When a homeowner wants to distinguish different outdoor living areas, a change in hardscapes can be the way to go. Mitch Kalamian from Solena Landscape did just that for this home in Long Beach, Calif., using concrete bordered by artificial turf, pavers, and wood to define separate outdoor rooms.

A Concrete Decision
The majority of the yard, surrounding the new infinity edge pool, was leveled and paved with concrete slabs edged with strips of artificial turf.

"You want to make sure, whether you're using real or artificial grass, that you prep the area, compact it and get it very level and very even all the way through," Kalamian advised. "Grass can undulate and become a tripping hazard."

After leveling the area, the squares were framed and the area reinforced with a coated steel rebar. That way, if any movement or settlement occurs, the concrete squares would move as one. "The rebar has to be coated so it doesn't rust," he explained. "If it rusts, it's going to pop through the concrete."

Once the prepwork was complete, the concrete was poured into the frames. When it had hardened completely, the frames could be removed and the synthetic lawn areas prepared with compacted road base and sand.

"With the artificial turf there isn't much maintenance," Kalamian said. "Once a year we brush it so that the blades stand straight up. Infill will have to be added every couple of years, depending on how much was initially put in."

For households such as this one that have four-legged friends, use a deodorizing sand with the artificial turf. This needs to be replenished every couple of years.

Paving the Way
For the porch and outdoor dining area, Kalamian elected to use a higher end material: pavers. As with the artificial turf strips, the pavers were installed on compacted road base below a 1-1/2 inch layer of sand. "Once we're done leveling and compacting it, it's permeable, but it's really hard, just like concrete," he said. Polymeric sand fills in the gaps between the Belgard 'Mega-Lafitte' pavers.

Next to this area is an entry to the house that just had a stoop with a few steps leading up to it. "We created a porch instead so it would have an East Coast, Cape Cod feeling," Kalamian said.

Waterproofing the side of the house that was now covered by the porch was a critical step in the preparation of this area. "We cut out the siding and installed the waterproofing materials to make sure that no moisture got between our new patio and the house," he explained. Once done, they could build right up next to the house.

All Hands On Deck
The third hardscape texture used for this backyard was a wooden deck. "In this space, I wanted to create something that felt a little bit different and had its own outdoor room," Kalamian said. The deck backs up to one of the home's two chimneys and has a bar and a large fire pit, which was built from CMU blocks veneered with stone and stucco. A stone wall bisects the feature, giving it a surface to create artful shadows.

"I wanted a fire pit that felt like it was the right scale from anywhere in the yard," he explained. "Even when you're all the way up close to the house looking out at the fire pit, it's the right scale. It doesn't feel puny in a big yard."

The 15,000 square foot backyard took just shy of 5 months to complete, with a full crew of 8-10 workers every day for that time. "Demolition took a solid 3-4 weeks," he said. That encompassed removing the outdated kidney shaped pool, filling the hole where it had been, gutting the existing, overgrown plant material, and compacting the ground.

"We keep it in house," Kalamian said. "My guys are trained and know how to do all of this stuff." He does this for two main reasons: scheduling and quality control. The customer only has to communicate with one person throughout the process.

The Last Word
In addition to the design and installation of this yard, Solena Landscape offers high-end maintenance contracts. A crew visits this yard weekly and, in addition to the gardening service, wipes down the patio furniture, cleans up animal waste, and cleans the barbecue and rain gutters. As needed, they will replace seasonal plantings and change out night lighting.

"It's important to start with a really good design, and then of course always use the highest end materials," advised Kalamian.

"These hardscape elements are not foolproof and nobody's perfect," he continued. "Concrete cracks, things settle, wood splits and breaks apart and can get termite damage. So it's important that you follow the best business practices possible and the best installation practices possible so that you have the best longevity for each of these projects."

Solena Landscape won an award for this project from their chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association in 2016.

This home has two chimneys made of red brick that did not complement the new look of the landscape. Tearing them apart and rebuilding with new bricks would have been cost-prohibitive, so Mitch Kalamian of Solena Landscapes opted for a grout rub instead.

"We took colored cement powder, grout, and water, and mixed them together without any rocks. We rubbed the existing bricks with the mixture so that it would change the color," he explained. "It makes it look like it's brand new and meant to be with the house."

"Not too many people know that trick, but we've been using it a lot to change themes," Kalamian said. "It's inexpensive to do and can change the whole look completely."

The color isn't limited to shades of gray – Kalamian spoke of a recent project where they transformed red bricks to brown tones to create a Mediterranean vibe.