Enjoy endless enjoyment, no matter what the weather, with an Austin covered outdoor living space!
As the Austin area’s premier outdoor living structure designer and builder we can create a space that is rainproof!
It’s no secret that the Austin area has experienced a wetter than usual 2016 thus far. Though Texas has always been a land of weather extremes—in 1927, an unnamed National Weather Service meteorologist famously said “Texas is a land of perennial drought, broken by the occasional devastating flood”—This summer’s most recent flooding comes just five years after the driest year on record in Texas, in which statewide rainfall was just 14.88 inches.
Our year to date rainfall for Austin sits at 34.2 inches according to the Current Results weather an science facts website. With this in mind, outdoor living and recreation for many, has been hampered by the wet weather. Archadeck of Austin wants you to know that doesn’t have to be the case. As the Austin area’s premier outdoor living structure designer and builder we can create a space that is rainproof!
Rainproof you ask? Yes, we can custom design and build a protected outdoor living space that will keep you dry in spite of what Mother Nature has in mind. We specialize in covered porches & patios, screened porches and custom outdoor rooms built to keep you enjoying the outdoor lifestyle, fresh air and views without the worry of inclement weather, insects or allergens. Take a look at a few of our outdoor room designs to give you an idea of what we can do for you:
Covered Porches & Patios:
Add value to your home and enhance your outdoor experience with a covered porch or patio from Archadeck of Austin. Our custom porch and patio covers are designed to protect you overhead without reducing your connection with the outdoors. From simple covered porches to complete outdoor entertainment areas, our porch and patio covers will transform your home from the outside in.
Screened Porches:
A screened porch provides a safe, private space for your family to enjoy the outdoors all year long. Whether you need screening for insect control, weather resistance, or something in between, we can customize the perfect screened porch to suit your needs.
Sunrooms:
Give your family a sunny disposition no matter what the weather and reduce your heating/cooling bills with a new custom sunroom. Dollar-for-dollar, a sunroom can be the best investment you make in your home. Sunrooms make a spectacular visual splash and a perfect gathering spot, yet they can be one of the most affordable rooms to construct. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to add both natural light and value to your home. When it comes to designing a custom sunroom, our trained designers will visit your home, discuss your needs and wants and design a sunroom that’s perfect for you.
If you are ready to enjoy the unbridled benefits of outdoor living while keeping dry. Contact Archadeck of Austin today at (515) 259-8282 or via email at jim.odom@archadeck.net to schedule a free design consultation.
Jim Odom Archadeck of Austin
A list of the top ten ways to create an outdoor oasis
Tigerwood deck at tree canopy
When you are looking for ways to create the perfect backyard often times we let our dreams of our ideal space be fall to the wayside. Homeowners need to realize that what makes their version of the perfect outdoor living space right for them comes from within. No two people view the idea of outdoor living the same way, that being said we specialize in customizing your dreams to suit your desired function within that space, the area you have available to create your space and your budget.
A covered patio, deck and pergola may fit the bill for your backyard.
We have compiled a list of the top 10 ways to create that outdoor oasis you have been dreaming of. This list will help provide ideas and insight into how you can make your outdoor oasis a reality.
Top 10 ways to create an outdoor oasis
This Circular spa with natural privacy barrier has clean lines and delivers a contemporary feel to the space.
1) Pick you own personal style – create a backyard that flows with style. Create everything from formal by using columns and classic lines, to more modern by using curvilinear edges on your patio or deck edge, sticking to monochromatic color palettes and even introducing metal into the mix. If you can’t decide on just one style, then you can use a combination of well-chosen elements for an eclectic unique look.
2) Embrace textures – this maybe the most crucial design element that is often overlooked when building an outdoor living structure. By mixing wood, composite, stone and other hardscape materials together within your design, you create a feast for the senses. Combining a hardwood deck in combination with a flagstone patio will leave you with a space that begs to be lingered in. On a simpler note, even adding a pergola of rough-hewn cedar in conjunction with a hardscape feature will provide the same stunning contrast.
3) Be creative – outdoor living design is not black and white. There are no set rules, so go ahead and think outside the box. Employ the use of unexpected design opportunities to add visual interest. From adding a seating wall around your fire pit to placing deck lighting in an unusual spot to create ambiance, these details make the difference. A little creativity goes a long way.
This Flagstone patio with fire pit, bench retaining wall and adjoining deck shows how mixing textures can produce a lovely outcome.
4) Work with what you have – take a good look at your backyard and cultivate your outdoor living space with ingenuity. Mature trees, a spectacular view, or the slope of your yard can all be used to your advantage to get the most function and enjoyment out of your outdoor structure design.
5) Live outdoors and still have privacy– by designing your backyard with intimacy in mind; you can still have a highly functional outdoor space that offers privacy. Retaining walls and privacy walls are a great asset to your space and add a way to keep prying eyes away. This can also be achieved through landscaping methods, such as borders that can add color and lush foliage to your space too.
6) Choose your function – in order to get the most from your space, it is important to decide what you want the primary use of your space to be. Entertaining, cooking and dining, relaxing and even a need for a shaded area are viable reasons to choose one structure over another. If you intend to use your space for multiple functions then a design that includes multiple outdoor areas that offers separate designated functions may be your best choice.
This Reading nook on Tigerwood multi-level deck at canopy level provides a place for intimacy and to spend quiet moments.
7) Borrow upon the elements of nature – the 5 elements of nature are water, metal, earth, wood and fire. By using one or more of these elements in your outdoor space you will create an atmosphere that blends with your backyard. An outdoor fireplace or fire pit adds an intoxicating feel to any outdoor design. The flame, the sound and the warmth bring out some primitive instinct that makes us want to be near it. Water plays on our senses in much the same manner. By adding a water feature such as a rock waterfall into your outdoor space, you will hear the soothing sounds of moving water on a regular basis which relax and renew.
8) Decide the amount of maintenance your material choices will require– many times homeowners convey their wishes to use certain materials without realizing the amount of maintenance their structure will require. For example an Ipe or Tigerwood deck requires annual maintenance, and sometimes more frequent in certain climates, to keep the wood looking new. In order to maintain your structure to get optimum results, it is important to decide the amount of time you are willing to put forth to maintain your investment. Many of the materials we have available require little or no maintenance and will remain looking new for many years to come.
Covered patio with custom outdoor limestone fireplace in Austin
9) Create an outdoor room – screen porches, covered patios and 3 season rooms can now be treated as an outdoor room with all the functionality and creature comforts that an interior living room can provide. Outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, ceiling fans, outdoor televisions, recessed lighting and plenty of electrical outlets are some of the many options available in outdoor structure design. The hardest part is deciding what you want to include in your space.
10) The details make the difference– an outdoor structure without decorative accents or outdoor furnishings that individualize it is just an empty shell without character or personalization. By choosing furnishings that offer comfort and style to your space you will want to use it more often, and so will others. A comfy outdoor sofa with overstuffed cushions will create a place that you will never want to leave. The small touches that put the icing on the cake are the decorative touches like planters placed on your new deck stuffed with beautiful foliage and blooms, or maybe a reclaimed architectural piece placed as a focal point; these things are the glue that binds the perfect outdoor oasis together.
Jim Odom Archadeck of Austin
Whether you are ready for a new deck, yearning for a quiet spot to keep the sun off of you so you can read in the garden, or are ready to transform your entire backyard with an outdoor living combination structure, we can make it happen. Outdoor living is all about fun, friends and family; to us outdoor living is personal. Contact Archadeck of Austin to learn what the stuff of dreams are made of.
Call for a free consultation: (512) 259 – 8282
Email:Austin@archadeck.net
See more inspiring images of other outdoor living areas by visiting our shade gallery, outdoor living gallery and patio and hardscapes gallery located on our website.
An outdoor oasis in Austin that is seamless in design and function
This Austin covered pool-side cabana is a true backyard paradise.
A backyard can hold the key to the ultimate outdoor living enjoyment. A backyard begs to be improved upon, much like an artist’s canvas serves as a backdrop for creativity and visualization. These Austin homeowners took their backyard to a new level by adding a cabana-style covered patio with endless amenities.
When we originally met with these Austin, TX homeowners they had recently installed a new pool and had the area adjacent to the pool poured to accommodate a 15 x 15 pavilion. The homeowners had meticulously collected pictures of what they had in mind, but most of the photos were out of scale. We spoke with them about what aspects of the pavilion where the most important and transferred those into the custom design we prepared for them. They already had a nice grill but also wanted an outdoor fireplace, outdoor bar sitting area, outdoor kitchen with refrigerator, ice maker and sink. They also wanted a place to hang a big screen TV to enjoy within the cabana as well. The dilemma was to fit all the elements they wanted into the 15 x 15 design, which couldn’t fit within the space allotted. We strongly urged them to allow pushing the design out two more feet on two of the sides, which would incur the design components to cover all the newly extended concrete.
Column and kitchen details in covered patio
The clients had a stunning brick home that also had an existing wood deck, their pool had a decorative stone back and canterra beams. We designed the structure support with that part of the pool in mind and used cedar to pull the whole thing together. The home, the existing outdoor designs, and the new covered patio blended effortlessly as if they had all been built together. Since the home is located in a weather zone and receives a lot of hail, the roof was also upgraded with steel shingles and a crushed stone application so it looks like clay shingles and is durable and strong.
The interior of the cabana boasts custom cypress cabinets which are stair stepped 12″ and 18″. Ingenious design was used to accommodate the TV which required consideration of the placement of the TV as well as the DVD player and cable box, and all the accoutrements that surround the TV. Our cabinet builder customized the TV cabinet and made it deeper to hold all the electronics. We also installed recessed cans for additional lighting in the evening within the covered patio. The existing canterra column lights also aided in night-time illumination. For the bar/serving area we constructed a 6′ bar that can be accessed from either side. This area provides an easily integrated area into the design without becoming a full-blown area to take up too much space. We even installed stucco walls to aid in creating privacy from the neighbors that also hides the children’s playground. Each facet of this cabana’s design allows for flow and easy accessibility.
Entering the interior of this pavilion can make every day feel like a weekend.
The homeowners are ecstatic with the covered patio design. It has added in their outdoor, and living enjoyment as a whole. Now the family is directed outside to enjoy the area throughout the week instead of just on the weekends. It is the perfect place to have dinner, family movie night, and sleepovers for the kids. They like to spend their time in the covered patio in the evening as a family watching movies or just enjoying each others company by the outdoor fireplace.
This covered patio is the epitome of an outdoor oasis. This structure is the perfect place for this family to make memories that will last a lifetime, and have a lot of fun in the process! A true work of art in the realm of outdoor living structures.
Jim Odom Archadeck of Austin
Contact Archadeck of Austin to turn you backyard from basic to beautiful with our many functional and gorgeous outdoor living structure designs. Call for a free consultation: (512) 259 – 8282
Austin@archadeck.net
Austin Decks, Pergolas, Covered Patios, Porches, more 