3-Season Rooms: Shade and Swimming for a Tudor-Style Patio
A new roof, fireplace, pavilion and pool transform a backyard patio in Virginia
The hot and sweaty summers of Richmond, Virginia, were keeping this family of five from enjoying their yard as much as they wanted to. With the help of Cox & Associates and Tuckahoe Creek Construction, they added a roof for shade during hot days, a pool for cooling off, great lighting for evenings and a toasty outdoor fireplace for chilly nights. The addition and yard redesign mean the family can enjoy outdoor living from February through November. While honoring the home’s classic Tudor-style architecture, the addition evokes a more casual and rustic feeling. Here’s a closer look at the details.
Photography by Kip Dawkins Photography
Photography by Kip Dawkins Photography
BEFORE: The existing backyard was lovely but offered no relief from summer’s sun or spring and fall’s chilly nights.
“They wanted a more casual and homey feel out here, as opposed to the strict Tudor style of their home,” says Laurie Stettinius of Tuckahoe Creek Construction. “We showed them a photograph of a timber frame picnic pavilion we’d built at Collegiate School’s fields, and they loved it.”
A new standing-seam copper roof extends over the new patio and part of the house. The chimney marks where the house ends and the new covered patio begins.
While the new structure is more rustic than the rest of the house, it still ties into the architecture. Compare the detailing at the peaks in the previous photo with this one to see how the new timbers emulate the original design.
Landscape architecture by Marcia Fryer
A new standing-seam copper roof extends over the new patio and part of the house. The chimney marks where the house ends and the new covered patio begins.
While the new structure is more rustic than the rest of the house, it still ties into the architecture. Compare the detailing at the peaks in the previous photo with this one to see how the new timbers emulate the original design.
Landscape architecture by Marcia Fryer
The timber framing coordinates well with the view from inside. French doors and transoms allow for big views out to the new room.
The construction is timber frame with mortise and tenon joints. The pegs you see here are wooden, and the gutters, like the roof, are copper.
Continuous bluestone creates a seamless transition between the patio and the pool surround. The outdoor fireplace has a chimney that is attached to and emulates the profile of the original chimney but is covered in a more rustic stone on this side.
Chimney stone: MasterCut
Chimney stone: MasterCut
In the before photo, you can see that this dining area was covered already. A new timber frame structure creates a visual connection to the new covered patio. A ceiling fan keeps things breezy on hot days and keeps the bugs away. A V-groove tongue and groove ceiling, woven chairs and a sturdy wood table lend a more casual style.
Thanks to a beautiful lighting scheme, the space glows like a lantern at night. These rustic copper sconces, which the homeowners found, are a wonderful fit for the space and play off the copper used on the structure.
Bronze-coated medallions are a nod to the copper on the patio’s roof. The pleasing splashes from the spouts add to the tranquil ambience of the yard.
In addition to the pool and covered patio, Tuckahoe Creek completed this pavilion, which echoes the timber frame construction across the pool. This helps tie the entire landscape together. “The neighboring homes are quite close by, but this yard is incredibly private,” Stettinius says.
The mix of brick, clipped evergreens and looser deciduous plants gives the space a classic Virginia garden style, while the pavilion mixes in another rustic element.
The mix of brick, clipped evergreens and looser deciduous plants gives the space a classic Virginia garden style, while the pavilion mixes in another rustic element.
More old-world details carry through the property. This unique gate that leads to the backyard has custom iron details.
It also latches via this classic ball and chain.
More: Learn about the roots of American Tudor-style architecture
More: Learn about the roots of American Tudor-style architecture