Outdoor Living at Its Finest

When families look for homes these days, they look closely at three areas inside: Where to prepare their food. Where to enjoy their food. Where they can relax and entertain their friends. Now, as decks and outdoor spaces have taken on increased importance, those factors are critical for outdoor living as well.

Case in point: Elizabeth and Brian Freeman of Waukee moved into their home 10 years ago. The existing deck had a northwest exposure stretched mostly along the side of their home. They struggled with wind tossing their grill across the deck, leading them to store the grill in their garage. At the Home and Garden Show a few years ago, they visited with Harold Cross, owner of Archadeck of Central Iowa, about creating an expanded deck space, one that would include a built-in outdoor kitchen, dining area, and lots of space for sitting and relaxing or entertaining. “Plus,” notes Brian, “our old deck was cedar that was rotting. We were tired of redoing it, and we were tired of grilling in the driveway.”

Two-tiered project

With design help from Cross, they agreed on a large, two-tier, wrap-around L-shape deck. The plan included wood-alternative, low-maintenance decking with cable railing and lighting. With COVID and weather delays as factors, the project began in November 2019 and ran through July 2020.

Cross used TimberTech Legacy in two colors to create the awareness of steps between the various areas of the new deck. “All of this has really, really changed how we use our deck,” Elizabeth confirms.

The new deck surrounds the home’s window-filled sunroom—all the better to enjoy their 1 acre-plus lot and the view of a shared pond with other neighbors. Westbury vertical cables in black give a subtle boundary to the deck. Elizabeth’s love of flowers shows up in colorful pots around the deck, including big blue pots holding fuchsia Dipladenia rocktrumpet, also known as Brazilian jasmine. They included space for entertaining both now and into the future. Archadeck coordinated the veneer stone finish of the kitchen with Iowa Stone Supply and the granite countertop fabrication and installation by Granite, Marble & Tile Solutions.

A huge cantilevered umbrella from Backyard Adventures was added over the northwest section of the deck. Its 360-degree swivel design provides shade and flexibility in the hot summer afternoons.

For easier access to the home, sliding French doors were added to connect the house to the new portion of the deck. An outdoor table near the new entrance provides a dining space the family enjoys frequently. To maintain the view of the pond from the large sunroom windows are two one-step levels on the deck floor. Cross used TimberTech Legacy in two colors to create the awareness of steps between the various areas of the new deck.

The center level of the deck holds lovely outdoor furniture, including a love seat, a large sectional sofa, and two swivel chairs. ”We chose the swivel chairs to allow the option of simply enjoying the view or turning to enjoy the company of those on the deck,” says Brian.

Snowball effect

Wrapping the deck around the back of the house created a space for a covered patio on the walkout area below. “It was something of a snowball effect,” Brian says.

“We had a lot of fun collaborating on the overall design of the space,” says Cross.

During the design process Elizabeth and Brian realized the underdeck created a great private spot for a large hot tub. They revised the design of the post-and-beam span and structures and the new retaining wall to better accommodate that usage.

Stone steps connect the deck to the patio below. The patio features Belgard Urbana pavers set with a curved edge. The pavers from Iowa Stone Supply add a pleasing touch underfoot and lead to a small seating area at one end of the patio. Outdoor speakers and up-and-down ambient lighting also add to the relaxed atmosphere.

Fire table

For ambiance and warmth during cooler weather, a fire table sits in front of the larger sofa. Near the dining table is a huge ‘Autumn Blaze’ ash tree, which acts as a canopy over the table, along with a market umbrella.

The Freemans are thrilled with the results. “We find that we spend so much more time outdoors, as do our kids. Between the deck and the covered hot tub, it has truly become a space we can enjoy year-round,” Brian says.

“This project has enhanced our outdoor living space,” Elizabeth confirms. The couple and their three children, ages 11, 9, and 6, can often be found outside reading or talking with their friends.

“We love to entertain friends and family,” she adds.” And this project expanded the ways in which we can do so. Plus, it created this beautiful, relaxing space place to read.” •