Creating Your Own Backyard Oasis in a Post-Pandemic World

If the pandemic taught Americans anything, it is that we need to cherish time with our families and friends. It also taught Americans that they want to live and work in comfortable spaces that give them peace. Nowadays, “home” is also the “office” or “entertaining space” or even a “therapy room.” Those changes in the way Americans live can also be seen in the outdoor spaces they are requesting and we are creating. 

One sample project in which the owners captured this lifestyle change and transformed their backyard living is located in Summerfield, North Carolina. The contractor selected for the installation was Ayers Hardscape and Landscape out of Oak Ridge, North Carolina. 

 The main objectives of the design included:

1. Create additional patio and entertaining spaces. The owners had a small existing patio off of the kitchen and upper family room, but it was too small for their large family and frequent entertainment needs. An existing sloped lot with minimal patio area created an additional challenge. They did have expansive views across the lot that they wanted to capitalize on in the new spaces. The areas we focused on included:

Upper patio - The proposed upper patio area needed to incorporate a private hot tub and a large dining patio with a custom fire feature. We chose Belgard Origins pavers for the flooring and natural Tennessee fieldstone veneer for the other walls and landscape elements. 

Lower patio - The proposed lower patio needed to incorporate a dramatic custom stone fireplace and a large lounging patio. The custom fireplace is dramatic and is also veneered in Tennessee fieldstone. 

Adding elements of drama. The owners loved the unexpected and the dramatic. They wanted their family and friends to find some unexpected treasures when they visited their backyard space.  

Fire features - The owners have a love of fire features and so two styles were selected for the upper and lower patio areas. In the upper area, a more contemporary fire “table” with fireglass was added. The gas line was installed and the body of the fire table was made of masonry covered in Tennessee fieldstone set in an ashlar pattern. The lower fire feature was a custom wood-burning fireplace.

Using water as a focal point - The owners loved the sound of water and also the views that were allowed in their large, expansive wooded lot. This created an opportunity for a really special water feature that would transcend the site. It was decided that a large recirculating river bed would begin from the upper patio and travel down the lot to the lower entertaining patio. The sloped lot and access to the lower patio allowed the owners to view the new water feature from all the entertaining areas of the backyard. The rushing water or “white noise” created a peaceful atmosphere in the space. 

After about eight weeks of installation time, the space was completed and the party was able to begin! The owners love their new space and the peace and serenity it brings to their lives.

Photos by ©Micciche Photography. 

About Lori Hawkins

Lori Hawkins, RLA, ASLA, has been a registered landscape architect for over 30 years. She is registered in both North Carolina and South Carolina and has her own private practice in the Greensboro area. You can follow her on Instagram @3Dlandscapearchitect or check out her website WWW.HawkinsLA.com for more information.