their lives as well; keep

them sae rom bad weather and wildlie.darla mccrary, owner, the Final yard

To enhance the ront walkway, remember:

Youre building a walkway so someone will

say, This is a beautiul home. So you want

the stoop, the walkway, whatever you do, to

be an accessory to your home; you dont want

it to be the main show. renatta holt, landScapedeSigner, merriField garden center

Add some brightly colored, interesting pots

and set them on your ront stoop. I your skill

set allows, change out the plants by season.BoB Bell, SpecialiSt, contractor ServiceS, home

depot

Look or year-round interest in your

homes landscaping. renatta holt, landScapedeSigner, merriField garden center

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abrics, and you cant tell that theyre

designed or outdoors. In act, a lot otimes Ill use those abrics inside, i [the

client has] small children or pets.

Todays outdoor abrics are much

soter and more sun-resistant, says

McCrary, adding that bold colors and

patterns are growing in popularity. A

lot o what were seeing is geometric

patterns, whimsical patterns, medallions

and Suzani patterns, she says.

While sun wont ade the upholstery,

McCrary suggests prolonging the lie o your cushions and urniture by

bringing them in during the o-season. While wood and metal urniture

generally lives orever, she says. You dont want to leave cushions out

there or the wildlie to have un with.

Sitting PrettyEverybody wants to expand a homes living spaces. So a natural

extension is an outdoor space, says Darla McCrary, owner o the abric

store The Final Yard, in Winchester. Its all about maximizing the square

ootage o your home, inside and out, she says.

Interior designer June Shea knows rsthand. She recently worked

to beautiy the outdoor living area o a home in the Beverly Hills

neighborhood o Arlington. The home already had a pool, but Shea

improved the lounge space to create a seamless transition rom

indoors and out. Theres a sectional soa and a coee table, made rom

materials specially designed to be outdoors.

The industry has caught up with the importance o outdoor living in

style. This is not the patio abric o old, Shea says. Its new all-weather

materials that look like indoor materials. You can use some really nice

in summer, crisp hues in all and ev-

ergreens in winer.

Some o Hols sugesions: wich

hazel, sweebay manolia, Foherilla,

serviceberry.

In addiion, in more recen years,

Hol has noiced an increase in he

number o requess or incorporaing

edibles ino landscapes, like blueber-ries and raspberries. Asian-inspired

ardens, which oen include waer ea-

ures, are popular because hey can

ino compac spaces. The plans are

ypically small and slow-growin so he

mainenance on hem is very, very low,

ye you can e a very elean, nished,

clean and serene look, says Hol.

When youre lookin o landscape

oudoor kichens and gaherin spaces,

Hol says he mos imporan consid-

eraion is o assess he area and nd

plans ha will . In addiion o look-

in or year-round ineres, add plans

ha fower, and hose ha have color-

ul sems or berries or nice all color.

Think abou he plans bloom ime be-

cause you don wan somehin bloom-

in around your paio has goin o

atrac a lo o bees or insecs durin

he prime ime ha everyones goin

o be ou here, says Hol.

Shut the Front DoorEven i you have a specacular back-

yard, you don wan o nelec he ron

o he house. Think curb appeal.

Is imporan o remember ha he

ron o your home, even houh is

your home, is a semi-public place, says

Hol. Thas where uess come, so you

wan he ron o your yard and your

courtesyofjuneshea


11/12

62 May 2012

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B

ILLREEVES

Whole house remodeling, additions, basements,

kitchens, baths and more.

garden o look nea and idy as much

o he year as possible.

Everreens are always a ood idea

ou ron, says Hol, hen you can

play wih he naives and deciduous

hins in he back where you can en-

joy hem as hey come and o hrouh

he seasons, bu he ron always

looks good.

There are a number o oher im-

provemens you can make o add some

pop o he ron o your home.

For example, pain he ron door,

says Bob Bell, specialis in conrac-

or services a Home Depo in Reson.

Thas a chane you can make wihou

replacing he ron door, he says, sug-

gesin a non-sreak, hih-loss painor added drama. I kind o makes

i sparkle a litle bi, and or jus an-

oher couple dollars, you can pu in a

new door knocker or a new door knob,

he says.

Replace or repain he handrail and

x a decrepi soop. Add ineresin-

ly shaped pos as accens in varyin

heighs wih plan choices. Sick wih

low-mainenance plans i has your

skill level; swap hem ou wih bloom-

ing varieies i has your srengh.Conainer gardenin is growin by

leaps and bounds, says Hol, who has

seen a sure in ineres in he use o

ropicals, like hibiscus rees, arde-

nias or jasmine ha you can enjoy ou-

side all summer lon and hen brin

indoors in he winer.

I more han he ron door needs

some cheerin up, add or pain shu-

ers in a color ha will provide some

pizzazz, says Shea. Or ive he whole

Its important to

remember that thefrontof your home, even thoughits your home, is a semi-

public place, says Holt.

stephenmahar/shutterstock.c

om


12/12

63

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Shea recalls a makeover o a plain brick

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