This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

This custom home was developed for the homeowner to create a laid back east coast feel. Thoughtfully placed on the site, the trees provide a frame to capture the Hampton’s style as if it had been there for years. The timeless quality of the shingle & brick exterior blend into the interior finishes & furnishings where a more transitional approach was taken to blend the owner’s love of different styles. The layout of rooms open up to one another creating large sights lines that extend further on to the large front porch & outdoor living made for entertaining.

Designed and built by Land Art Design, Inc.
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary backyard screened-in verandah in DC Metro with decking and a roof extension.

This is a little project we did for a friend a few years ago. Our client approached us after the south face of her house had deteriorated to the point that severe rot and mold had invaded the structure. She also wanted to give the front of her house a facelift and create some more curb appeal. On little projects like these, budget often dictates our design solution and our approach is to maximize value on behalf of our clients. We don't trying to win design awards with these small projects nor are we trying to get published. Our goal is to simply and elegantly solve the problem we are presented with at a price point that our client can afford. There are several ideas we incorporated into this design solution. Foremost was to solve the water infiltration into the building envelope. The structure faces due south and takes a beating from all of the winter storms we get here in the Pacific Northwest. In the summer, harsh sun warps and cracks most siding materials. This solution entailed stripping the entire south facing facade down to the studs, tearing out all of the rotted lumber and reframing this wall to accept new windows. This wall was then insulated, sheathed, covered with a high performance building paper and then sided with a cementitious siding material. We added a cover at the front door to both protect the house and to announce the entry. The element of time plays a large role in our designs and in this case we wanted to highlight the transition from the outer environment to protected interior of the home. Finally, with the addition of the minimal arbor we created a public space on the front of the house that allows for gathering, gives the house more visual interest and provides a public zone between the house and the street. This zone is literally a way for our client, who runs a business on the upper level of her home, to get out of her house and interact with the world. In short, this was a contextual solution that blends in well with its neighbors and promotes community through a classic front porch design. Our client spends a lot of time here in the summers chatting with neighbors, enjoying a glass of wine and watching the setting sun.

This screened porch was created as a sanctuary, a place to retreat and be enveloped by nature in a calm, 
relaxing environment. The monochromatic scheme helps to achieve this quiet mood while the pop 
of color comes solely from the surrounding trees. The hits of black help to move your eye around the room and provide a sophisticated feel. Three distinct zones were created to eat, converse 
and lounge with the help of area rugs, custom lighting and unique furniture. Cathy Zaeske

AFTER: Georgia Front Porch designed and built a full front porch that complemented the new siding and landscaping. This farmhouse-inspired design features a 41 ft. long composite floor, 4x4 timber posts, tongue and groove ceiling covered by a black, standing seam metal roof.

This traditional ranch home before and after is stunning. LIV Design Partners brightened up the home with painting the brick a beautiful white while also adding a touch of color to the shutters. The porch add on made a gorgeous entry for guests with modern details from the outdoor lanterns, mounted mailbox, and the beautiful glass double door with dark stained wood. . The landscaping tied this whole look together with a full and clean presentation to fit this beautiful home.

This mountain retreat-inspired porch is actually located in the heart of Raleigh NC. Designed with the existing house style and the wooded lot in mind, it is large and spacious, with plenty of room for family and friends.

Design ideas for an expansive transitional backyard verandah in DC Metro with with fireplace and cable railing.

Design ideas for a country verandah in Charleston.

Photo of a large country side yard verandah in Chicago with with columns, decking, a roof extension and wood railing.

This is an example of a verandah in Other.

Design ideas for a contemporary screened-in verandah in Other with a roof extension.

With the porch, the curb appeal has greatly increased.
Inspiration for a verandah in Charlotte.

Our clients decided that they wanted us to create a new front porch that was inspired by the historic photos, but they were not searching for an exact replica: nothing that would cost excessive amounts of money trying to recreate historic details. Rather the goal was to create something that was a visually similar using off the shelf parts that we could order through our lumber yard and standard suppliers. A&J Photography, Inc.

Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard screened-in verandah in Minneapolis with a roof extension.

Screened porch addition interiors Photographer: Rob Karosis
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional screened-in verandah in Bridgeport with tile and a roof extension.

This elegant front portico in Sudbury, MA, features a tongue & groove cedar ceiling. The entire exterior is low maintenance with PVC fiberglass columns. Archadeck of Suburban Boston also installed the majestic stone steps.

This is an example of a traditional front yard verandah in Perth with decking and a roof extension.