Hardscapes – Page 3 – Columbus Decks, Porches and Patios by Archadeck of Columbus

Archadeck of Columbus shares the top color trends in acheiving a fabulous hardscape design

Archadeck of Columbus discusses the color trends in hardscapes.

Columbus OH patios an hardscapes builder — This CAD design rendering showcases some of the hottest trends in hardscape designs.

As an outdoor structure design and build company, we pay close attention to the color trends in all aspects of outdoor living spaces. Hardscapes in particular are ever becoming a more popular choice. Whether your vision of a hardscape is a retaining wall to border your landscape, or a patio, a path or seating wall, choosing the right color is important to your overall satisfaction with your new outdoor space.

Patio with sailor course edging adjacent to Deck Columbus Ohio — This patio and deck combination matches the exterior of this home beautifully and also includes a sailor course border for added contrast.

Among the many color trends we are seeing in hardscapes are homeowner’s choosing colors that closely match their home. Choosing a color to closely match the exterior of your home is more easily achieved through stain and stamp style applications. Pavers have a lot more variations within each color because they are blends, which can be a little trickier to getting an exact match. Earth tones are being used more readily, which encompass a neutral base and allows for easier color matching options.

Contrasting colors are also popular with hardscape designs. One way to incorporate contrast through color is by adding a border to your hardscape. Soldier course and sailor course borders are popular. A soldier course involves the brick, or paver, used as a border or edging standing up, whereas a sailor course lies down flush with the patio. With borders, like a sailor course, darker ribbons around the edges of your hardscape not only add a stunning contrast, but they also serve as an outline to indicate where the edge of the patio ends. Texture is just as important as color and is also a great medium used to add contrast. Right now the old Chicago style street banding is being requested frequently. This style involves changing the color in the banding to deliver a vintage look. We are seeing a lot more variations in banding by using red bricks too. You may also consider using two different color pavers, with different textures to add contrast to your design. A good example of this approach is using a standard brick with a soldier course in tumbled brick, or using a traditional clay paver with an embossed finish. Choosing a hardscape professional that is inclined to “think outside the box” will help you achieve a unique contrast within your hardscape structure.

Columbus Monarch Composite Deck with Paver Patio — Among the most popular multiple living structure combinations is the deck and patio.

In order to get a beautiful, on trend hardscape you don’t always have to use contrast. You can still achieve a stunning effect by playing up the darker and lighter tones of the same hardscape material. When using pavers, the same pallet will hold different degrees of dark and light pavers within the same color base, and when installed to play up these difference you can create a breathtaking finished project.

Columbus OH paver patio with retaining wall and fire pit — The curved seating wall and fire pit is a great way to add vertical dimension to this patio in Columbus, OH.

Along with color, texture and contrast there are still a myriad of ways to bring out the individuality in your hardscape. A great way to add vertical interest to areas like retaining and seating walls and built-in grills is to use different kinds of curving. If you have a slightly raised bed outside your patio there are curving products that can add dimension and elevation to the patio. Among my personal favorite of growing trends are multi-level outdoor spaces that include fire features, seating walls and even pillars. Pillars add drama and vertical dimension and can even include lights in them to shine down on the face of the pillar. We often see coach lights used on top with different bands which can be used at both ends of a seating wall or to define an entrance into the backyard or a walkway leading to a patio. Curving can even be used on the front of your home to add flair; this can be achieved through concrete steps, or even adding a new paver walkway that leads to your entry. Hardscapes in the front of your home will also add a tremendous amount of curb appeal.

Throughout 2012, and continuing into 2013 multiple living spaces remain big. This includes combinations of hardscape spaces and deck or paver spaces. As we look into the New Year we anticipate the popularity of solar paver lights to increase. These pavers have replaceable batteries and can last for up to 100,000 hours. Unilock offers a solar paver, as well as a line of glowing pavers that charge during the day and glow at night giving the appearance of “glowing in the dark”. These unique additions to the Unilock line of quality products are great for creating ambiance.

Let Archadeck of Columbus keep you up to date on the latest trends in outdoor living designs. We specialize in creating a space for you that provides function and beauty beyond your wildest dreams. Contact us today for a free consultation (740) 879 – 3730
westcolumbus@archadeck.net

See more inspiring photos of beautiful hardscapes by visiting our patio and hardscape photo gallery and our outdoor living photo galleries located on our website.

A new open porch, patio, and fire pit in Gahanna OH by Archadeck

Archadeck of Columbus focuses on our recently completed open porch and custom fire pit addition in Gahanna, OH.

Gahanna, OH open porch builder — This open porch in Columbus includes a spacious floor plan, custom hardscape fire pit and a rustic inspired seating wall.

We recently covered the progress of a lovely open porch in Gahanna, OH that revealed a design full of curves in all the right places. The project is now finished and as we anticipated, it turned out stunning. The homeowners are ecstatic with joy over their new outdoor living space. We put together a little video to walk you through the completed project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=str66uTU4bU

The open porch design features a curvilinear hardscape patio, with a curved step down into the patio from the home. It also includes a custom fire pit and adjacent hardscape seating wall, which is also curved. We tied the area into the home seamlessly under a shed roof with an adjacent gable roofed tie in area.

The materials that were used offer clean, flowing lines with a touch of rustic details added to the mix. Underneath the porch we used Unilock pavers in Brussels and finished it out with a soldier course done in Unilock pavers in Il Campo. The two shades seam together effortlessly. As you enter the fire pit and seating wall area of the space you will notice we also used the Unilock paver in Brussels, but finished it out with ledge stone caps on both the fire pit and the seating wall that have a rough-hewn edge offering a structure with a rustic, yet elegant touch. The interior of the covered porch reveals a stunning cedar ceiling that harmonizes perfectly with the extensive use of high-quality hardscape materials used in this project.

Covered open porch in Gahanna, OH with custom fire pit and seating wall — Join us as we unveil a new masterpiece of outdoor living design in Gahanna, OH.

The homeowners now have the ability to extend the amount of function their home provides into the new covered porch addition. They will now have the luxury to soak in their hot tub while the ambiance of the custom fire pit takes their enjoyment up a notch. There is also spacious room under the cover of the open porch to dine and entertain. Not only does their new covered porch add value to their home, it adds valuable outdoor living space as well.

If you are ready to add more beauty and living space to your backyard, contact Archadeck of Columbus to make it happen. We can custom design the outdoor living space of your dreams for a lot less than you might think. Call for a free consultation today (740) 879 – 3730 or email us at westcolumbus@archadeck.net

You can see more covered porch designs of past projects in your area by visiting our covered porch photo gallery located on our website. You can also check out more hypnotic custom fire pit designs by visiting our Columbus outdoor fireplace and fire pits image gallery also located on our website.

Double the enjoyment by adding a patio to your deck or porch

Archadeck of Columbus delivers the forecast in what is hot in outdoor living trends for this Spring. Deck and patio combinations, as well as porch and patio combinations seem to be at the top of the list.

Columbus_OH_large_paver_patio_with_screen_porch_and_deck — This photo shows how each of the structures,the custom deck, screened porch and patio by Archadeck of Columbus work together as one.

We are really excited about the outdoor living season this year. We recently took part in two fantastic home shows in the area and got tons of ideas on the outdoor living trends for this Spring. While at the show we had a great deal of interest in not only decks, but also adding a patio to your deck. The trend we see is that Columbus area homeowners are requesting the addition of a patio to go with their new AND existing decks and porches. It stands to reason that even when it comes to outdoor living structures the hot new idea is to double the fun.

The great part about adding a hardscape, such as a patio, to your deck or porch is that it is the perfect add-on to give you those multiple outdoor living areas that you really want. A patio can be added with a new, or existing, deck or porch at anytime. Adding a patio to your deck is a great way to spice it up and put that spark back into your outdoor entertaining as well enhance the beauty in your backyard.

Wouldn’t it be great to have your deck serve as your outdoor cooking or gathering location and have a beautiful patio adjacent to use for dining and conversation? Or even a deck that leads into a covered hardscape patio with a fully functional outdoor kitchen? The entertaining opportunities that open up to you when you think about a dual structure such as a deck and patio combination are endless. Having multiple living areas within your outdoor design can offer more room and expand the functionality of your design. We can design a project for you that will turn your backyard until the ultimate backyard oasis.

Paver Patio with Composite Deck — Synthetic Deck with Hot Tub and Paver Patio

Archadeck of Columbus also offers “phased building”. This means we can plan upgrades or additions to your current project to accommodate for later additions or enhancements. For instance, if you really want a deck for this season, but foresee the future facilitating a patio and deck combination, we can make all the necessary adjustments in advance so when your budget allows you to add the patio a little later the structural necessities needed to make the transition run smoothly are already put into place.

Contact Archadeck of Columbus to learn more about our deck/patio and porch/patio combinations, and to learn more about our phased building program. We are now scheduling projects for the Spring season to have the backyard of your dreams in time for warmer weather, don’t delay. (740) 879 – 3730 westcolumbus@archadeck.net

Hardscape design ideas in Columbus OH

Paver patio with rounded edges rounded step Columbus OH — Paver patio with rounded edges and steps in Columbus OH

Hardscapes are becoming more and more popular in the Columbus market as the design ideas become more and more customized to each owner’s individual tastes and the footprint of their yard. Gone are the days with rickety pavers that settle, chip and stick out. Professional hardscapes are custom designed and built with the eye and hand of an experienced artisan. As you look at the picture to the right, you quickly get the sense that the level of design and craftsmanship is nothing like it was years ago.

What can your hardscape include? What are the custom options?

The individual elements within your hardscape have unlimited possibilities. These can include seating walls, pillars, fire pits, outdoor fire places, retaining walls, planters, custom stairs and numerous other functional and design elements. Cobblestone driveways and sidewalks don’t have to be just from days of old. You can bring that old world charm and custom craftsmanship to your home. While the paver colors, choices, styles, patterns, and textures come in an impressive array; hardscape materials include a lot more than just pavers. We build with flagstone, concrete, stack stone, and many other materials.

Do I have to wait until Spring to start building my hardscape?

This winter was very moderate so the ground didn’t freeze making it perfect time to start planning your new hardscape. The time to start planning is right now. As we wrote in a previous post, reputable builders and masons will have a project queue that may be several or many weeks out in the Spring. If they say they can start next week, be wary – even this time of year. It’s the end of February and we already are scheduling start dates for weeks out. It will only get more busy as we move into Spring.

Hardscape or deck?

Many of our customers are building a double living area outdoor environment. This may include a patio and a deck, a patio and a porch, or even a multi-level patio. It’s very popular to build multiple living areas. Likely your family plans on s pending a great deal of time on your new outdoor living area. You also likely plan on doing a bit of entertaining outside as well. Often one area will be for eating and another may be for seating. The eating area may include an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and may have an area specifically designated to accommodate your grill or outdoor smoker. This area would include your table. The other area within the environment will likely be designed for seating and relaxing.

Enjoy the slide show below for many more photos for hardscape design ideas.

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