A few years ago when travel was much more carefree and whimsical than it appears to be today, my wife and I were blessed to have the opportunity to visit a luxurious new resort in Mexico. It was truly the vacation of a lifetime. It was the stuff that dreams were made of.
The shimmering coastal waters, powered-sugar-like sand, all-encompassing tropical breezes and a variety of outdoor relaxation spaces were stunning in every conceivable way.
One of my favorite outdoor spaces was an outdoor bar (don’t judge – after all, we were on vacation) that had a thatched roof and was connected to the most exquisitely designed pergola I had ever seen at that time. And coming from a guy that designs and builds pergolas, that’s really saying something.
A LIFETIME OF OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES INSPIRES WHAT WE ASPIRE TO BUILD
Feeling like I was in a protective womb while enjoying my tropical refreshment inside this secluded pergola, a sense of bliss, happiness and calm came over me like nothing I had experienced before.
So recently, when our new Austin pergola builder client requested a secluded space allowing them the freedom to be outdoors yet providing privacy, guess where my brain fast forwarded to?
Yes. That resort in Mexico (if only I could remember the name of it, near Zihuantanejo – you know, that paradise that is revealed at the end of the film Shawshank Redemption).
Our client’s home is in the Avery Ranch subdivision in far northwest Austin, TX which provided a perfect setting for this new construction adjacent to an existing patio.
KEEPING WHAT’S GOOD AND MAKING IT BETTER – OVERLAYMENT
First, we need to talk about this sanctuary’s foundation. The existing outdoor living space that was about to be transformed had a concrete patio completed by a previous owner of the home.
Since the patio was in perfectly good condition, we decided to use our concrete overlayment process, a technique whereby a hardscape area is resurfaced, instead of staining, to give patios a new life.
If an outdoor surface is even and has no large cracks, that patio is a good candidate for resurfacing. To execute the technique, we apply a concrete overlay, a cement-like material that we spray or spread over the patio to give it a new surface.
NOW THINGS ARE LOOKING UP – AND OUT OF SIGHT
With our overlayment foundation set and cured, it was time to create that “hidden” oasis space that our client had been wishing for.
With the outdoor space already conveniently located in a private corner of the backyard, a part of our “privacy” work was already done for us.
Using rich and fragrant cedar, we built a magnificent privacy wall to provide our client with the solace he was looking for. Likewise, the pergola was also constructed out of cedar, as you can see.
Instead of interfering with the beauty of the overhead pergola, we installed free-standing oscillation fans and attached them to the vertical support beams. Our feeling was that it lent itself well to that free spirit yet private atmosphere our client longed for.
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN FOR LEISURE BLISS WITH OUR PRIVACY OPTIONS FOR YOUR OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE
If this scenario is whetting your appetite for a free, no-obligation Austin patio and pergola combination consultation, you’re in luck.
We’re ready to have that conversation. Click right here and we’ll be in touch to schedule our meeting. And thank you for trusting Archadeck of Austin with your outdoor living needs. And dreams.
Jim Odom, owner Archadeck of Austin.
