Mediterranean-Style Outdoor Living

By Michelle Medaris, LC/DBM

The fire-pit is made from CMU block and two types of tile, hand-painted Mexican and a coordinating blue. Plant-life surrounding the area is lavandula angustifolia, geranium 'Rozanne' and on the slope, Lonicera or coral honeysuckle. Photos courtesy of Monday West

This Mediterranean outdoor living project, located in Turtle Rock (Irvine), California, began when the homeowners decided they wanted a full refurbishment of their 20-year-old backyard. Designer Monday West of Creative Atmospheres, Inc. delivered.

The homeowners are partial to Mediterranean hues and Spanish/Italian design characteristics. As such, West chose this theme for the design basis. The color palette is a mixture of deep navy blues, yellows, and terra cotta.

Fire-pit and Barbeque Counter-Bar

The fire-pit is located on an elevated patio away from the dining area and adjacent to the counter-bar. The dimensions of the fire-pit are four-feet in width by six-feet in length, it is constructed of CMU block, with a smooth plaster finish. Also used in the construction are 12-inch Saltillo tiles, hand-painted Mexican tiles and less expensive coordinating blue tiles to help offset the cost. The fire-pit is fueled by gas, which is run underground to the gas meter. The barbeque is a gas and electric Twin Eagles 30-inch grill with rotisserie. The materials used in the construction of the counter-bar are the same as the fire-pit, however the Saltillo tiles were cut into four-inch squares to fit the design of the counter-bar.

Dining Area

The dining area sits under a patio cover made from douglas fir and rough sawn wood. A built-in bench acts as seating for the dining area; it has a CMU base to match the rest of the design, as well as Mexican hand-painted and coordinating blue tiles. Directly behind the built-in bench is a small 4-bed vegetable garden. Lighting on the patio consists of two hanging lantern lights, as well as hidden down-lighting, both are low-voltage. Also, the surrounding accent plants and trees are showcased with up-lighting and there is path-lighting along the patio.

The custom fountain puts use to five different hand-painted Mexican tiles. Plant-life around the waterfall includes Olea europaea (Olive Tree), Rosa 'White Carpet', Rosa 'Cecil Brunner' and Convolvulus mauritanicus (Ground Morning Glory). There are also tangerine trees on each side of the fountain.

12-inch Saltillo tiles were cut into four-inch squares to suit the needs of the counter-bar design. Plant material in this area include Feijoa sellowana (Pineapple Guava Tree) and Pittosporum 'Marjorie Channon'.

A custom fountain is the dining area's focal point. The fountain has Focus brand underwater well lights and many different types of tiles, including penny tile below the water line, the coordinating blue tile and five different hand-painted Mexican tile designs. The fountain is run by a 360 GPM Cal pump. The electrical for both the dining area and fountain are run to the house with conduit and direct burial to a 900-watt transformer. Plant-life around the waterfall includes Olea europaea (Olive Tree), Rosa 'White Carpet', Rosa 'Cecil Brunner' and Convolvulus mauritanicus (Ground Morning Glory). There are also tangerine trees on each side of the fountain.

Overall Project

Most of the existing plant-material was replaced, except for a large plum tree that provides shade for the patio and fire-pit area.

This project took three months to complete, working with a crew of four men, including an electrician, plumber, mason, carpenter and landscaper.