330 Homes Spring 2026

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house 12 ACTIVITY CENTER 22 BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN

by COLIN BAKER

Done Waiting

I’m finally redoing my kitchen instead of living with good enough.

We had some work done on our current house before we moved in. It wasn’t a major renovation — just painting and having the floors refinished. We had a month between our old house closing and moving into the new house. It was perfect timing, and it was also right down the street from our old place, so it was pretty easy to move. At first, after we moved, I was OK with the kitchen. I didn’t love it. The cabinets were painted, and I knew someday I would change them. My philosophy, good or bad, is that if you want to change something in your house, then don’t use a band-aid solution when you really need to renovate the whole thing. An example: The countertops are not great, and the handle keeps falling off the silverware drawer. Every time I open that drawer with only one handle instead of two, I think, I’ve got to do something about this. It would be easy to get new handles and a better countertop. But I know if I did that, I would just kick the renovation down the road. This winter really pushed me over the edge. Part of our kitchen is over the garage, and this year was extremely cold. The house was built in 1931, and the insulation is probably close to that age. There are parts of the floor that have a 20-degree drop in temperature. I’ve had enough — I am now in the market to redo our kitchen. I haven’t begun to bring in remodelers to start looking at what we can do, but it’s going to

start soon. In the last house we lived in, I did 95 percent of the remodel myself — and that was not something I would do again. There were so many missing trim pieces and fixes that I never ended up getting to until we sold that house. It was finished in time for someone else to enjoy. I am not going to do that this time.

It feels like a grandparent who puts plastic on their furniture so that someone else can enjoy it later. It seems like a strange idea. Why not use it now and put a cover on later to hide the stains? I’m all for enjoying it now. Life is too short to keep waiting.

I do have to say I’m cheap and always look at things as assets — what it’s worth versus what I owe. But I heard someone say that you shouldn’t see your house as a piggy bank, but as a place to live and enjoy. If it’s worth more when you sell, great. That shifted something for me. I realized I’ve been treating my home like an investment property instead of a place where I live.

I can’t wait for them to rip the walls open, only to find that there most likely is no insulation. I’m sure there will be surprises. There always are with old houses. But at least I’ll finally have a kitchen I actually want to use, and I won’t spend every morning standing on a cold floor thinking about all the years I could have been enjoying something better.

a supplement to Akron Life magazine

Publisher COLIN BAKER

cbaker@bakermediagroup.com

Editor-in-Chief

KELLY PETRYSZYN kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com

Assistant Editor

CAMERON GORMAN cgorman@bakermediagroup.com

Senior Graphic Designer

ERIN GULLING egulling@bakermediagroup.com

Contributing Writer

JAMES BIGLEY II

Sales

BUNNY LACEY

STEVE TYSON

TYLER BOHINC sales@bakermediagroup.com

Circulation circulation@bakermediagroup.com 330-253-0056, ext. 104

Graphic Design Intern SPROUT DICKERSON

Editorial Interns

DREW BERKSHIRE

DENNIS FARAHANI

JILLIAN FLACK

spring 2026 | volume 8 | issue 1

33O HOMES is published by Baker Media Group, LLC, 1653 Merriman Road, Suite 116, Akron, OH 44313. Copyright 2026© by Baker Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by an addressed envelope and sufficient postage. Baker Media Group, LLC and Akron Life accept no responsibility for unsolicited material. Subscription rates: Continental U.S., One year —$19.95, Two years —$34.95. Call for Alaska, Hawaii or international rates. Single issues available by calling the circulation department or visiting akronlife.com/store. $4.95 each plus $3.50 shipping & handling. Editorial, advertising and business offices: (330) 253-0056, fax (330) 253-5868.

AREA RUGS CARPET UPHOLSTERY

by CAMERON GORMAN

Nurturing Nature

OPEN AIR

INVITE NATURE INTO YOUR YARD BY CULTIVATING NATIVE PLANTS.

Monarch butterflies have evolved alongside plants in the milkweed genus — enabling them to tolerate the toxins present in those plants and rely on them for forage, says Summit Metro Parks biologist Christopher Chaney. "So, when there's no milkweed available, monarch caterpillars have nothing to eat," he adds.

The caterpillars don't only stomach the toxins — they also use them. "They accumulate them into their tissues, making the caterpillars unpalatable to birds,” Chaney says. “About 70 percent of our wildlife species have a somewhat specialized relationship with one plant or a limited group of plants.”

Those flora-fauna relationships are key to a healthy environment — and a major reason to consider making your yard wilder.

“We are aimed at reclaiming as much area as possible for wildlife,” says Chaney. “If we can take a small footprint of lawn and convert that into a grass and wildflower meadow, or plant the native shrub there, maybe a native tree, then that represents a complex resource that wildlife can and will visit and actually depend upon for their survival.”

Summit Metro Parks' Wild Backyards initiative, launched in 2022, champions the cultivation of native

plants, the management of invasive plants, the minimization of one’s ecological footprint and more to create better habitats.

Follow the Wild Backyards checklist, with level one steps including implementing actions from a habitat quality list. In regard to wildlife, that includes providing toad, bat, owl, bird or bee shelters, assessing and addressing bird-collision areas and avoiding the use of bug zappers. Level one also recommends starting with planting three or more native species.

“Most other forms of life ultimately depend on plants,” says Chaney. “The number of different native plants we have changes the number of different wildlife that can be supported.”

By cultivating native flora, you can make your yard more hospitable to native species — increasing biodiversity.

“It’s all the way down through bumblebees, butterflies, moths and down to things we can’t see with the naked eye,” Chaney notes. “There are native fungi, native bacteria, nematodes that depend on certain plant species. So, the more diversity we have in our native plant communities, and the more space we allow for nature, the more resources we provide for wildlife.”

GET STARTED

You can prep your lawn for conversion into a habitat that can support native plants. Though you can’t directly remove residual pesticides and fertilizers in the lawn, you can help speed up decomposition.

“They do move into the water table eventually, or they break down, depending on the chemical, but having more microbial activity in the soil does often help with that,” says Chaney. “Having a higher proportion of organic matter and higher diversity of soil fungi and bacteria increases … the rate of pesticide decomposition.” Though Chaney advises against disturbing the soil unless necessary, you can increase microbial activity by digging small trenches and introducing organic matter like compost or leaf humus into the soil. Kill off the non-native grass using herbicide, wood chips or solarization (placing a tarp over a section of lawn).

Generally, the best times to plant are spring and fall. “Earlier in spring, right after the ground thaws, gives the plant enough time

GROW THESE OHIO NATIVE PLANTS. /summitmetroparks.org

Prairie Dropseed

Soft green bursts of prairie grass can frame your garden beds if you choose to cultivate prairie dropseed. “It forms a clump 2 to almost 3 feet in diameter,” Chaney says. Allow it to anchor a smaller garden space, or plant several in a larger space. “It’s visually interesting but not overwhelming,” he says. As a host species for some native butterflies, it also attracts beautiful insect life. Plant in soil with average to low moisture and in full sun.

Swamp Milkweed

Crowned with delicate pink-to-purple flowers, swamp milkweed attracts butterflies. “In nature, we usually only see it in actual wetlands, emergent marshes,” Chaney says. “But it does really well in the average garden bed.” While common milkweed spreads by rhizomes and can take over whole parts of your garden, swamp milkweed doesn’t. “When it’s deliberately planted, it only needs average moisture … and spreads somewhat modestly by seed after two or three years,” says Chaney. “It does provide forage for monarch caterpillars, and its flowers are a nectar source for lots of different critters.” Swamp milkweed tolerates full sun to two to three hours of shade.

to acclimate to its new position, receive spring rains that will settle soil in around its roots,” he says, adding that the first two weeks of October are also ideal.

Pick a spot for your plant to thrive, dig a hole, pull the plant out of its transfer pot and loosen up the soil or potting media around its roots. “[It] can introduce establishment problems if you plant too much of that media in the hole,” Chaney says.

Place the plant’s roots in the hole, and hold the root ball with one hand. With your other hand, tuck the soil between the roots.

“Once that’s done, and I’m confident there aren’t too many air pockets around the roots, then I’ll go and lightly pat down the soil around the stem and water it … within the first, say, half-hour,” he says.

If it's planted during a drier time of year, watering every two to three days without rain is best. Following that, you won’t need to water most native plants unless weather patterns are unusually dry.

Wild Columbine

Tolerant of part to full sun and drier soil, wild columbine is known for its red blooms on arched stems. “It’s got these beautiful flowers with yellow stamens, contrasted with red to orange corollas,” Chaney says. “When that plant is loaded with blooms, it’s just gorgeous.” Plant in drier soil with part to full shade.

Wild Geranium

The small purple flowers of wild geranium can tolerate full shade to full sun and provide a spring show in your garden. This plant prefers soil with average moisture. “It can also tolerate slopes,” Chaney notes. “It works well in every garden bed I’ve ever planted it in, but also goes well in a forest edge naturalization.”

by KELLY PETRYSZYN and photos by OHIO REAL ESTATE PICS

All in One

DREAM HOME

THIS STORIED HUDSON HOME HAS EVERYTHING FOR AN ACTIVE FAMILY.

A real estate agent reached out to William Gotts and Melissa Monaco about a Hudson house with an indoor pool and tennis court. They brushed it off a few times but eventually looked at the house — and fell in love with it. As president of W.C. Gotts design-build firm, Gotts originally saw it as a property to renovate and sell. But Monaco’s family convinced the couple to make it their own.

“This is a pretty special property in Hudson,” Monaco says. “There’s a lot of details that — to me — are really important to a family.”

They bought the 8,000-square-foot colonial in 2024, renovated the interior for six months, moved in with their two boys and then renovated the exterior and nearly 2-acre yard for about another year. But when they came across another storied Hudson home, built in the style of Stan Hywet Hall, Gotts got the bug to restart the design process again. They bought it.

“It is an addiction,” Gotts says.

Now, their colonial is on the market. Renovating it to fit their family was a labor of love. They removed walls to open the closed floor plan on the main floor and join the hearth room and kitchen, creating unobstructed sight lines to double sliding glass doors facing the indoor pool. They also added three black-paned kitchen windows overlooking the glassenclosed solarium, plus sliding glass doors on either side of a steel fireplace in the hearth room, showcasing the newly built courtyard.

While they redid much of the main gathering space, the couple didn’t touch the stunning tongue-and-groove geometric post-and-beam ceiling with a central square skylight focal point over top of their large gray U-shaped sofa.

“We liked it warm. We liked the brown earth tone,” Gotts says. “We’ll sit on this couch, and you look up at the stars.”

The red brick wall behind the sofa stayed — but doors were replaced with an inset bar featuring a dark leathered marble swirled full-height

backsplash, gray cabinets and a beverage cooler.

“It does tie together the colors and, to me, the different textures that are in this space,” Monaco says. That includes the new red oak floors added throughout the first floor.

A red brick fireplace remains a focal point in the kitchen, but the element that influenced other choices, including a matching range, was the unique black ice chest-style Big Chill refrigerator with gold hardware. Those elements pop amongst neutral Amish walnut cabinets and marble countertops. Off to the side, the scullery features custom gray Amish cabinets, a replica farmhouse sink with a gold wall-mount spray faucet and a custom coffee station. A scullery window overlooks the glass solarium, featuring new heated large-format hexagon tile floors and backyard views.

“The kids are playing on the sport court,” Gotts says. “With our coffee, we watch them play.”

They reworked the tennis court, so the kids could play full-court basketball, pickleball, soccer, lacrosse and more.

The sloped yard was regraded to make room for a private courtyard with a 7-foot retaining wall, 7-foot-wide linear

fireplace, grilling station, bluestone patio, fire pit and hot tub. A 12-foot glass garage door joins the area with the 2,000-square-foot indoor heated saltwater pool pavilion — featuring an existing exposed post-and-beam, tongue-and-groove warm wood ceiling.

“It’s like country club living,” Gotts says.

Several more spaces complete the main floor, including a half-bathroom and a guest suite with a bathroom. The masculine den, where Gotts works, features rustic accents such as a Texas longhorn over a red brick fireplace, a cowhide rug and a brown leather couch in the two-toned gray space.

“We wanted something dark and rich, creating that cave-like feel. It goes really well with the brick,” he says. “Then we brought in some of the leather tones.”

Monaco showcases feminine flair in the lady lounge, with a commanding custom white Venetian plaster fireplace, twin bejeweled tufted gray sofas, an oversized, gold-framed mirror and a crystal chandelier hanging from the coffered ceiling. Monaco chose this fixture and several others, including the double-ringed crystal piece crowning the dining table.

“Warmth and a little bit of elegance — I like to bring that in,” Monaco says. “Lighting is a great way to set that mood.”

Gotts picked twin 4-foot layered circular black chandeliers, adding drama to the owner’s suite. Featuring 18-foot cathedral ceilings with coffered details and herringbone hardwood floors, the suite is painted in airy Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige. The couple swapped out a carved fireplace for a light cultured stone one.

“The vibe in this room, the intention, to me, is to be very soothing,” Monaco says.

In place of a jacuzzi tub, a new wet room is complete with large-format porcelain swirled wall tiles, rain and other shower heads, a freestanding concrete tub, skylights and slightly sloped heated floors that flow into an 8-foot linear drain. They added 60-inch Carrara marble his-and-hers vanities and moldings, which match the bedroom. A sizable walk-in closet finishes the suite.

There are two more bedrooms and two more bathrooms on the second floor, a laundry room and another bedroom that's used as Monaco’s office for her Monaco Method coaching business. The third floor offers a lounge, where their boys, Ben, 12, and Chase, 10, practice guitar and have

friends over to play video games.

The couple transformed the unfinished basement into a functional space with large-format chevron luxury vinyl tile flooring. There’s a fitness room featuring an infrared sauna, a bathroom, a large mudroom and a laundry room with a second refrigerator and a dog wash with striking blue large-format swirled porcelain tile for their papillon, Diego. It all fits their family perfectly. They are looking forward to passing that on in the lovely Main Street setting that Hudson offers.

“This has been and will be, for another family, a love letter to family,” Monaco says. “It really is, to me, a haven. That’s something that I’ve loved about being here — the warmth, the memories and the fun.”

Mudroom

With 10- and 12-year-old boys heavily involved in sports like lacrosse, baseball and soccer, the mudroom on the ground floor of William Gotts and Melissa Monaco’s Hudson home is a drop zone. A wine cellar is now an 8-foot shoe closet. Lining the walls are country club-style lockers with a mesh metal face and maple trim, as well as maple benches. Family members can enter from the attached garage and put gear away in minutes.

“Our guys handmade all of this. The expanded metal gives a little bit of character, a little bit of texture, but it’s also functional. If there’s something that’s wet in there, it gives it a chance to dry,” says Gotts, the president of design-build firm W.C. Gotts. “You have all the space. Why not make this amazing mudroom?”

by JAMES BIGLEY II and

Free Flow

SPACE LIFT

CLAZAK KITCHEN AND BATHROOM

THIS MODERN KITCHEN MAKEOVER BROADENS ITS FUNCTION.

As a design consultant for Clazak Kitchen and Bathroom, Paul Miller had already worked on remodeling the bathroom, laundry room and wine cellar in this Hinckley home. So, when it came time to tackle the kitchen, he knew the peninsula separating the kitchen from the living room would be the first to go.

“Kitchen use changes for customers who’ve lived in their homes for 30-plus years,” says Miller. “They wanted to entertain people for the holidays and have a layout where people didn’t feel separated.”

During the 2025 renovation, the opening in the wall separating the living room from the kitchen was widened, connecting and opening the spaces. Mismatched terra cotta flooring tiles were replaced with copper Karndean vinyl flooring to pull in the darker colors of both environments. A small kitchen island was swapped out for a larger one to provide more seating and storage, and cherry wood cabinets were replaced with soft white maple cabinets — plus a Brittanicca gold Cambria quartz countertop and an arched, inset coffee bar. To pull together all the textures, finishes and colors, Miller partnered with Jara Thomas of JT Interiors.

The goal of Miller’s design was to improve the flow as well as the function, so the family could move through the room as freely as possible.

“We were really intentional about walking them through the room,” says Miller. “On my computer, we used Chief Architect software for a virtual walkthrough to open every single cabinet and ask, What are you going to put here? That level of detail makes your kitchen fun and makes it feel like a long-term investment.”

In Range

Removing the peninsula opens up movement in the room. It also gives people a direct sight line on a 36-inch oven range with a custom burnished copper hood from Stoll Industries. Miller moved the range to make it a centerpiece. “These new modern ranges are larger, so they need more space,” says Miller. “It also allows you to prepare, cook and clean after a meal all in one defined space.”

Arched Approval

The inset coffee bar, housed in its own arched iron ore wall, draws the eye. Built-in shelves show off an assortment of teacups and knickknacks while a vertical Tribeca sage gloss backsplash makes it stand out beside the burnished backsplash of the range. “Changing the slopes of the geometry can really make something pop,” says Miller. “Arches are becoming really popular, and we’re starting to do more of them in … windows and cabinets.”

Hide & Seek

Cabinets flanking the range double as artistic storage. Textured transom glass panes from Glass Specialties offer a semi-obscure view of what’s inside. To maintain a cleaner look, Miller hid outlets under each cabinet and the on/off light button inside each cabinet to illuminate it. “You push the button to turn them on, and you hold it down to dim them,” he says.

Stylish Function

The island divides the working side of the kitchen from the entertaining side. The Cambria quartz Charlestown matte countertop is a stark contrast to the lighter Brittanicca gold warm style on the perimeter. The massive Charleston legs come from Timber Wolf, painted in a custom in-house cafe color from Clazak. “The dark and moody island matches the iron ore color of the coffee bar,” says Miller, “and pulls your eye away from the lighter colors around the perimeter.”

Paradise Found

DREAM HOME

HOMEOWNERS INVITE

THE OUTSIDE IN TO CREATE A WARM, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT.

Instead of downsizing, empty nesters Jeff and Tommi Floyd hoped to create a space worth returning to as their family continued to grow. In 2024, they decided to build a new home just a half-mile down the road from their former Jackson Township residence.

It wasn’t just about making sure their family had a place to land — they also wanted to maximize the possibility of outdoor living across all four seasons.

“We didn’t really have any outdoor living at the other space,” says Tommi.

John Mizener, family friend and designer for Rembrandt Homes, had designed their original residence. He made their new dream home a reality.

“They came to me and said, John, we don’t want to go to the country club pool. We want our kids to come to the house and feel like they’re at the country club,’” recalls Mizener. “They wanted their home to be a place where everyone could get together, and they could be inside and outside all at the same time.”

From the second you reach the great room of this 4,800-square-foot abode, the natural beauty of the outdoors blends in effortlessly with a modern take on wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic that finds natural beauty in imperfection, asymmetry and simplicity. Mizener used oversized quarter-sawn white oak beams to anchor the vaulted ceiling so that it would be warm and comforting. With one straight chase and one angled chase that conceal the chimney flue, stacked one on top of the other, the ArcusStone fireplace becomes a focal point, inviting rest and relaxation. Antique Indian shutters from East End Salvage out of Texas stand firm on either side. Framed by vases holding branches from a dogwood tree that was torn down during construction, the space is rooted in clean lines and natural accents.

“I dried those large branches out because it was important to be able to bring part of their lot inside,” says Mizener. Off the great room, through a set of accordion glass doors, there’s an indoor/outdoor patio that holds cushioned seats and a low stone table in front of a

bluestone fireplace with a mantle and mounted TV. The same bluestone that’s used for the outdoor porches is pulled into the sunroom, which is heated for year-round use. A remote-controlled phantom screen allows easy access to the backyard pool, and another set of accordion doors leads to the sunroom, where bluestone is used in a second fireplace.

“They really wanted the whole room to flow, so we really tried not to bring in too many different substrates,” Mizener says.

That design choice carries on. Nearly every room on the first floor is treated with ArcusStone. This suede-like crushed limestone gives each room a unique, mottled marble appearance. A slight shimmer and pearl-like depth catch your eye.

“It’s so subtle, but when you walk into a room, you just know there’s something different,” says Tommi.

In the kitchen and dining area, find Taj Mahal quartzite running throughout the custom hood, backsplash and countertops.

LED lights are encased inside a rectangular onyx chandelier above the dining table. A functional brass pot-filler sits on a dividing wall, waiting to be used over a Thermador 48-inch-wide range top. An ornate pantry is complete with reclaimed breadboards, a rolling ladder rail system and 30 paned glass cabinets that contain antique pottery, bottles, tea kettles, dishes and more.

“I love designing homes where their art meets their function,” says Mizener.

Functional art runs through nearly every room, including the mudroom. The original plan was to build a set of lockers across from a closet.

“We decided we wanted every room to have something you wouldn’t normally see,” says Mizener. “So, we decided to blow that closet up and make it more relaxed, so it functions more like a statement piece.”

Mizener bleached three antique white oak barn beams and used them to frame out a nook with oversized lights, brass hooks and a simple wooden bench.

“Good design doesn't always have to cost you money. It has to cost you foresight,” he says. “You have to think way

in advance to be able to have ideas that are outside the box.”

Some challenges were unexpected. When designing the owner’s suite bath, Tommi picked out a 1,200-pound concrete tub. Because it was so heavy, they needed to build a brick column underneath it in the basement.

“That brick column supports the weight for the bathtub above it, but we use it to hold our towels when we use the sauna or the hot tub out back,” says Jeff. “It didn’t take away from the area, and it helped break things up.”

The Floyds wanted the basement bedroom to feel like a high-end hotel where their daughters and friends could stay. It contains a mercury-smoked glass mirror alongside framed antique rugs with beautifully worn patterns — a combination that’s both Old World and Baroque. Seventies saddle-style heirloom leather Halston chairs from Four Hands provide laid-back luxury in a red-brick lounge and bar. Antique windows from Old School Architectural Salvage in Cleveland separate another gathering room from the workout room.

“The basement is essentially one gigantic room segregated by brick columns and wood headers,” says

Mizener. “Even the theater room is open.”

It’s that sense of togetherness and a consistent flow between the outdoors and the comforts of home that really makes it shine.

In warmer months, Tommi likes to relax in the suspended daybeds that hang from a fully screened-in porch — with rough-hewn concrete walls — right off the owner’s suite. From there, she can watch the kids swimming in the in-ground pool or lounging underneath the pavilion. Sometimes, they step out to a fire pit surrounded by six chairs. On quiet nights, a hot tub brings relaxation. Each area provides something different — but entertains all the same.

“Each tier has a specific purpose for every season,” says Mizener. “They wanted us to pay as much attention to the outdoor living areas as the interior, and I think we pulled that off.”

CLOSER LOOK

Bar

When alcohol and liquor were outlawed during Prohibition, the only legal way to get a sip was through a physician's or pharmacist’s prescription. Some spirits — like whiskey or brandy — were said to cure ailments, like pneumonia or high blood pressure.

When designing the red-brick basement bar, Rembrandt Homes designer John Mizener aimed for an Old World speakeasy aesthetic. For sale on eBay, this set of antique Prohibition-era prescriptions fits the vibe. He purchased a set of eight and had them custom-framed behind the bar. Dated Dec. 27, 1923, one permit prescribes two drams of whiskey at bedtime.

“Anytime we’re designing a home or interior space, we want every piece to be unique,” says Mizener. “This gives people something to talk about.”

photos by ANDREW SERAFIN

Serene Escape

OPEN AIR

A BACKYARD BECOMES AN INTIMATE HIDEAWAY.

This Hudson backyard wasn’t always a secluded oasis. The original outdoor space, inherited from the previous homeowners, featured an elevated pressure-treated wooden deck and an uneven ground-level brick patio.

“The clients didn’t like their outdoor space, and they wanted a one-level entertaining space, a covered pavilion and a fireplace with a mounted TV,” says Suncrest Landscape Group Professional Landscape Architect Dan Van Voorhis, who designed — and whose company renovated — the backyard in fall 2023.

Suncrest replaced the original elevated deck with a Unilock Beacon Hill XL fossil-toned concrete paver patio, masonry steps with natural limestone step treads, a masonry fireplace, a masonry grill island, a pre-fabricated pavilion, lighting and finishing touches with landscaping. What resulted was a continuous, connected space that functions as a luxurious hideaway.

Providing Structure

Van Voorhis centered his entire design around the prefabricated and pre-stained Cascade pavilion from Berlin Gardens Structures in Millersburg. "Berlin Gardens builds an excellent quality product and offers a method of installation that we needed for this project. Trying to install this project in under two months and before Christmas was the goal. Thus, the one-day pavilion installation kept the overall project moving quickly," says Van Voorhis. The pavilion’s finished ceiling hides electrical wiring for lighting, fans and infrared heaters. Suncrest also had Berlin Gardens install a pre-stained, cantilevered pergola over the bar area to provide a sense of enclosure.

Gathering Space

Adding the custom masonry fireplace walled off one side of the pavilion space, while also providing a central focal point. Made with manufactured ProVia cultured stone, this new fireplace closely matches the fireplace built onto the back of the house in the ‘90s. In addition to the fireplace, a client requirement was re-using their existing Traeger Timberline XL wood pellet grill in the new design. Thus, Suncrest designed the grill and bar top island around that grill, providing an opening in the masonry block for the grill to roll in and out of place. "Combined together, these components add function to the perimeter of the enclosed pavilion space and also make for a welcome, cozy feeling," says Van Voorhis.

Layered Lights

High-voltage Carson lanterns from Hinkley Lighting provide a golden glow that shimmers and bounces off the bar’s black pearl granite countertops. Cafe-style string lighting above the dining area helps illuminate it. "The lighting on this project enhances the design and allows the space to shine," says Van Voorhis. Low-voltage cap lights, tucked under the limestone step treads and granite countertops, increase safety. Lowvoltage pathway lights, along the patio's edge, and uplights on the house and surrounding plantings complete the lighting design.

Thoughtfully Planted

Prior to the start of the project, the clients wanted to save their recently planted serviceberry tree. "It's sentimental and meaningful to incorporate something from before into the new design," Van Voorhis says. Beneath the serviceberry tree is a large garden bed with boxwoods, spirea and annual impatiens for vibrant color. Other landscaping beds around the patio separate the patio from the house and bring in more natural elements. Finally, the existing arborvitae trees on the property line add privacy and provide a wonderful backdrop for this exciting project.

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