Outdoor living space is very important to Brent especially. Anytime he can do something outside, he is happier. So naturally, our home was designed with ample outdoor areas for gathering, entertaining, and just hanging out.
Goals for the patio
- Cooking and dining area with attractive storage for hiding unsightly supplies
- Covered lounge area with comfortable seating
- Fire pit area
- Still allows vision and light from the inside
- Natural extension of the home and yard
Outdoor Kitchen
Covered patios can be tricky. The shade and protection are great, but usually, they are placed just outside the main living area, which limits the amount of light that can come into the home. In addition, patios tend to get messy. Brent loves to cook outside— more involved kinds of cooking, with large bags of lump charcoal for the smoker, and various other accessories for specialty cooking. I really wanted the patio to be pleasant to look at from the family room. The other challenge was the corner we live on. The side street to our home is not terribly busy, but it does get enough traffic that we feel somewhat on display while we are eating our burgers. Until the trees grow large enough to shield us, we needed to build in some privacy while at the same time, not blocking too much of the view to the yard.
Our initial concept had the cooking units built-in on just the far end. However, the more we studied it and talked about options for solving storage and privacy, the more it made sense to extend the cooking area into a full-fledged L-shape kitchen. Complete with a sink and mini-fridge, it also provides plenty of prep area and buffet space for entertaining.
Covered Lounge
This area of the patio is just on the other side of the inside family room. It was vital to me to preserve as much natural light coming in as possible. Because we don’t have a double-height family room wall, the best way to do this was to vault the ceiling over this section. It works out quite well, and I love that not only do I maintain the sunlight, I also get maximum visibility. The kids and I stained cedar planks to give the area some warmth and tie it to the outdoor elements. And the wooden posts and beams help to make it feel like we could be in the mountains.
Fire Pit
No outdoor experience would be complete without a fire. This little corner of the back patio area was left uncovered intentionally for a cozy area protected from the wind and perfect for a fire seating area. A modern propane fire pit makes a quick and easy way to enjoy the ambiance of a fire anytime we wish. This is a favorite location to unwind at the end of the day, enjoying the cooler temperatures and watching the sun fade while we visit and wind down around the warm glow. It’s like the best part of camping, except that I get to crawl into my own bed when the conversation dies down.
Design Summary
The design of this patio began before we even poured the foundation. The structural elements that allowed for all the features we wanted had to be accounted for from the beginning. For the patio to feel like a natural extension of the home, we wanted it to be on the same level as the house floor. And at the same time, level with the backyard. This meant we had to plan for the floor joist of the house to be set inside and flush with the top of the foundation. It also meant no basement. Our last home had nearly a full flight of stairs from the deck to the yard to allow for the basement windows, which made it feel disconnected from the rest of the yard. Most homes in our area have a basement, which is great for extra bedrooms and storage, but in keeping with our small house philosophy, we opted in favor of the patio. Many things come down to a trade-off when building a home. It’s impossible to do everything, and it’s easy to wonder if you are making the right decision. So far, we have been very happy with how the patio came together and have not regretted our design decisions. Our outdoor living space has truly felt like an extension of the home, drawing us out frequently to enjoy the fresh air and change of scenery. We have enjoyed several backyard gatherings with friends and family over the summer and look forward to many more.
