EXTERIOR REMODEL: AL FRESCO DINING

Featured in Better Homes & Gardens, this award winning outdoor room is designed with space to relax, share meals, and entertain. The "floor" is made from permeable pavers, the "ceiling" from an open trellis. Color, complexity, interest, and a sense of privacy are introduced through hardscape — New York Bluestone slabs, stacked Waukesha wall stone, and perennial plantings. These hard surfaces form the room "walls" and visually anchor the new space within the yard. A built-in fire pit serves as a gathering point for evenings spent with friends and neighbors. The majority of the surfaces were designed to take advantage of eco-friendly, maintenance-free materials such as white Azek® trim, natural stone and recycled composite decking.

This project won the 2009 Regional Contractor of the Year (COTY) award for the "Best Exterior" category.

Photos: Markert Productions, LLC