When the onset of COVID-19 derailed our clients’ plans to celebrate their major-milestone wedding anniversary, they decided to get creative and curate the perfect vacation-at-home spot instead. Several canceled trips and a custom design plan later, this Carmel couple’s decision to invest in their home has paid off!

Executive Director and Landscape Designer Jeff Mull was happy to step in to help create an outdoor oasis that brought the vacation to them. Natural stone boulder walls built the frame for this 1900 square foot paver patio, complete with a pergola-covered full outdoor kitchen and hot tub, gas fire pit, and fiberglass pool. The amenities didn’t stop there, with wi-fi connected color-changing LED lighting and sound system incorporated to set the mood and elevate a day by the pool with family and friends.

Jeff’s favorite part is the unique multi-level pergola that spans the full outdoor kitchen and hot tub area providing shade, light, and ambiance. A wooden privacy screen is affixed to the hot tub portion of the pergola for some added seclusion when the homeowners sit down to relax.

Even the entry points to this backyard haven are intricately designed with stone steps coming up from the grassy turf area near the retaining wall and an onyx running bond brick pathway curving into the paver patio from around the side of the home. Lush landscaping beds surrounding the patio complete this backyard investment, creating the perfect backdrop for these clients to enjoy their vacation at home for years to come.

Worthwhile Challenge:

On this project, the biggest challenge was building out the space for the hot tub. It was the first time The Pros had the opportunity to craft an area for an built-in hot tub. We first had to add concrete walls around the fiberglass tub location to support the weight and structure of the tub once filled with water and keep it in place. With the concrete support system poured, the team could then surround it with pavers to cohesively integrate it with the paver patio.

Project Features:  

• Paver patio
• Gas fire pit with windshield
• Modern style dual-level pergola with three sections, creating space for dining, cooking, and relaxing in the hot tub
• Outdoor kitchen with built-in grill, mini-refrigerator, and trash can
• Running bond walkway
• Fiberglass hot tub 
• Outdoor lighting including 35 Color changing, WIFI connected, LED outdoor lights
• Outdoor Audio system with eight outdoor Sonance Speakers and two sunken mushroom subwoofer speakers
• Fiberglass pool 

Click to browse photos of all of the project features:

Specs:

• Patio: 1900 sq. ft. 
• Kitchen: 51 sq. ft.
• Pool: 16’x 35’ 
• Pergola: 13’x36’
• Boulder retaining wall: 120 ft.

Materials:

• Outdoor kitchen: granite countertops from Custom Stone, 36” DCS grill
• Paver: Unilock Beacon Hill XL, color: Fossil 
  • Soldier and Sailor: Unilock Copthorne, color: Basalt 
• Walls, Firepit, and Steps: Unilock Lineo, color: limited edition color 
  • Cap: Natural Limestone 
• Pools of Fun hot tub and pool 
• Sandstone boulder retaining wall 
• FX outdoor lighting and Sonance Speakers from Automatic Supply

Check out aerial footage of this Vacation at Home project:

Think you’re ready to invest in your home’s outdoor design? Give us a call or fill out our virtual project form to get started.