When we first met with these clients, they provided us with a very specific idea of what they wanted to create. The limitations of that project came into play with city build line restrictions which meant modifying the space. In the end, the result is a nice area to lounge by the pool, enjoy coffee in the mornings, and grill with your friends and family. We built up the new stamped concrete to the height of the first steps of the pool deck and tied it all in, removing the flagstone. The outdoor kitchen area is the same as the full size selection on the fireplace and columns. Behind the kitchen is a small bar height sitting area and stone foot rest for guests. The tongue and groove ceiling ties in well with the dark stain cedar wrapped posts and beams to create a cozy rustic finish. We offset the fireplace towards the back to maximize walk space for furniture. The small bench walls flanking each side of the fireplace not only provide definition to the area but also allow for extra seating without adding furniture pieces. The ceiling heaters provide additional heat for those nights when you need to take the chill out of the air.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional backyard patio in Chicago with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a pergola.

Stamped concrete patio with a block seating wall with caps, the patio has a border of darker tan with a block fire-pit.
Photo of a large backyard patio in Other with a fire feature, stamped concrete and no cover.

This is an example of a large modern backyard patio in Austin with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a roof extension.

Photo of a large contemporary backyard patio in Other with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a roof extension.

Mid-sized arts and crafts backyard patio in Cleveland with stamped concrete, no cover and a fire feature.

This entire patio was stenciled with strapping tape, by hand! Yes, they could of used a paper stencil to do the same thing, but these guys like to do it by hand. The result is beutiful. Brickred spraybase overlay by Josh Owens of Owens Concrete and Staining of Oklahoma City, OK.

This outdoor living addition was built with an original-to-the-home look including matching shingles, paint, and brick. The tongue and groove wood ceiling and decorative concrete enhance the feel of this outdoor project. Ceiling fans create a sweet breeze throughout this patio, and the recessed lighting allows for an enjoyable evening outdoors. Flood lights were also placed on the exterior of the patio to increase nighttime visibility and security.

Cozy custom outdoor gas fire pit built on concrete patio and surrounded by luscious green landscaping, outdoor kitchen, and outdoor dining.
This is an example of a mid-sized arts and crafts backyard patio in Vancouver with a fire feature and stamped concrete.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard patio in San Francisco with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a pergola.

Photo of a large country backyard patio in Boise with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a roof extension.

This combination outdoor living space is located in the Wildewood community of East Columbia, SC. The addition consists of a low-maintenance deck, covered porch, stamped concrete patio, outdoor kitchen and fire pit. Photos courtesy Archadeck of Central South Carolina.

Lindsey Denny
This is an example of a large contemporary backyard patio in Kansas City with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a roof extension.

Why watch the game indoors, when you can sit in luxury and enjoy the natural elements while watching the game outdoors? Landscape design by Peter Koenig: Peter Koenig Design

Stamped concrete patio with fieldstone pattern, the darker gray border, and the curves makes this patio look amazing.
Design ideas for a large traditional backyard patio in Other with a fire feature, stamped concrete and no cover.

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional backyard patio in Wilmington with a fire feature and stamped concrete.

Rustic Style Fire Feature - Techo-Bloc's Valencia Fire Pit with custom caps.
Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard patio in Boston with a fire feature, stamped concrete and a gazebo/cabana.

We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

Inspiration for a large traditional patio in Minneapolis with a fire feature, no cover and stamped concrete.