Outdoor Areas for Year-Round Dining, Lounging and Soaking
A vaulted pergola and a cleverly designed patio create a welcoming backyard for a Dallas couple
“My clients wanted a space that would allow them to hang outdoors 365 days a year. But they had no idea how to accomplish that,” says contractor Stephan Sardone. He helped them come up with a plan that divided their narrow backyard in Dallas into zones for gathering and relaxing in different ways. Now they have a beautiful, welcoming space that includes a conversation area around a fire pit, a pergola-covered dining area and lounge, and an attractive deck around their hot tub.
The yard beyond the patio and decks is a flat lawn bordered by a concrete path on one side and a garden bed on the other. These clients are water conscious and wanted a low-maintenance landscape — this grass is a realistic-looking artificial turf.
Sardone crafted the patio and path to look like they are composed of large custom pavers with river rocks between. But they are made of poured concrete. He framed out and boxed in the areas with two-by-fours. The boards were placed in a grid across the patio to leave space for the river rocks in between the concrete squares. Then he poured the concrete for the patio and the path just as he would have for a typical poured-concrete patio and path. The result is a more customized look with added texture and natural materials. “Doing it this way made the patio and path more stable and was more cost effective than using pavers,” he says.
Browse fire pits in the Houzz shop
Sardone crafted the patio and path to look like they are composed of large custom pavers with river rocks between. But they are made of poured concrete. He framed out and boxed in the areas with two-by-fours. The boards were placed in a grid across the patio to leave space for the river rocks in between the concrete squares. Then he poured the concrete for the patio and the path just as he would have for a typical poured-concrete patio and path. The result is a more customized look with added texture and natural materials. “Doing it this way made the patio and path more stable and was more cost effective than using pavers,” he says.
Browse fire pits in the Houzz shop
Sardone delineated the next area with a vaulted cedar pergola and a change in flooring material — ipe decking. While this deck looks as though it sits flush with the ground, it was built like a typical deck and sits atop low ipe footings.
He left the area underneath the pergola open to the elements to follow his clients’ wishes. “They had a lot of shade already and didn’t want more, and the porch along the back of the house provides protection from rain,” he says. However, he built the pergola in a way that would easily allow him to add a roof, just in case they change their minds someday.
He left the area underneath the pergola open to the elements to follow his clients’ wishes. “They had a lot of shade already and didn’t want more, and the porch along the back of the house provides protection from rain,” he says. However, he built the pergola in a way that would easily allow him to add a roof, just in case they change their minds someday.
An outdoor sectional wraps the corner of the deck, forming a comfortable lounge area. It’s a perfect spot for the family to catch up or relax at the end of the workday.
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Austin stone forms a terrace between the constructed backyard and the more natural edge of the property.
Sardone poured another path to connect the pergola deck to the hot tub. The path forms a bed for a Japanese maple and shrubs on the right.
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The multitiered hot tub deck and wraparound bench are also ipe wood. “This was a good way to add a landing zone for the hot tub, and it dressed it up,” Sardone says. The bench provides a spot to cool off or to sit with someone who is soaking.
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“My clients work hard and wanted this space to help with their work-life balance,” Sardone says. “And the house isn’t that big, so it gives them a separate space, whether she wants to have friends over for a glass of wine or he wants to have the guys over to smoke cigars. They both prioritize being home, and now they consider the backyard their vacation home.”
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“My clients work hard and wanted this space to help with their work-life balance,” Sardone says. “And the house isn’t that big, so it gives them a separate space, whether she wants to have friends over for a glass of wine or he wants to have the guys over to smoke cigars. They both prioritize being home, and now they consider the backyard their vacation home.”
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Browse thousands of landscape photos
Find a landscape architect or designer
Shop for your outdoor space
Patio at a Glance
Who uses it: A young family of four
Location: Dallas
Size: About 500 square feet (47 square meters)
Contractor: Stephan Sardone of Sardone Construction
The design divides the yard into zones. This photo was taken from the flat lawn zone. In the foreground, a patio provides a conversation area around a fire pit; beyond that, a pergola-covered dining and lounge area. A hot tub with an attractive new deck surround is tucked at the edge of the property.
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