Exceeding Expectations

Greg and Brenda Cushing have a lovely home in West Des Moines that offers a warm welcome from the moment you pull in the drive. A front porch surrounded by flowers and trees, light wood finishes inside, and natural light softening the living space—all combining to create a home for relaxing and enjoying the company of friends and family.

The one weak spot for the Cushings was the back deck.

“We knew when we bought the house that we would eventually want to replace the deck,” says Brenda. “But we wanted to do more than just put in another deck.”

The couple envisioned creating a much more useable space, where they could enjoy the view, do some outdoor cooking, and entertain their friends in almost any weather. But those dreams presented some complications.

“We really wanted a more enclosed space,” says Greg. “I imagined more of a roof and outdoor kitchen with space for eating and watching football games.”

Since the deck was at the back corner of the house with access to the garage and to the kitchen, that meant the project would require some skilled design work to marry the new roof with the existing one without creating water problems.

“We talked about a number of options,” Greg says, “and that’s ultimately why we ended up working with Kaufman Construction. Devan had done this type of space before. And he really understood the complexities of the design and worked with us to come up with a solution that resolved every concern and looked like it had been part of the house from the beginning.”

It was that collaborative approach and the 3-D renderings that really confirmed the partnership with Kaufman Construction, according to the Cushings.

Kaufman says that is something the company takes great pride in. “It’s always been important to us to work with the homeowners, not dictate the design. Our task is to listen and then take the lead to translate the client’s vision into reality.”

More than doubling the size of the original deck, the new outdoor living space features a stained-wood cathedral ceiling with fans, motorized screens, and a fireplace seating area. Kaufman also designed the outdoor kitchen Greg had been wanting.

“I really wanted it to be a functional cooking and working area,” says Greg. “I knew I wanted a grill, and I was looking at smokers and pizza ovens and other options. Devan’s the one who suggested the Kamado Joe, and it was the perfect solution. It does both, and it looks great.”

Facing the west, the original deck could get so warm as to be unusable during the peak summer months, so the Cushings were looking for ways to resolve that with the new design.

“We considered a full screen and window system to make it truly a four-season room,” Greg says. “But in the end, we decided this screen system made more sense. We can raise and lower them to let in more light, and we wouldn’t use the space in the winter much anyway.”

The decking material is a durable composite in a neutral gray tone, but the Cushings were having trouble finding a complementary color for the cathedral ceiling. “Devan finally suggested that we go with wood and stain it the color we wanted,” Brenda says. “It turned out beautifully. Everything turned out even better than we imagined.”

In addition, Kaufman’s design created a new patio area below the deck, as well as storage for lawncare supplies.

“This area used to just be a sort of crawl space under the deck that sloped down to the yard,” Greg says. “They had to dig out quite a bit to level it for the patio and create proper drainage.”

The Cushings then had their landscape contractor take some oversize landscape stone from one part of the yard to create a stepping stone path from the new patio to an existing one off the lower-level family room.

The couple couldn’t be happier with the finished project for both its beauty and its functionality. Greg says, “I love that when I’m out golfing with friends, they look over at the house, and they can’t believe this wasn’t part of the original house. They can’t even tell where the new part begins.”

Tear out began late last fall and continued over the winter and spring as weather permitted for construction.

“The team at Kaufman Construction was great about giving us regular updates, even if we were out of town,” Greg says.

Over the summer, the couple entertained in the new space frequently.

But Brenda says one of her favorite things has been enjoying the outdoor living space every day. “I’ll sit out here with my morning coffee next to the fireplace even when it’s chilly in the morning,” she says. “And some days when I’m working from home, I’ll bring my laptop out here so I can enjoy the view while I’m working. It’s just so peaceful out here now.”

More than just a deck, the finished project has become an extension of the home, just like the Cushings envisioned. •