The project: the clients desired and outdoor living area where they could cook, entertain, and relax.
The must-haves: the kitchen needed a grill, warming drawers, refrigerator drawers, and a large sink. The living space needed a TV that could be protected from the elements and a fire table. The entire space would need to be covered and have adequate cooling and heating provisions to ensure it was usable year-round.
The before: the before of this project was pretty simple… there was nothing there! The only constraint on the space was a large tree which we weren’t permitted to (nor did we want to!) cut down.
The challenges: working to fit all of the clients’ desires in a space that was constrained by a pool on one side and a tree on the other made initial design planning a little difficult. Beyond that, we needed to ensure that the new, contemporary living area fit in with the existing exterior of the home. Finally, we had to work to find a fire table that could safely be installed under the living area’s roof without creating a fire hazard.
The solutions: a few rounds of workshopping the design ultimately landed at a galley kitchen adjacent to the living space which had plenty of space for all necessary appliances. A minor remodel of the back patio including removing a column and squaring off rounded edges (see below) helped blend old and new. Finally, a Montigo firepit fit the bill for a safe and stylish fire feature.
Kitchen at the left, living at the right, beauty all around!
