Small Rooms Preferred Over Large Space

By Gregory Harris, LASN

The outdoor space features a variety of hardscapes elements including brick wall stone that matches the accent stone on the house, bluestone paving stone at the seating areas and conversation pit (at left with blue chairs), and limestone on the fire place and swimming pool walls.
Photos Courtesy of KMS Photography, LLC

Northville, Mich.-based Russell Design was provided a blank canvas to work with when their client expressed a desire for an outdoor entertainment area to be added to their newly built residence. Although the site for the outdoor space was barren, large trees surround the area and the design team had to overcome a 27-foot grade change.

Working with the grade change, the team designed a series of outdoor rooms that offer both intimacy for smaller gatherings and enough space for a large number of people to enjoy the surroundings.

?EUR??,,????'??No fill was added for the grade changes,?EUR??,,????'?? Marc Russell, owner/principal at Russell Design, said.

A zero edge pool was one of the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s wishes for the space. This portion of the space includes an outdoor shower (lower left) and an outdoor kitchen located under a custom mahogany pergola.

Grade Change Used in Design
The large grade change was overcome by incorporating a series of walkways and steps, allowing for a design that achieved the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s goal of having multi-purpose areas without the feel of an open plaza. From the driveway, guests are invited to the main entry along a carpet of random set bluestone. A rosette of natural cleft and smooth bluestone inlaid with lavender colored bluestone marks the transition point that takes the visitor to the front entrance or allows them to continue around toward the rear yard.

The areas designed using the grade changes include a small ?EUR??,,????'??conversation pit?EUR??,,????'?? next to the outdoor fireplace. This space has three chairs and two tables and is located several steps down from a large open space. The four-sided fireplace can be enjoyed from this level and this space has a dining set and couch that can be moved to provide even more space.

Russell noted that the brick used to build the retaining walls is an exact match to the brick used on the house, tying these areas together.

?EUR??,,????'??The client gave us free reign to use high-end materials to construct this outdoor space,?EUR??,,????'?? Russell said.

In addition to the swimming pool, outdoor kitchen area and conversation areas, the homeowners wanted to include a space for their small children. As a result, this playhouse was included in the design. The playhouse is the Deluxe Monkey Mansion from Paso Robles, Calif.-based Daniels Wood Land. The entire playhouse was manufactured in California, and then shipped to the site where the contractor assembled it.

Tree Canopy
The home sits adjacent to a large county park, resulting in numerous trees in the area, both in the park and on the client?EUR??,,????'???s property. Russell said it was very important to keep the trees on the property in order to provide a canopy for the outdoor space, which contributes to the privacy of the space. ?EUR??,,????'??These are white pines and oak trees so they have some scale,?EUR??,,????'?? Russell said.

In addition to the oaks and pines, the site includes evergreen trees, flowering accent trees, ornamental trees and boxwood hedges. The plant palette includes: Red Sunset - Acer rubrum, Snowmound ?EUR??,,????'??? Spirea nipponica, catawba rhododendron, and northern lights azalea.

A Must Have Feature
Another ?EUR??,,????'??room?EUR??,,????'?? in this outdoor space houses the zero-edge swimming pool, which was high on the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s wish list. ?EUR??,,????'??The client wanted a zero-edge pool so we gave them a pool to fit the space,?EUR??,,????'?? James Gray of Russell Design. ?EUR??,,????'??The pool is five feet deep, which fits their needs. It is a nice piece in the overall design as it gives a reflective quality to the space.?EUR??,,????'??

An outdoor shower was placed near the pool, as was an outdoor kitchen with all of the amenities ?EUR??,,????'??? stainless steel grill, sink and plasma television. The kitchen/barbecue area sits below the main deck and is covered by a custom mahogany pergola.

?EUR??,,????'??The trellis gives a nice feeling to the space,?EUR??,,????'?? Gray said.

Russell said this project was challenging from a design standpoint, adding that the homeowners love the outdoor space and that it receives year-round use.