Contemporary Patio

What are the advantages of a contemporary patio?
You may not have read this before, but a patio is actually less expensive than a deck. This is especially true if standard cost materials are used and no masonry walls are built around its surface.

In addition to being a money saver, a contemporary patio can be built with maintenance free materials. You can expect to get decades—not years—of perpetual enjoyment out of your new hardscapes. Another advantage is that you can have it build in any geometric shape and any size that complements your home architecture and ties it into the theme of your modern landscape. Many are actually curved with radial arcs to break up the linearity that repeats throughout a contemporary landscape.

Advantages of Patios

What about furniture for my contemporary patio?
New developments have allowed manufactures to duplicate the types of furniture that have always been used indoors. You can get everything from ottomans to chairs and dining room tables that are weather resistant. The trick is to make sure that you match the design and color of your furniture to something that will work with you home and your landscape. Ask our team for advice on this, because we know several places where you can find furnishings that will work for you on this level.

What kind of plants go well with a contemporary patio?
We prefer to use plants that are darker in color because of how they compliment the minimalism of the typical modern landscape. You see, vegetation is not the primary material that makes a contemporary yard actually work. Geometry and repetition are more important. Contemporary landscaping is all about the mind and its constant tendency to segment and create relationships out of abstract elements. Vegetation is tightly controlled and used as adjunct support to geometry and form. Around the edges of the patio, we normally plant low-level cover that would form a border of emphasis. For vertical impact, we often plant bamboo around the edges—particularly an edge that intersects with a wall. If you want vertical impact inside the patio surface itself, another thing we can do is to remove a portion of the hardscape and turn it into a planter for tall plants or even small trees.

What type of materials do you build contemporary patios with?

Real Stone
When stone is finished and polished, it is the very best material to use for building a contemporary patio. The costs are significant, however, because it is expensive to cut and finish the stone to this level of refinement. You also have to pay for higher labor rates because stone must be hand laid with careful, methodical, and deliberate attention.

Stone has the most natural outlook, most durable but also the most expensive type of patio materials. It require good skills to install because each stone greatly varies in shape and size. Additionally, mortar compound is used to adjoin these stones and settle as they dry. It is designed to wear well in high-traffic, need little maintenance and could last for decades.

Cultured Stone
Stone veneer is lighter and less expensive than real stone. It is a manufactured material that imitates real stone, but it does not have to be quarried and polished. Veneer can be cut with saws and laid out in blocks on the ground like bricks. Simple mortar is all you normally need to hold veneers together.

Concrete
Plain concrete works very well with any contemporary landscape. It suggests a sense of very stark absolutes that go hand-in-hand with the rugged Mentalism of modern outdoor landscaping.

Of course, you may want your patio to look a bit more decorative if it is right next to your house. In that case, we can either stamp or stain the color to make it appear more like finished stone.

Brick
Brick is good for smaller patios and for building hardscapes that are circular in design. There are many patterns we can create with bricks that generate radii and linear expansions of movement.

Decorative Masonry

What is decorative masonry?
Decorative masonry is a special form of hardscape that adds beauty and dimension to a landscape.

Does it cost a lot of money?
Although its purpose is deliberately aesthetic, it can be used to build function into décor as much as it can build décor into the property. Its cost is relative to the size and nature of the form it produces. Material costs vary, and labor rates are defined by the length of time it takes to build a certain feature.

Don’t think about decorative masonry as something that you have to invest a lot of money in per se. Think of it as something that is included as a significant aspect of your landscape master plan.

What are some common materials used in decorative masonry?
You may assume at first that decorative masonry is primarily brickwork. After all, the image of the mason we have in our minds often depicts a workman laying bricks. However, concrete is just as common as brick on many properties, and on some, even more common than brick.

Concrete can be used to build beautiful and memorable hardscapes that add interest and drama to the landscape.

How can concrete possibly be decorative?
It becomes decorative through the addition of color and texture. Coloration can be done by adding pigments to the mix, or it can be added through a sophisticated staining process after the concrete hardens. Textures can be stamped or even brushed into the surface while the concrete is still wet. Brooms, trowels, rock salt, and even sponges can create decorative masonry patterns in what would have otherwise been a simple slab of hardscape staring up at the sky.

Keep in mind, too, that for certain styles of landscaping, such as contemporary and modern, white cement is perfect for creating stark contrasts, points of drama, and glaring sentiments of Mentalism. So in this context, even something non-decorative can be decorative in a setting that by nature defies convention.

Is decorative masonry only limited to hardscape?
You may be using the term hardscape as a synonym for a flat surface such as a driveway, a patio, or a sports court. The actual definition of hardscape is much broader than this. The term actually refers to any inorganic structure that is built in either the front or back yard.

Viewed from this perspective, you can immediately see how many forms you are already familiar with can be created in your yard to add vertical impact to the scenery. This is critical when you consider how flat the Houston landscape is and how important a sense of three dimensions is to generating curb appeal.

What are some of these structures?
Walls of all types constitute a significant percentage of the decorative masonry built in residential landscape design. Courtyard walls create seclusion and backdrops for up lighting. Architectural walls can subdivide a large property into smaller zones of special interest. Planter walls can combine the inorganic with the organic by creating and artificial base out of which springs life. Custom fountains create movement and a sense of the essence of light—especially when illuminated with special underwater lights. Outdoor fireplaces provide warmth in the winter and the illusion of fire in the summer thanks to hidden, special lights that cause the flu to glow even though nothing is actually burning inside.

What materials do you use to build these structures?
Stone is a preferred material for patio design when the homeowner is willing to cover the cost of its purchase, finishing, and installation. It can also be used to build any number of wall structures. Concrete pavers can be used to mimic stone at a much lower cost. Brick is another masonry mainstay that is reliable enough to use as a building material for housing, and certainly reliable enough to use for any outdoor architecture as well.

Houston Masonry Specialist

If you need a masonry specialist to upgrade or build hardscape elements in your yard, let Exterior Worlds find you one and manage the invoice from a design-build perspective. It will serve your long-term interests better if let one of our designers draft a landscape master plan first. Once that is in place, masonry specialists can be brought to handle certain aspects of construction work.

A few examples include:

Patios
These custom hardscapes are built to the size and scale needed for the specific activities they are intended to host. They are also built to be as aesthetic as possible in relation to the home, garden design, and surrounding outdoor architecture.

Entry Gardens
Masonry specialists often help build the architectural and decorative walls around these special garden gateways that transition front yard space to back yard space. They also work on custom patio construction using any number of materials that range from stone to brick to decorative concrete. These architectural walls can be built at virtually any desired height. Taller walls create privacy and enclosure. Shorter walls help frame the view of your front and back yards.

Retaining Walls
These remarkable structures that hold back the grade of the otherwise flat Houston landscape that is so very vulnerable to flooding. Such a structure is always built to look as good as it works. This is why it is so important to have it designed properly by those who understand drainage and irrigation, and then to have it built by masonry specialists who have the expertise needed to build the structure as a prominent and highly decorative point of interest in the yard.

Walkways
Walkways are key to making smaller yards look yard and larger yards look less overwhelming. When created in a small yard, they tend to magnify the perceived acreage of the lot. In larger yards, they divide portions of the lot into special areas of interest.

Think beyond the sidewalk when you think about walkways and paths. Contractors can build them out of all sorts of materials such as brick, pavers, stones, and decorative concrete. The transition they give to you and your guest contributes a superb sense of completion to a residential landscape design.

Masonry expertise is usually needed when constructing these forms due to the complexity of laying out stones, bricks, or pavers in such a way as to make them safe for transit and durable for long-term usage.

If you know of a masonry company they has already worked for you in the past, or if your homebuilder referred you to one, feel free to ask this company to talk with our team about a subcontract relationship. Provided that all parties agree to follow the specifics of the landscape master plan, you can expect the outcome to be better than anything you have experienced before.

Custom Patio

Is professional landscaping important to the design of my custom patio?
Yes. This is why you need to have it built by a landscaper. Plants soften the hardscape and differentiate outdoor living from indoor living.

Is professional hardscape design important?Yes. A hardscape is actually the equivalent of a floor. Just like the floor in the room of your house, it must be carefully planned in order to fulfill its intended use. One of the worst mistakes new homeowners make is to treat the patio like a slab of concrete to mount lawn chairs on.

This can ruin the entire scene of the back yard, and waste a great deal of money on pouring a slab that works against home architecture and garden design.

It is essential to plan your custom patio in order to make it functional, durable, and decorative. By hiring a professional landscaping company to design your custom patio as a foundation for an outdoor lifestyle, you ensure maximum enjoyment of your outdoor living space.

Should I call a masonry contractor in the phone book?
You can, but masonry contractors normally work under the invoice of general contractors. They are not used to working directly with homeowners. Also, many have experts skills in building hardscape structures, but not in landscaping itself. If you hire our company, we can find any number of masonry experts to bring in the special tools, teams, and knowledge necessary to building your custom patio.
What do I need to think of first and foremost?
All you have to do is make a list of all the things you want to do with it. We will do the rest by taking the items on your list and turning them into design specifications our contractors can follow.

When you make this list, think creatively about all the different activities that you can use a patio for. Some of these activities are personal and private, while others involve large numbers of guests and family members.

Getting a clear picture from you about what you plan to do in the future will give us invaluable information on where to begin building your custom patio. It will give us a clear picture of how large it should be, and it will also give us good idea for what building materials to use.

What materials should be used?
There many, many materials that we can use to build you hardscape. Stone is the most popular material because it is natural and lasts the longest. Its only drawback is its cost. Even less expensive stone is still going to represent a very large investment. If you are planning on adding several structures to your backyard landscape, it might be better to use an alternative to stone for some of your hardscape.

Brick is an excellent choice for this. Brick has a historical look and feel to it that works very well with many period styles of architecture. It also lasts for long periods of time, comes in a variety of colors, and can be arranged in all sorts of interesting patterns.

Concrete is another option you can consider. Plain concrete is the cheapest material you can build a custom patio with, but it looks somewhat drab in most landscapes. A better choice is colored or stamped concrete. The techniques we use to create these designs can actually make concrete look like stone or brick—at far less the cost.

Concrete pavers can also be used and laid out in many different types of patterns that are similar to those used in brick work, although they create a much more different effect.

Hardscape

Where does the term hardscape originate?
Most materials used to build these structures are very hard, resilient, and durable. These structures are sketched out first in the landscape master plan. This is because they establish order and system throughout the yard, and often serve to highlight even more the lush shades of green and vibrant colors of garden design and manicured lawns.

What are some of the more common types of hardscape you build?
Elements like paved areas, sidewalks, brick patios, atriums, courtyards, and walkways are common examples. We also build retaining walls to create boundaries between architecture and vegetation. Other landscape features include custom fountains, sports courts, outdoor stairways, patios, pergolas, trellises, arches, masonry walls, and planters.

What are the more common materials you use?
They can be anything that provides a firm surface that will resist the elements and add decorative curb appeal to your property. Stone is a popular material because it looks so natural and can go with any residential landscaping design. Concrete is also another popular form. Concrete can be colored and stained to mimic stone, or stand out with a unique, decorative statement all its own. Wood and brick are mainstay materials that have been with us for centuries and will no doubt continue to remain with us for centuries to come.

What can hardscape do for us?
There are several practical and aesthetic benefits that hardscape contributes to every landscape. Some of these benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Create transition by providing a clear, recognizable transit area that moves traffic from one point of interest to another.
• Make a small yard look bigger by creating diversity between forms that lend perspective and depth to the scene
• Create borders around vegetation and activity zones
• Change the grade of the Houston landscape
• Create privacy with a wall that encloses a private space, like a courtyard
• Screen the view with such elements as lattice walls or raftered ceilings partly open to the stars
• Establish entertainment and seating areas, such as swimming pool patios, terraces overlooking spas, and outdoor fireplaces
• Create grand entrance in the form of stairways and steps leading to and from pools, outdoor buildings, backs of homes, and natural ponds
• Creating shade in the form of garden pergolas and arbors
• Create vertical impact with masonry constructs and architectural walls
• Create curb appeal with front yard walkways leading up to the home, and custom driveways and motor courts that are decorative and safe

Is hardscape more decorative or functional by nature?
That is an excellent question. To be honest, we try to make as many elements as possible both practical and highly pleasing to the eye whenever possible. However, there are times when something that is exclusively decorative can make the difference between having a nice yard and a superb yard. Custom fountains are one example of this. Other examples include trellises and small architectural walls, which do little to create enclosure or privacy per se, but make a world of difference when it comes to adding dimension and vertical impact to your home and property.

Outdoor Living Space Design

What is the purpose of outdoor living space design?
It connects the home, outdoor rooms, and outdoor buildings to the environment. This link between the inorganic and the organic results in a fusion we call outdoor living space.

What are some considerations in outdoor living space design?
You want to subdivide your lot into zones of activity and special interest. This will make your landscape an outdoor equivalent to a house with many rooms inside. Without this process of subdivision and allocation, your yard will remain only a yard that lacks the structural complexity needed in a true living environment.

What types of zones do you create?
Generally we create zones that enhance mood or zones the serve a specific function. We can also blend mood with function with many of the elements that we design. Outdoor kitchens, for example, create a feeling of fine dining outdoors. They also serve a very practical function by making it possible to cook and enjoy an entire meal without ever once having to go inside. Play areas for children are another example. Play creates a feeling of fun for kids. A professionally designed play area can be built that gives them a place to practice for a sports team they may belong to, and it gives them a safer place to do it than simply playing in an open yard or a park without supervision.

How important is vegetation in outdoor living space design?
It is the heart and soul of everything. You can think of architecture and hardscape as the body of the design, and the organics of gardens, lawns, and trees as the spirit within the body. It is very important to develop organic element with as much care and deliberation as possible. The more of a feeling of life you have in your yard, the more apropos it feels as a living environment in its own right.

What types of vegetation do you plant?

• Special grasses more vibrant and attractive than San Augustine
• Vines and creepers that cover iron and brick with living matter
• Hedges of all kinds, ranging from tiny boxwoods to man-sized topiaries
• Trees of all sizes, ranging from trees barely taller than a child to towering oaks
• Flowering plants to add color to planters and patio edges
• Traditional and highly sophisticated garden designs

How do gardens contribute to outdoor living space design?
Gardens focus the eye onto geometric patterns that are formed out of multiple shades of green and many different colors. These patterns are formed as direct compliments to your home architecture and surrounding residential landscape design. Gardens also attract wildlife. You will see more butterflies, birds, squirrels, and even wild rabbits if you plant something that provides food and shelter for these creatures.

How do tree contribute to outdoor living space design?
Trees play a major role in two respects. The first is curb appeal through vertical impact. Because the Houston landscape is so flat, anything that rises up perpendicular to the ground is going to make the entire yard look uplifted to some degree.

The other role that trees play in your yard is providing you with shade. Just think about how hot it gets in the summer here and how important shade is to us all. We want the sun, but not too much of it. However, too much shade blocks out the sun in the winter time so you freeze if you go outside.

One of the marks of a good landscaper is the ability to judge where the sun will be travelling through the sky during the summer versus where it will be during the winter and plant trees according to the sun’s path. That way, summer sun is blocked, while winter sun is allowed to break through and warm the ground.

Landscape Patio Design

Is landscaping the patio important?
Yes. Landscaping patio design has the ability to transform the entire look of your house and create a transitional space from the house to the greater portion of the yard.

What are some of the more important considerations when it comes to landscaping patio design?
We want to make sure that the grade is right in order to guarantee proper drainage during times of heavy rain. This will involve leveling off the earth or building retaining walls to keep a portion of the landscape back. Once the grade and elevation are right, we work very hard to create a foundation that will not shift in the soil of the oftentimes unstable Houston landscape.

Concrete makes a great foundation, and it can also be concealed to support more attractive materials like rocks, stone, tiles, and bricks.

How do you determine what materials to use in patio construction?
We base material choices on home aesthetic, surrounding outdoor architectural elements, overall theme of landscaping design, and on client budget. Materials should fulfill a practical purpose of providing a reliable surface on which to place furniture, stand, and sit. They must also be attractive enough to make a major contribution to residential landscape design.

How important are details?
Important enough that you need a landscaping professional to develop your landscape patio design. Since patios are focal points for gatherings and entertainment, even the smallest details offer opportunities to thematically connect to other points of interest in the yard. It is never a good idea to hire masonry contractors to build a patio that is has not been planned in relationship to both the home and surrounding outdoor forms. To do so is to create an island of hardscape that risks looking at odds with other creations.

Is space an important consideration?
Yes. We want to create living space that generates interest, comfort, and opportunities for exploration. If your yard is exceptionally large, we want to use landscape patio design to divide it into zones of activity. Several patios of different sizes may be needed to do this. Typically they are larger in size in order to match the vast space of the lot itself.

In smaller yards, we want to create the illusion of more space. This may involve building patios out of very small stones or bricks in order to emphasize the circumference and surface area of the form. Certain tricks of the eye can also be achieved by adding items like custom fountains or small masonry walls contribute to the impression that such patios are larger than they actually are.

Are plants important to landscape patio design?
Yes. Plants link hardscape to the yard itself and lend a sense of vitality that emphasizes the patio as a focal point of outdoor life. Even in contemporary landscape design, where vegetation is minimized, there is still a very great need for some kind of vegetation to add emerging presence to form.

A patio landscaping design that features plenty of lush green plants and vibrant colorful flowers breathes life into any space. You can install a mass of perennial plants, which require little maintenance. Spruce up your patio with bright potted annuals.

What are some other features to think about?
Water features are also pleasant addition to your patio landscaping design. Consider building a small pond or adding a waterfall if your space will allow it. There are small construction kits for these features available at popular building supply stores.

What type of furniture should I buy?
Find something that is weather proof first and foremost. Choose styles and colors that fit your lifestyle. Base your size selections on the amount of room you actually have on the patio. If you have limited space, aim for comfort and a nice look rather than extravagance.

Houston Deck Builders

What is a deck?
A deck is an elevated, flat surface that is normally connected to a house and provides a special surface for outdoor gatherings, seating, and transition into the rest of the landscape.

What can a deck do for my yard?
It can serve as a transition from your home to a manicured landscaped design. Houston deck builders create platforms of vantage point and opportunity by positioning seating areas and stairways in such a manner as to lead guests to various points of interest in the yard.

What is a deck made of?
Houston deck builders typically use wood. This has been the mainstay material used for decades and shows no signs of going away. Wood has to be specially treated in order to support the weight of human activity and the many decorations that are used to adorn its surface. Common wood that are used are pressure treated pine, cedar, redwood, and a number of exotic woods.

There are also well over 100 manmade decking materials we can build your structure with, provided it compliments your home and landscape design theme. Contemporary and modern style designs, for example, do better with composite decking, vinyl, aluminum, etc.

The deck frame provides support and structure for the horizontal decking. Houston deck builders are very careful in calculating the strength and material build of the frame based upon the type of deck they are constructing and the number of people the homeowner plans to entertain on its surface.
How can you blend my deck into my landscape?
We can line the edges of the deck with some type of softscape to blend its perimeter into the yard. This can be done in several different ways. One way is to build the sides of the deck as terraces that work as planters. Another way is to line the sides with hedges that grow even up to its surface. Our Houston deck builders can also plant different types of vegetation at varying heights in order to create a sense of descending entryway into a garden or courtyard below.

What are some of the different types of decks you build?
Platform Decks
These are the simplest types of decks and are built low to the ground. They are actually perfect for the flat Houston landscape and work very well as transitional areas between single-level homes and level back yards.

Raised Decks
Incorporate Safety Precautions like railings and stairs. Houston deck builders frequently recommend this style for families with small children.

Two-Story Decks
These decks give you access to upper levels of your home if you have a two story house with a balcony.

Houston deck builders have to build these structures with extra supports that must be disguised or camouflaged in order to maintain the structure’s aesthetic. One way to do this is to cover the pillars with flat rocks or skirting to ornament their appearance.

How can you decorate a deck?
Planters and benches can line the perimeter to create a garden-like or courtyard-like effect. A screened-in gazebo can be built to one side of the surface to provide a shaded area that blocks out summer mosquitoes. Angles, curves, and decorative railings can create a sense of overlook onto the backyard landscape beyond.

Houston Masonry

Hardscapes typically represent 60%-80% of any landscape. Masonry is an key component to hardscape design because it makes lifts the hardscape off the horizontal plane of the ground and adds a vertical dimension to the yard. You need masonry to create a truly superior outdoor living environment that conveys a sense of curb appeal to neighbors and possible future home buyers. The otherwise flat terrain of the Houston landscape will become transformed in your yard into realms of ascending and descending realities where ornamental stonework, custom patios, and special stepping stone blend harmoniously into the sculpted vegetation of your landscape design.

Some materials used in Houston masonry have been used for centuries. Stone and brick have been around since ancient of times. Today, the list of materials has also been expanded to include blocks, concrete cast materials, poured concrete, colored concrete, and textured concrete.

People routinely ask us if they can do their own masonry work. This depends completely on the individual’s level of skill and personal time. It is not easy for today’s working professional to find the time to build the many complex forms that a truly impeccable landscape requires. It is more practical to hire a professional firm like Exterior Worlds that can get a clear picture of what you want and do it for you.

Just a few of the many things we can add to your front yard landscape or backyard landscape include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

Concrete Masonry
The great thing about concrete is it doesn’t have to look like it’s just concrete. New finishing methods can make it any number of colors and polish to a level of refinement equivalent to polished stones like granite.

Rock and Slate
If you love Nature and want a natural swimming pool or miniature tropical stream added to your property, rock and slate can be used to create masonry forms that look so natural they could just have easily been carved out of a wilderness landscape.

Fired Clay Bricks
This is one of our more popular Houston masonry materials used in the construction of courtyards and outdoor fireplaces.

Quarried and Cut Stone
These are ideal for developing both contemporary and Mediterranean landscape themes.

Mortarless concrete blocks
Concrete blocks can be used to build multi-level planters around structures, adding a vertical dimension to the otherwise flat Houston landscape.

While it is a fact that Houston landscaping design occurs on a completely flat floodplain that offers no natural change in elevation, the skilled landscape developer is never held back by the constraints of local topography. Artificial earthworks and masonry forms can always be added to any Houston property and be developed in such a way as to mirror much more varied and interesting terrain in other parts of the country.

Keep this in mind if you are a new resident to our city and have recently found yourself homesick for forests, streams, or rolling hills. Call Exterior Worlds now and let our experts come build your home into the home you have always wanted that is both close to work and close to heart.

Houston Patios and Gardens

Most Houston patios and gardens are built in the back yard. These constructs literally carve special spaces out of the fabric of the landscape itself. These spaces are meant to play host to special activities and support those activities with specific states of mind.

On some larger estates, like those in River Oaks, patios and gardens can be built in the front yard as well. People in these neighborhoods often like a seating area near the sidewalk where they can visit with neighbors and get a panoramic view of the Houston landscape.

A Houston patio and garden go hand in hand. The patio gives you a surface that you can stand or sit on, and the garden frames that space with elements of vitality and life. This feeling of living enclosure makes you feel warm and invited into an intimate setting irrespective of the size of the patio itself.

There are all sorts of patio design that you can choose from. The fittingness of any given style, material build, or hardscape size always corresponds to the nature of the event that will occur on the patio and the aesthetic demands of the property. We must always respect home architecture and maintain thematic consistency with the design of the surrounding landscape. Nevertheless, there is a tremendous amount of freedom that exists for us when working even within these boundaries.

For instance, patios can be built out of any number of materials. Just a few of these include decorative concrete, natural stone, ornamental brick work, and decorative wood treated to resist the elements. Which of these works will work best with any given landscape style will ultimately be determined through consultation with the client and the expert advice of the landscaping professional.

Another major factor in Houston patio and garden design are the weather conditions of various seasons. The landscape designer must integrate some form climate control into a patio and any corresponding structure that surrounds it. This can be anything as simple as an overhanging tree or a decorative canopy.

In the hotter summer months of July, August, and September we may need a bit more to cool things down. Outdoor structures like arbors, living rooms, and outdoor kitchens can be built with ceiling fans and basic AC systems. Gardens around are often planted with shade resistant species because the plants receive less sunlight.

For the cool months of the year, patios and gardens are by nature much more self-contained. Because of heavy humidity combined with sporadic cold snaps, people must be kept both dry and warm. Garden plants used here are typically species that flourish in cooler climates with heavier rainfall. Drainage is very important because from December to February in Houston often experiences heavy thunderstorms and flash floods that can make outdoor environments uninhabitable and wash plants away if preventative steps are not taken.

Popular patio styles for winter are outdoor fireplaces and outdoor fire pits. Both can be built either as standalone structures or part of a courtyard or entry garden. Other elements like lighted fountains, pottery, and decorative statuary can be added to make even the coldest of winter nights vibrant and comfortable. Winter canopies can be used to cover seating areas on rainy nights so lighted vegetation and decoration can still be enjoyed regardless of what the weather happens to be doing.

On clear February nights, however, an evening outdoors on an Exterior Worlds lighted patio and garden space can be just as enjoyable—and perhaps even a bit more romantic and mystical—than a typical summer evening that many take for granted in our traditionally warm climate.

Natural Stone Patios

Where do you typically build these patios?
Most natural stone patios are built to provide functional space off from the home. There primary purpose is to provide gathering places for outdoor activities and scenic views of the back yard, home architecture, Houston landscape, and nighttime skyline.

Do you mean a specific type of stone or a stone that looks like it was found in nature?
It is the natural appearance of the stone to which we are referring. Stones that aren’t cut, honed, or finished look much like stones we find in remote places. A natural stone patio has irregular edges as a result.

Patios have irregular boundaries, we really mean irregularly constructed. There is no obvious sense of order, although on our end, we have to take a lot of time to painstakingly fit them together by hand.

What types of stones are these?
The same types of stones in other Houston landscape designs. Bluestone, limestone, and flagstone are commonly bought from quarries in a rough-cut shape ideal for natural stone work of this kind.
What attributes make natural stone desirable?
It fits in well with nature. It is causal and relaxed.

How are these stones arranged?
They are arranged in a deceptively naturalistic way. In reality, they have to be pieced together by hand, almost as if fitting together a jigsaw puzzle. Workers have to search for one stone that fits with another, so the project is not going to be finished overnight.

At other times it may even be necessary to break a large stone to make two pieces that fit together with each other and with surrounding stones. This may even involve chipping off part of the edge or hand chiseling the stone. Whatever we can do to make a Houston landscape look authentically natural with our work, we will do in this instance.

Why do you go to so much trouble?
Because the alternative is to do what cheaper landscaping and gardening services do. They put all the pieces together regardless of how they fit and this makes for too much of a gap. They then grout in or fill in the spaces with trash pieces of stone. You end up with big pieces and a bunch of little pieces that doesn’t look all that good.

Are they laid down with no grout or mortar?
No, both are needed. Proper installation requires a concrete sub slab (typically 4" thick), then they are laid on a mortar bed about 1" think. Grout is then added between the stones. The concrete is not visible.

What architectural styles does is support?
As design goes, it allows the design to connect architecture in a way with the Houston landscape and resolve conflict with nature. It can even work in modern landscape as juxtaposition to modern form.

What other structures?
In Houston landscape renovations where preexisting structures are not in axial alignment with one another, a natural stone walkway can be very useful that structures are not parallel. That type of walkway can create the perception of linearity between say an entry garden or courtyard as you move toward an outdoor room or swimming pool in the back.

The Many Uses of Cut Stone in Houston Landscape Design

What is a cut stone patio?
It is a patio constructed out of stones cut into geometric shape. They are generally cut into squares, rectangles, or some other clearly recognizable pattern.

Are these stones all the same size?
The individual stones in a cut stone patio may or may not be the same, depending on the style of Houston landscape design they are intended to support.

Where is it mostly used?
Cut stone patios are used to build hardscapes in areas where people gather and move from point to point. We commonly build them around swimming pools located at the rear of homes. Here, the patio becomes the focus of outdoor living space, and a gathering spot that links architecture to water’s illuminated fluidity and ambience.

Front walks are also made of cut stone to create a sense of grand entrance to a house. This sense of stateliness can be further enhanced by building the front porch out of the same materials. A house differentiated by these elements stands out on the Houston landscape as being unique in its ability to add human refinement to natural elements without overpowering the organic vitality of life.

How does it compliment garden design?
Because stone is a natural element, it ties very well into the richness and natural order of a garden. Cut stone makes an excellent border for almost any garden style. It can also compliment nearby gardens with patterns that are recognizably geometric and reflective of the layout of garden design. Many times a pathway, fountain, or retaining wall that is built near a garden will draw attention to the greenery and magnify its importance on the Houston landscape.

Is this a good style to use near a pool or outdoor building?
Yes. One of the biggest benefits of cut stone is its ability to communicate a sense of control that is governed by the order of nature and not the hand of man. This creates symmetry, design, and containment without overpowering the scenery.

What architectural theme does this best support?
All architectural themes can be enhanced with cut stone patios. Different styles can be reflected by simply varying the type of stones we use, the geometric shapes into which they are cut, and the sizes of the individual stones themselves.

Color also plays a very important role in supporting certain architectural styles such as traditional, contemporary, and modern. Stone colors should be selected that appropriately reflect the intent of the home itself as it rises up from the Houston landscape.

What landscaping theme does this work best with?
Any landscaping theme can be enhanced with this type of patio design. It works especially well with natural landscape design and tropical landscape design.

Outdoor Patio Design

Why do people build patios in the first place?
Outdoor patio design is motivated by two things: function and artistry. People hire professional landscaping companies to build patios in order to host events and support activities that pertain to Houston outdoor living. They also want these patios to contribute a sense of artistry and design to the property as a whole. They want beauty added to the organic elements of their yards beyond the simple level of lawn and garden forms.

What function do play in the landscape?
The functionality of outdoor patio design is always predicated on the activities that will be transpiring on that patio. People use a patio either for sitting or standing. Designers use the patio as a foundation element. Many landscaping styles require integrating softscape with hardscape elements. It is important to strike a sense of balance between utility and aesthetics in order to preserve the sense of unity between divergent, albeit complimentary, landscape forms.

How many patios should the average home have?
There is no way to determine this without looking at the home, the yard, and the lifestyle of the owners. Patios are normally built around areas of interest where people will be gathering. Some are built to host special occasion events. Others are intended to be private areas used only by the homeowners themselves. The shape and size of a patio depends greatly on surrounding aesthetics. Home architecture and landscape design themes must be complimented by the materials used and the geometry of the patio itself. There are a number of examples of how Exterior Worlds uses surrounding architecture and landscape aesthetics in our case histories section, which you can visit here.

Where do we build patios?
Considering how activity and aesthetics are really the heart and soul of outdoor patio design, there are few places where a patio cannot be built. The one exception to this is any area adjacent to the home itself. We do everything we can to avoid linking a vertical wall of a house to the horizontal plane of a patio. It simply does not serve the aesthetics of either architecture or residential landscape design to create perpendicular inorganic structures of this nature. It is too much for the eye to bear.

Instead, we always look to surround an outdoor patio design with greenery or ornamentation of some sort. Even in entry gardens which lie to the side of a home in the space between the house and the property line, we build custom fountains, install planters with flowers, or create linear gardens. This creates the sense that the patio, no matter how large its size, is surrounded by an organic presence.

This is very important to preserving the beauty of a yard. Since hardscapes can take up to 80% of the landscape in many yards, surrounding an outdoor patio with even a little bit of vegetation creates the sense that Nature is always present, alive, and well in the inorganic world of human structures.

What materials are used to build patios?
Many people think that high-end landscape design would only be done with special stonework. This is not necessarily true. Concrete can be a very cost-effective and highly aesthetic material for outdoor patio design. This is because there are so many ways to make something as plane as concrete look highly decorative. (Please remember too that the Romans invented concrete and many of the famous ruins that people visit to this day are not built from stone, but rather from concrete.)

Brushing and staining concrete add texture and color to its surface. Proprietary masonry techniques can also be used by landscape architects to create blocks of concrete that look identical to stones. The effect is the same, but the cost is significantly less.

For people who do want to invest in stone patio design, the colors and sizes of stone must be selected based upon the garden design that surrounds the area and the color and style of the house that preeminently rises up from the landscape. Two of the more popular stones used are limestone and flagstone, although there are an infinite variety of more unique and even obscure stone types that can be used at will to build any custom patio necessary for a design element or special occasion.

How to patios contribute to outdoor landscape aesthetics?
Outdoor patio design is important to every form of landscaping. Because hardscapes take up to 80% of a yard in some landscape master plans, it is essential to build structures that will harmonize with softscape elements rather than overwhelming them. Patios are ideal for this because they are built as horizontal planes even or parallel to the ground itself.

This implies a structural design that engages Nature on the level of equivalence rather than from a position of dominance. With such a structure we can do many things to introduce manmade elements into a landscape design that will provide all sorts of human creature comforts and simultaneously work to differentiate organic points of interests as unique areas of natural beauty. Careful positioning of patios helps draw attention to special plantings of trees and flowers, garden design, lawn elements and hedgerows.

Custom Hardscapes

In the vernacular of landscaping, hardscapes are the permanent elements built in your yards that serve both a decorative and functional purpose. As the name implies, custom hardscapes are ones that are tailor-made for you and your location. A few examples of custom hardscapes include luxury patios, garden pergolas, swimming pool construction, and other water features such as a disappearing fountain or koi pond.

At Exterior Worlds, we have used a long list of materials to build these outdoor elements—stone, brick, metals and concrete, just to name a few. We use these materials based on their texture, form and color, adding interest and variety to the overall design. We also are very cognizant of what complements the architecture of your home and the existing flora.

The process of planning and building hardscapes follows a fairly standard timeline:

• First, we believe hardscape plans begin with you, your family and what you want. For instance, do you intend to use it for formal entertaining or will it be a quiet sanctuary in which you can retreat from the pressures of the outside world? Perhaps you have a theme in mind, such as a Tuscan or English garden, or own an outdoor sculpture you want to feature.
• The next step requires hiring professionals, such as Exterior Worlds, to help with the planning, designing and building. We work hard to ensure that your plans fit the style of your home. For instance, a landscape design filled with organic features works beautifully with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture.
• Once our plans have been presented to you and we have your approval, the permitting stage begins. This step represents a compelling reason to hire us as we understand the local rules and regulations, an expertise that will, in the long run, save you money.
• Last—the implementation and project management phase. We promise to make sure you understand what to expect when. We not only want to manage your expectations, but we also realize that anticipation is part of the fun!

If your needs are more along the lines of backyard remodeling, Exterior Worlds has a special proficiency in this area, especially with swimming pool restoration. And if these plans sound too grand for your current budget, you might consider landscape phasing. It is a service we offer your clients that involves implementing your landscape design in incremental steps over time. You still get the improvements to your property, but the draw-down on your finances is spread out.
One example of a three-year phased-in plan, including custom hardscapes:

• Phase 1: Re-design and remodel your outdated swimming pool. Plant trees.
• Phase 2: Install custom-designed wrought iron fence and driveway gate. Design and build gazebo.
• Phase 3: Create pathways to connect the swimming pool to the gazebo. Update landscape lighting design. Complete landscape plantings.

Your exterior design should be all about you just as your interior design is. It should reflect your aesthetics, needs and desires, and be planned around your intended usage. Custom hardscapes help turn your exterior world into one that is uniquely your own.

Visit www.exteriorworlds.com for a full run-down of the landscaping services offered by Exterior Worlds. In Houston, 713-827-2255.

Houston Outdoor Patio

One of the most powerful effects that a Houston outdoor patio creates in a landscape is to draw people toward intended points of interest, comfort, and entertainment. Such a structure can be constructed anywhere in your front or back yard that you wish to use as a gathering area. Swimming pools, custom fountains, gardens, arbors, and even open spaces under lighted trees will be transformed into special outdoor living environments where comfort and aesthetics create a sense of special space within space that intensifies the impact of natural elements and outdoor architecture.

To achieve this effect you will need to work with a landscape designer who is able to create relationships between highly divergent landscaping elements and present a unified aesthetic at the end of the day. A Houston outdoor patio is a key component to this process because it is able to physically connect to any element in a yard and create a focal point that is both functional and aesthetic. The few examples that follow illustrate this point.

• Houston is hot, so adding an outdoor patio will always help improve the experience around the pool. It does more than give your guests a place to sit and recline beside the water. It extends into the landscape and touches any number of surrounding elements. Aesthetic elements such as gardens and fountains will be made to appear closer to the swimming pool and part of its ultimate design. Functional elements near the pool such as outdoor kitchens can be more conveniently accessed from a connecting hardscape. Guests who come to your home can access all points of relevance from the comfort of a special seating area that has been constructed with unity and mobility built into its design.

• The pool is only one area around which a Houston family can add an outdoor patio. Another location that always charms visitors is an entry garden. People tend to feel very at ease when surrounded by greenery and flowers. With the right kind of outdoor lighting, seating area within a garden takes on the persona of a natural room that encourages conversation and socialization in relaxed environment. This can go a long way toward detoxifying the emotions of the multiple stress factors that challenge the Houston professional on a daily basis.

• If you value privacy, but want to enjoy it in an outdoor setting in special area set aside only for yourself and your spouse, you can create a reading or meditation area around a fountain or Zen garden just for the two of you. In Houston, such outdoor patios can be built just large enough for two people, and segregated from the entirety of the yard by steps, a wrought iron fence, or a hedge.

Such environments as the ones described above serve to illustrate that there really is no limit as to where we can construct these versatile and highly practical structures. Location is not the defining factor here, but rather, complimentary design. Any hardscape that you have added to the natural greenery of your yard has to be built of materials that harmonize with organic elements. Special materials such as stone and cast stone make a seating area look like part of the natural world. Pavers are less organic but can be laid down with amazingly intricate patterns that reflect the growth patterns of vegetation.

The only exception to this is in modern and contemporary landscapes where manmade elements deliberately dominate the natural. However, these environments as well must be carefully constructed to express abstract themes and work together with architecture in the same manner that custom Houston outdoor patios work with organic designs in more traditional landscaping themes. Concrete works best in these environments and offers a world of design opportunity when stained, colored, or textured for deliberate effect.

Luxury Patios

Luxury patios tend to consist of the highest grade materials and feature design that are highly customized to events and personal lifestyle. Entertainment needs are also a major factor in determining the size, geometry, and aesthetic of most luxury patios. People who prefer to entertain at home want hardscapes that provide both comfort and atmosphere for their guests. They also want these hardscapes to blend well with the organic elements of trees, hedges, and gardens and to compliment the architecture of the home and other exterior structures.

A luxury patio can technically be constructed anywhere in a front or back yard. However, there is little point to investing in such an expense if no other specific point of attraction and amenity is located on or near the patio. In most instances, the more ornate hardscapes tend to be constructed around very specific and high-end entertainment and recreation areas that create a very high quality outdoor living experience.

The most obvious place that you would expect to find a luxury patio is around a carefully planned and constructed custom swimming pool. In most instances, this is the rule, not the exception. Custom swimming pools have to be designed by a landscaping architect who knows how to balance the aesthetic of the pool with that of surrounding landscape elements and the look and sense of style that the home itself projects. Consequently, patios that are built around these pools must be equally customized and work to support the same structures and designs that the pool itself works to compliment.

Another structure around which we tend to construct a luxury patio is an outdoor fireplace that is constructed as a central gathering place for guests at outdoor get-togethers. While it may seem strange to build an outdoor fireplace in a climate as warm as ours, these structures can provide a sense of comfort and refinement year round if they are fitted with special interior lights that mimic firelight during the warmer times of the year. In the winter, of course, these lights can be removed and the structure can work like any interior, wood burning fireplace.

People often want to do more than sit around a pool or fireplace, though. Most Houstonians have an exceptional passion for grilling outdoors (being Texans, this is innate to our local culture.) This passion for outdoor cooking can be expanded and magnified with the addition of a luxury outdoor kitchen and surrounding custom patio. The tradition of grilling can maintain its timeless status side by side with the more sophisticated and traditionally indoor culinary arts. Such a scenario takes the outdoor living experience to an entirely new level that makes the yard an extension of the living space within the home.

As important as activities and events are to the eclectic homeowner, not every point of interest in a luxury landscape is going to have a purely functional purpose in mind. Many areas play a purely aesthetic role in landscape design and draw attention to themselves on the basis of sheer beauty and symmetry. Patios can be built around such areas as water fountains, hedges, and trellises where guests can sit and comfortably enjoy the scenery and relax in special moments of quiet conversation.

If you are considering the addition of one or more luxury patios to your yard, please take the time to research the company you choose very thoroughly. Make sure they have credentials in landscape architecture as well as botany and landscape design. Experience and knowledge in hardscape construction is also a must. Custom patios must be pre-sized in the planning phase to accommodate an expected number of guests, and they must be built with the best materials so they will maintain their aesthetic under the stress of constant human activity and traffic.

Patio Design

How does my patio, a ubiquitous feature of the Houston home, fit into my landscape design?
Patios belong to the group of landscape elements called hardscapes—the non-plant material of your landscape design. In general, when hardscapes are combined with greenery, they create an outdoor living environment that everyone and anyone can enjoy. In this way, a patio is an extension of your home that is both functional and visually appealing.

Our clients have used patio designs that run the gamut from an understated, airy greenhouse to an inviting outdoor room. Thus, an outdoor patio expands the living space of the house and can create a memorable view out the window. A patio makes for a transition—an interval—between the house and the yard and adds a personal touch to the overall look of your property. It affects the physical space and emotional content of the landscape with the way it shows your personal aesthetic.

What are my first considerations when thinking about my patio design?
Exterior Worlds encourages our clients to begin with an overview:
• What is the existing view from your patio?
• Where does the sun hit it at different times of the year?
• Do you want or need a focal point? A focal point, such as an outdoor water fountain, will draw the eye to it. It literally gives the eye something to focus on. Or perhaps you have an unsightly feature or an odd spot in your layout. If so, a focal point will draw attention away from it.

Popular garden structures on patio deck designs include garden arbors, outdoor gazebos and pergolas. They can provide shelter from the elements, frame a focal point or form a decorative entrance. These architectural elements are attractive ways to add interest to your landscape and make a strong statement.

How do I connect the patio to the rest of my landscape?
We encourage our clients to make design choices for their landscape architecture that complement their home’s architecture. At the same time, you also want the selections to reflect your personality.

By their nature, garden pathways connect the patio to the rest of the landscape and finish off the patio design. Paths direct the eye and create interest across the expanse of green grass.

Landscape lighting also can tie your patio design to the rest of the yard. It turns your landscape into a 24-hour delight and serves as a security measure.
What are my flooring options?
The most common patio in Houston is a concrete pad attached to the house, a feature that creates a blank canvas on which to build. Your flooring options include:
• Concrete. This durable choice can be colored, stained or textured to create long-lasting beauty.
• Stone. Cut limestone, sandstone, quartzite and slate are popular choices among Exterior Worlds’ clientele.
• Cast stone. This masonry product gives the appearance of natural stones such as granite, slate, limestone, travertine or marble.
• Pavers. A man-made brick that recalls old world charm, patio pavers can be installed in intricate patterns, such as cobblestone.

Custom Patios

Many Houston residents have come to want more than just a typical patio where friends can sit around the swimming pool. They want a custom patio that has been designed to accommodate the functions of entertainment, recreation, and relaxation. Custom patios are typically built either behind a home or alongside of a home on larger estates, although a few very large estates with walled properties may also have them in the front yard. Regardless of the exact location of the hardscape, the ruling principle is to build a custom patio that will reflect the function and nature of specific events, and whose material build and physical form compliment home architecture and surrounding landscape features.

Traditionally, patios have either been stone, concrete, or wooden seating areas adjacent to a pool or some other center of activity. In custom design, however, the patio itself can become the center of activity. Space requirements and anticipated activities must then be factored into custom patio design as variables. When we work with a new client, we take a great deal of time during the consultation and planning phase to get a feel for what types of outdoor events they may be planning to host at their home. Such factors as the number of guests, the nature of the gathering, and what adjoining structure the patio itself is meant to be a part of all play critical roles in determining both the materials used to build it and the actual physical shape it will ultimately take.
Such a systematic approach to custom design allows us to build a patio in or around virtually any area of significant interest in your yard. Many times our clients want us to build special seating or gathering areas near their favorite fountains or gardens so guests can enjoy the aesthetic of these elements at close range and have the ambience they create actually define the experience of the event. Other clients may ask us to build a custom patio in a remote portion of the yard which serves as their own personal, exclusive, and private retreat during early morning and late evening hours. Still others seek to create an atmosphere of outdoor revelry and extravaganza where the most complex and ostentatious of outdoor structures are magnified by a surrounding hardscape design that both attracts and maintains the interest of the crowd.

We do a great deal of this type of construction around a number of special outdoor structures that represent an indoor living turned inside out. Outdoor fire places and fire pits are two great examples of this. Based upon the ancient principles of hearth and home, these symbolic invoke both connotations of historical living space and images of a warm, refined modern living room. By constructing these structures outside, in the yard, then building a custom patio around them, we can unify the experiential, the symbolic, and the Natural all into a new synthesis.

Custom patios can also be built in front of outdoor kitchens and arbors to provide an extended space connected to the interiors of these structures. Once again, letting function define the form allows not only for such an extension of space, but a combining of spaces with other areas of interest. A custom patio can link the space between a garden and an arbor, or a pool or an outdoor kitchen, giving people a path to walk on, a floor to mingle on, and a seating area to comfortably gather around for conversation—all rolled into one. Other locations where we commonly build custom patios include entrance gardens that line the side walls of multi-story homes on larger estates, and ornate lighted fountain areas that can act as centerpieces and focal points for late night gatherings.

Landscape architects use only the best materials in building custom patios and take the time to make certain that the plans they develop for the hardscape ultimately mesh with the organic and architectural elements of the property. They also make certain that home architecture and surrounding structural designs are respected and complimented by the design, materials, and size of the patio itself.

Flagstone Patios

We want to do something to our patio’s design that will both increase our pleasure in it and enhance the value of our property. Does Exterior Worlds think a flagstone patio is a good choice?

Nothing completes the look of a patio better than flagstone. A flagstone patio denotes hardiness, security, wherewithal and permanence. It is durable. It provides a neutral palette. Its bluish coloring expresses a cool beauty, which is particularly welcoming during Houston’s hot summer months. It’s easy to see why flagstone is a popular choice for patios.

Discuss patios, in general.Patios are a type of hardscape, the term used by landscapers to describe the non-plant material in your landscape design. You will want your material choices within that entire group to be coordinated and also complement the architecture of your house. Because of its hardiness and beauty, flagstone also works well for a retaining wall, built-in seating and planters.

A patio serves as a transition space between your home and the rest of your landscaping, playing a critical role in your garden landscape. By enlarging your living space, patios make the house feel bigger and unite the interior and exterior spaces. It gives you an opportunity to display your own aesthetic, both from the yard and from the view out the windows of your home. And they give you an opportunity to better enjoy the out-of-doors.
Patio designs can be worked into the classical features of a formal landscape design or the rampant abundance of an English garden design. They can include a vine-covered garden arbor or a well-appointed outdoor room. You want the design of this personal and private space to reflect your personality, whatever different elements you choose. In this vein, we would recommend a landscape designer or landscape architect—someone who can make your patio completely functional, but also custom design the space just for you and your family.

How can we integrate a flagstone patio into the rest of our landscape design?

Since flagstone creates an impermeable surface, you need to think through its impact on your yard drainage system. Exterior Worlds works with some of the best drainage contractors in the Gulf Coast area.
Flagstone is especially suited as a material choice for pathways. Garden pathways are important to landscape design because they lead your guests out into the rest of the landscape. They also help direct the eye across the green expanse of a yard.

A focal point will draw the eye to it and will be the highlight of your patio. An outdoor water fountain works beautifully on a flagstone patio because the water element becomes the center of attention and gives the eye a place to rest amongst all the stone.

What exactly is flagstone?

Sometimes called bluestone or freestone, flagstone belongs in the sandstone family. It possesses a hardness, but, at the same time, is relatively thin, making it perfectly suited for out-of-doors flooring. Its fine-grained surface contains specks of mica, which glitter and glimmer when the sun’s light catches it just right, producing texture and interest in an outdoor setting.

Courtyard Landscaping Design

Courtyard design helps establish a relationship with Nature and the main structure of a home or building. They are essential elements of many forms of commercial landscaping, particularly restaurants. Commercial office parks use them as outdoor break areas, and residential properties tend to see the courtyard as a special place set apart for meaningful conversation. While virtually every courtyard is unique in terms of its size and the materials used to build it, most share certain common elements that contribute to the sense of being in what amounts to an outdoor room built for special purposes and special moments.

Scale is the most important thing to consider in courtyard design. We want the scale of the courtyard design to be proportional to that of surrounding trees. This allows us to build the courtyard itself in any number of ways. A courtyard may be constructed out with three or even four brick walls, nestled under the branches of the overhanging canopy. Or, we can build a patio area surrounded by two or three arbors where trellises and vines intermingle with the iron work with the leaves and wood of the trees. We often build a custom fountain to act as a focal point or a centerpiece for conversation. The intent in all of these forms is to create a feeling of warmth and invitation that draws people to the courtyard at all times day or night.

In both residential and commercial environments, planters are often used to line the perimeters of courtyards. The design, materials build, and positioning of these planters is determined by the nature of the structure itself. If it is an open-air structure constructed out of trellises or a grouping of arbors, then sufficient light will penetrate to the ground and allow us to build the planters are frames around the patio and fountain. This is also true if the courtyard has standing walls but is open on the top to allow sufficient sunlight to reach interior plantings. However, we may choose to use planters as exterior elements around smaller structures and garden patios. Particularly in restaurant design, a courtyard surrounding by lush vegetation appears lively and inviting to guests who have recently arrived.

One very popular method of courtyard design in private, exclusive neighborhoods such as River Oaks, Rice Village, and Tanglewood is to build a patio surrounded by hedges that act as walls. In these parts of Houston, this provides one of the most effective compliments to the Old World aspects of home architecture and the magnificent trees that line the streets. Hedges can be made from Japanese yew, larger species of boxwood, or even smaller poplar trees to form the perimeter of an outdoor courtyard seating area within a garden or near a private entrance to the home.

In all of our courtyard designs, perhaps the most important thing to consider next to the importance of scale is lighting. No matter how large or open a structure is, it will only receive natural light for a number of hours during the day. In early morning, evening, and nighttime, even open-air structures will be shrouded in shadows unless special lighting is installed. These specialty fixtures can range from tree lights that are ingeniously concealed in the overhanging canopy, feature lights that highlight outdoor furniture, or underwater fountain lights that disperse illumination through the prism-like effect of water droplets.

Courtyard landscape design can play a pivotal role in establishing the theme of the landscape by creating a truly unique outdoor structure whose utility is equivalent to its aesthetic. For businesses and homeowners seeking to create a tangible link between the comforts of indoor living and the expansive sense of freedom that the outdoors brings, a professionally planned and constructed courtyard can be the defining point of the home living experience.

Deck Building

We would love to build a deck in our back yard. Where do we start?
You are probably thinking about either a wooden deck, most often attached to a house, or the decking around a swimming pool. Both types of decks add a special element to your landscape design, extending your living space, adding interest, and, since we’re talking about the pool area, making it safe.

The first step in a deck building project is the design process. Start making a list of what you want from your deck design. You should decide whether to cover the deck or not, whether to add deck railing or built-in seats. Also consider your landscape lighting. Other options include: an outdoor kitchens, outdoor water fountains, and fire pits or outdoor fireplaces. If you have an existing drainage system, you will want to tie the deck into it. Drainage solutions for decks include decorative drains, gutters and French drains.

Can Exterior World help us with this deck building project?
Yes! For more than 20 years, we’ve been building decks in the Houston area. We believe that the more sophisticated the design and the more complex the project, the more important we become.

If you don’t hire us, we encourage you to find a Houston landscape designer or landscape contractor who can translate the dream of your deck onto paper and actually build it. Especially they need to construct it so that it avoids any under-built problems—that is, the deck should be adequately attached to any structures and adequately supported.

Here are some tips for finding someone suitable for your project:
• Ask friends for referrals.
• Find out how long they’ve been in business, ask about their relationship with subcontractors, and determine the expertise of the crews.
• Obtain references from the company under consideration.

Educate us about a wooden deck.
Pressure-treated pine is one of the mainstay flooring options for a deck building project. Treated pine withstands Houston’s weather and damp soil, two conditions that cause deck problems. Other wood choices are cedar and redwood, both of which have resins that naturally protect them from weathering and rotting, too.

Don’t overlook engineered products like Trex. While these products can be more expensive from the standpoint of the initial cost, the durability can be one to two times that of wood, if maintained properly. Trex offers another benefit in these “green” conscious days: its decking, railing and fencing are made primarily from recycled plastic grocery bags, reclaimed pallet wrap and waste wood.

In all your material choices, be sure to match your personal preferences with other design considerations such as your home’s architecture and other existing landscape design features.

What about decking for our pool?
The material choices for your pool deck building project include wood, concrete (colored or textured or both), brick, stone (flagstone, limestone, slate, cut stone) and pavers.

With pool decking, you need to be safety conscious and use non-slippery surfaces. Stone, brick and concrete are especially practical options. They also have the added benefit of providing beautiful, interesting textures.