As summer approaches, you may find yourself wanting to spend more time outdoors at home. With that in mind, a change in your exterior’s hardscaping may be needed.
“Ask five people what hardscaping is and you’ll likely get four different answers,” says Joseph Richardson of Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, a boutique firm based in Washington, DC. “I consider hardscaping to be all the non-living elements that are designed, built, and connected to the landscape surrounding a given house. Softscaping is all the plants.”
Richardson offers tips for when you plan to build an outdoor kitchen, add a fire pit or fireplace, or create a patio, terrace, or deck. He also shares ideas for retaining walls, walkways, and driveways.
Outdoor Kitchens
Creating an outdoor kitchen can be as easy as building a nook for the small grill you roll out from the garage or as elaborate as adding the hardscaping that creates the equivalent of an outdoor room.
For either option, access to your indoor kitchen is important for practicality. If you are adding the kitchen area to an existing space, like a porch or covered deck, Richardson recommends adding proper ventilation.
You will need a bigger footprint to accommodate a built-in outdoor kitchen with grills, smokers, refrigerators, warming drawers, trash compactors, and more. Those will likely need gas, electric, and water lines. And because most outdoor kitchens are exposed to the elements, you also need to purchase high-grade stainless steel materials.
“I really challenge my clients about whether they will use the space,” says Richardson. “It makes sense for a family that will use it a lot and often entertains on a large scale.”
Fire Pits and Fireplaces
Fire pits are relatively inexpensive and relaxing to sit around. They don’t have to be constructed and can be bought ready-made.
Depending on its type, your fire pit may require a gas line. For condo or roof deck options, some fire pits come with portable propane tanks that can be hidden. Many brands also have tops to convert the fire pits into coffee tables during the summer months.
A custom-designed and built fireplace is a more costly endeavor that may require a larger footprint to accommodate seating. Those fireplaces look best when designed with materials that are used in the home’s existing architecture or landscaping.
Some newer homes come with double-sided indoor-outdoor fireplaces, but for those adding them to existing homes, a setback may be required to meet safety codes.
For larger lots, consider adding a destination fire pit or fireplace. They give you a reason to go into the deeper parts of your property and are ideal for teens because they give them a private, yet safe, space at home to hang out.
Patios and Decks
Patio or terraces? See what makes most sense for your budget and property’s terrain. A patio is a flat space created for alfresco dining or lounging, or likely a combination of the two. Terraces are essentially two or more levels of connected patios.
Because these spaces are used to entertain, higher end materials like stone or brick that relate to the home’s architecture are preferable.
The patio’s footprint should be decided by how you entertain and how often, rather than only by square footage. For example, a patio table can be a small bistro set or a table that seats 12. You can use varied paving patterns to define the space into the equivalent of outdoor rooms for dining and lounging. It’s a softer approach than using only one material.
“This is the year of bosk,” says Richardson, of spatial planning for entertaining in a cluster of trees. The vibe is more European, often completed using pea gravel and lighting, within a canopy of trees.
While patios can have their own personalities, decks are connected more intimately to interior spaces and typically flow out from the main living or family rooms. As a result, the materials, finishes, and furnishings you choose should directly complement what is inside.
With elevated decks, think about the covered space below them. You don’t want it to be dead space with blocked light and poor ventilation. Instead, make that space usable by adding those elements. For example, Richardson says you could have a deck with skylights on the upper level that light the lower one.
Retaining Walls
Building or rebuilding retaining walls is not uncommon in our area with its diverse topography. To create usable flat spaces, like lawns or patios, you may need those walls.
You will want to ask your landscape architect how much earth needs to be retained and whether the walls will be visible within your everyday sight lines. Special permits, or a structural engineer, may be required in certain jurisdictions depending on the wall’s height.
If the retaining wall is tucked away, there is no need to use expensive materials. Concrete blocks will do. If the wall is visible, stone or stucco will lend a polished look.
Walkways
Pay attention to circulation when changing your walkways. “I like to think of college campuses because they have lots of paved walkways. It’s interesting to see where people cut across those. These tend to be the most efficient ways to move around a space,” says Richardson.
Keep guests in mind, as well. You might walk up an existing driveway, but is that your preferred option for guests? Richardson almost always adds street-to-front-door hardscape, whether it’s brick steps or paving stones. Cutting across the lawn is a no-no.
Because people experience walkways at closer range than driveways, materials matter more. They are a larger splurge. For the best effect, use brick or stone to complement the architectural elements of the main house.
Driveways
When adding or replacing driveways, consider who is using the driveway, both now and in the future. For example, if you have teens who drive, it may mean you have more cars in the driveway. If there is no street parking, you’ll need to plan for guest spaces.
Once you’ve established the scale of your project, your budget will determine the materials. Paving in cobblestone is costly for a quarter-mile-long driveway but might work for a small one. For a longer driveway, asphalt or pea gravel might be more economical choices.
Most people put hardscaping money into entertainment areas, but there is no reason not to dress up a driveway. You can add a cobblestone border, an allée of trees, or even a hedge to add separation from an abutting driveway in a more urban setting.
Feature image by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
This story originally ran in our April issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.