Two months of work in this Roswell, Ga., backyard by New Life Outdoors converted a cracked concrete space stuck in the 1980s into a functional outdoor living room with a fireplace, hot tub, outdoor kitchen and renovated pool. A mountain retreat theme envisioned by the homeowners was realized with stonework, evergreen plantings and a waterfall.

A stone wall was constructed at the same time as the new hot tub, and a dry-stacked boulder wall was incorporated for structural support and tiered planting space in front of a new privacy fence. Pathway lights illuminate steps leading to a new "tanning shelf" between the hot tub and the boulder wall.

New Life Outdoors (NLO) is a design/build firm that calls Duluth, Ga., home. Owner and operator Brian Barton and his team have been making dreams come true for Southern homeowners since 1998. With great weather for 8-10 months of the year in the southern regions of the United States, opportunities for outdoor living improvements are ripe for Georgia builders.

"The majority of my customers are looking for a space where they can unwind and recharge from their busy lives," Barton said. "Our clients are typically interested in bringing indoor functions to their outdoor spaces."

The King family brought a vision of more living space in the style of a mountain retreat for their Roswell, Ga., home to Barton and his NLO team. The existing pool and deck, built in 1980 with red bullnose coping and concrete plaster, needed a renovation, and the rest of the yard was not much better. "This was not a very inviting space, with all the cracking and rough surfaces," said Mrs. King, who renovated the space in honor of her late husband, who had the original vision for a mountain estate-style refuge in the backyard.

About 6,000 square feet of Pavestone Plaza three-piece pavers and a "splash" of stone throughout the patio replaced the old concrete surface. "Pavers are a statement of quality, and my clients are asking for them on most of our projects," NLO principal Brian Barton said.

Pools, Pavers and Privacy
Since the house was faced with brick, new columns with brick facia and stone caps provide a transition between the property and the new addition. Lights installed high in the new columns around the pool illuminate the space. NLO terraced off the bottom area with a veneered dry set stone veneer and stone caps.

The NLO team converted the pool from chlorinated water to saltwater, changing out the tile and relocating the pool equipment in the process. Workers extended the pool walls by adding block faced with dry stack veneered mountain stone, which tied the design to the 10-foot custom outdoor fireplace on the left side of the space. Hand chiseled stone was installed for the new cap, and a new tanning shelf and a hot tub completed the new pool construction.

Two new entrances were also created during the remodel. One led to the outdoor kitchen, the other to a secluded sitting area with a dry set flagstone patio and rustic bench, where Mrs. King can enjoy her paper and morning coffee. NLO also added an enclosed porch area to the back of the house, which featured a new stereo system powered by a high-end Dennon receiver and outdoor Bose speakers. A pergola was added to cover the outdoor kitchen, which is centered around a stainless steel 36-inch grill (Firemagic) and supplemented by an outdoor ceiling fan and pendulum lights for the bar area.

Ninety percent of the plantings were evergreens, which enhanced the mountainous theme, and zeon zoysia turfgrass was added in the sitting area and adjacent to the patio. Drip irrigation, which uses small tubing to send water directly to each plant instead of underground piping and sprinkler heads, cut down on over-spray and waste. "We used a combination of drip and conventional irrigation systems, because each area had its own water requirements," Barton said.

A custom shed and a gardening area was also incorporated with plant material ranging from Deodar cedars to "Purple Pixie' Loropetulum. Up lighting on the focal trees and accent wall enhances the mountain estate feel, providing Mrs. King the outdoor mountain retreat she and her husband had envisioned.