Sam Hickey, Author at Creekstone Outdoors

05 Jul

Designing a Contemporary Outdoor Kitchen Near Your Pool

What’s better than a hearty meal near your pool after a swim? Maybe cooking that meal in your outdoor kitchen! With all the practical features of an indoor cooking space, an outdoor kitchen lets you cook in the fresh air for yourself or for a backyard full of party guests.

For your outdoor kitchen design, there are a few things for you to consider. One is the appearance and decor you’d like to feature. For a contemporary kitchen to match your modern home, you’ll likely want to include these key elements of modern designs. Let’s look at some contemporary outdoor kitchen ideas.

Design the contemporary outdoor kitchen of the year with these design tips and ideas! Share on X

Stainless Steel

Nothing quite emulates the modern look like stainless steel appliances and cabinets. The sleek, metallic appearance will make your outdoor kitchen feel bright and open. Additionally, stainless steel’s universal appeal means it will pair with almost any other decorations or additions. Granite countertops in particular will provide a differing yet complementing color addition for your contemporary outdoor kitchen.

Cooking Appliances

Obviously, your kitchen will need cooking appliances and equipment. Choose from a wide variety of custom appliances designed to perfectly match or complement the rest of your decor. A few necessities include:

Grills: choose between charcoal, pellet, or gas grill models
Side burners: you can’t boil water or scramble eggs on a grill! Use these side burners to cook on a smaller scale.
Refrigerators: keep leftovers or ingredients chilled.
Ice makers: why haul ice from inside when you can just make it in your outdoor kitchen?
Vent hoods: keep the smoke out of your eyes while you cook.

Unique Flooring

Stone tiles or imitation stone provide the perfect floor pattern for a modern kitchen look. Try geometric patterns in two or three contrasting shades for an eye-catching floor plan and the perfect design to match the rest of your kitchen. In addition, don’t forget that this floor will probably have to withstand a lot more abuse, dirt, and impact than your indoor kitchen’s flooring materials. Find the most durable flooring you can.

Pro Tip: Even with a patio cover, your outdoor kitchen’s floor may get a little wet on rainy days. Choose a flooring material that doesn’t become too slippery when wet.

Put a Roof Over Your Head

Don’t let the rain or summer heat keep you from cooking! With a patio cover, you can continue cooking regardless of the weather and make your outdoor kitchen an extension of your home. A ceiling also gives you the chance to install a strategically placed fan or light to help even more with your cooking time. Design an outdoor room!

Your New Contemporary Kitchen

Designing a contemporary outdoor kitchen gives you the chance to have fun and customize your new outdoor space as much as you want. With plenty of choices for accessories, decor, and practical features, you’re sure to find something to love in your new contemporary outdoor kitchen.

Connect with us for more design inspiration and to see how other clients designed their own kitchens!

28 Jun

4 Reasons to Invest in a Covered Outdoor Living Area

As you design your ideal backyard, you’re probably considering several different ways to decorate. For plenty of Houston homeowners, a covered outdoor living area provides both practicality and comfort for a comfortable hangout spot. What can a covered space do for your backyard?

Does your dream backyard have a covered living area? It should! Find out why here. Share on X

Why a Covered Area is Part of the Perfect Backyard

A patio cover, cabana, or pergola adds a shady spot to your backyard and can complete an already accessorized outdoor living space. If you’re not sure your backyard needs one, consider what you might be getting by adding a covered area:

Protection from the weather
A comfy dining area or kitchen
A more appealing pool
An extension of your home or patio

1) Protection from the Weather

Houstonians are painfully aware of the constant heat and heavy rain that the summer brings. Don’t let the heat keep you from enjoying your backyard! A patio cover or similar structure lets you construct an outdoor living room to relax and enjoy the weather without enduring the sun or rain.

2) A Comfy Dining Area or Kitchen

Constructing your outdoor kitchen or dining room under a cover does more than let you use both during inclement weather. It also keeps both areas reasonably protected from falling leaves and twigs, protecting your food. Your family and guests will appreciate the outdoor atmosphere with the comfort of shade and protection.

3) A More Appealing Pool

If your backyard includes a swimming pool, a cover will help keep leaves and twigs out of your pool. But why stop with an arbor over your pool? Take the covering a step further with a pool house to partially or entirely enclose your pool, all but guaranteeing no debris can get in and providing you with a climate-controlled swimming area.

Pro Tip: Your pool house can be fully furnished to become an awesome guest house, or just enclose your pool and protect it from the elements.

4) An Extension of Your Home or Patio

Your covered patio or living space should reflect the rest of your house. Expert designers will ensure the colors and structures match or complement your home and other backyard decor for a truly seamless transition. Once construction is complete, your new outdoor room will feel like an extension of your house that just happens to be outside.

Attractive Patio Design

A covered outdoor living area can make your backyard feel complete and add an additional appeal. Whether you’re perfecting a dining area or just want a small cover for your hangout spot, the possibilities are endless.

Connect with us to see completed outdoor coverings and brainstorm your own ideas!

21 Jun

Transform Your Backyard Into the Go-To Hangout Spot

Ready to host summer parties for your friends and family? Why not have those parties in your newly redone backyard? Turn the yard into an outdoor living space with everything you need for a great hangout!

With a little preparation and redecoration, your backyard will have all the custom features and supplies for some great outdoor hangouts this summer. Get ready to make the neighborhood jealous!

With a few new luxury features, your backyard will be ready to host memorable summer parties. How will you redecorate? Share on X

Water Features

If you don’t have a swimming pool in your backyard, why wait? If you already have one, considering adding a few unique features to catch your guests’ eyes. A few popular choices include:

Waterfalls
Bubblers
Underwater lights

Fire and Lighting

Keep the mosquitos away and light up the night with an open flame! Add a firepit or bowl of fire to provide an extra bit of glamor and provide the chance to cook over an open fire. You can also opt to add electric lights if the fire isn’t quite enough. Your choices include:

Fireplaces
Fire pits
Electric lanterns

Outdoor Cooking Space

Why not cook a nice dinner for your guests outside? A fully customizable outdoor kitchen will have all the functionality and features of your indoor kitchen! Choose from a variety of appliances and decor options:

Pro Tip: Don’t make your guests stand up to eat! Provide outdoor dining tables or stylish pool furniture for your backyard summer parties.

Structures

Stay safe from the Houston sun with a patio cover, pool house, or another source of shade. Your guests will appreciate the chance to enjoy the fresh air with a little less heat! Consider one of these customized features for your backyard:

Patio cover
Pool house (this can double as a guest house if you add enough features!)
Pergola/arbor

Create a Backyard Paradise

A perfect backyard design looks different for everyone. Before you settle on any features, decide how many guests you’re likely to have and which features will get used most often. Make sure your backyard appeals equally to you and to your friends and family.

Looking for more inspiration for your new backyard? Join the conversation and browse photos of completed backyard makeovers!

14 Jun

6 Outdoor Features for a Living Space You’ll Use All Year

Why not revamp your backyard this summer and build a paradise you can enjoy any time of year? A trustworthy design service can help you create and build your new outdoor living space with a fireplace, pool, outdoor kitchen, patio cover, and more. Your new hangout spot can be as creative or as standard as you’d like–customize it to your preferences!

Start planning your next backyard party with these awesome features you’ll enjoy all year! Share on X

Designing Your Dream Backyard

Before you start building, consider how often you’ll use the backyard and how many people will be joining you. If you regularly have parties, your backyard should have an open, modern look to accommodate all your guests. If you tend to hang out with just a few other people, consider scaling down the designs to your tastes. Whichever style you choose, you can’t go wrong with these popular outdoor features:

Swimming pool
Pool house
Patio cover/cabana
Outdoor kitchen
Pergola/arbor
Fireplace or fire pit

1) Consider a Swimming Pool

Indulge in the classic summertime activity of swimming with your own custom pool! Work with our professional designers to create a swimming pool perfectly tailored to your backyard and personal preferences. A swimming pool is a crowd-pleaser–your backyard parties just got a lot more fun!

2) Construct a Pool House

If you’re planning to use your swimming pool a lot, a pool house might be a great choice to add on to your project. A typical pool house provides a private spot to change and store towels and supplies right next to your pool. Some models will even encompass the entire pool for an indoor swimming experience. To go the extra mile, add a bathroom and pull-out couch to make the ultimate guest house!

3) Add a Patio Cover or Cabana

For the homeowner who wants a pool cover without the total enclosure a pool house offers, a patio cover or cabana is an excellent choice. A covered patio will keep out the Texas sun, as well as most leaves and bugs. Our designers can create a patio cover that matches your home or one that stands out for a truly unique look.

Pro Tip: Customize your patio and poolside lounge with classy pool furniture! It’s easy to find a balance of style, function, and comfort.

4) Outdoor Kitchen

How else will you feed all your hungry party guests? Design your own outdoor kitchen with all the same style and functionality as your indoor kitchen! You can even connect it to your patio so you don’t have to carry food too far. Ready to start planning your next picnic?

5) Design a Pergola or Arbor

If you can’t afford a full patio cover or just aren’t a fan of the design, consider a pergola or arbor instead. They can provide the same shade and protection as a typical cabana, with different styles available and a lower price tag. This is also a great choice for designing a slightly lower-key backyard. Get the same appealing look for less money and effort.

6) Design Your Outdoor Living Space with a Fireplace or Fire Pit

An outdoor living space with a fireplace comes with a rustic, old-fashioned feel perfect for evening backyard hangouts. Roast marshmallows, grill over an open flame, or just let the smoke keep the mosquitoes away while you relax by the fire pit.

You have several unique options for fire features. Some homeowners add a wood-burning fireplace to an outdoor kitchen or seating area, where it can double as a pizza oven. Others will add “bowls of fire” around the edges of a swimming pool for a magical effect at night. What’s your ideal fire feature?

Outdoor Living Areas for Friends and Family

Your backyard should reflect your hobbies and make your lounging and parties as fun as possible. Not all of these features will appeal to you, and that’s okay. The best backyard is one that you and your loved ones will enjoy and take advantage of no matter the time of year.

Curious about how other homeowners decorated their outdoor living rooms? Connect with us to see photos of completed projects!

07 Jun

5 Essential Backyard Design Ideas Near Your Houston Pool

A new swimming pool certainly adds a lot of pizzazz to your backyard. But don’t let that be the only new feature for your outdoor space! There’s a variety of ways you can add more creative designs to your yard. Whether it’s just buying furniture or remodeling more of the yard, you can make your backyard into your own personal paradise. Let’s look at a few trending backyard design ideas you can customize into your dream hangout spot.

Decorate that space around your pool with these elegant design ideas! Make your backyard your own! Share on X

Popular Backyard Designs for 2019

Depending on how often you use the backyard and how many people use it, not all of these ideas will appeal to you. The most important thing is what complements your pool and provides a pleasant experience for you and anyone else in the yard. Some of the most popular outdoor decorating trends for Houston homeowners include:

Outdoor lighting
Fire pits
Stylish pool furniture
Pool house
Outdoor kitchen

1) Outdoor Lighting

Decorative lights can provide a festive atmosphere and help you see in those after-dark pool parties. Wind string lights around a pillar for an enchanted look, or install lanterns for a more rustic appearance. Lighting is a truly universal design choice. The only limits are your own preferences!

2) Fire Pits

Speaking of lighting, why not go back to the source and light up your backyard with an open flame? A fire pit or fireplace adds an exotic appeal and helps chase away mosquitoes. Best of all, it’s a perfect place for the kids to roast marshmallows!

3) Stylish Pool Furniture

For anyone spending more than a few minutes outside, pool furniture is a must. Give yourself and your guests a comfy seating area to sunbathe, chat, have dinner, and just spend time in the sun. There’s plenty of elegant pool furniture on the market that will complement your backyard and your pool while withstanding the Houston weather. Explore your options!

4) Pool House

For a family with a new swimming pool, a pool house is a fantastic option. The conveniently located structure provides quick storage for towels and pool toys, as well as a place to change. Some Houston families take things a step further by adding a fridge for snacks and drinks, or even a restroom and small bed so guests can sleep there overnight. Use your backyard space to its full advantage with a pool house!

5) Outdoor Kitchen

Take things further than just a grill with a fully furnished outdoor kitchen. This provides the perfect chance to host outdoor dinners or cook fresh food for your pool party guests. With a variety of accessories and styles to choose from, your outdoor kitchen is sure to be an elegant addition to complement your pool.

Pro Tip: Don’t waste time hauling food or supplies from the house to your outdoor kitchen! Add customized cupboards and drawers to keep your cooking utensils handy.

Personalizing Your Outdoor Space

Adding a pool to your backyard represents a significant amount of dedication to improving your home value. But don’t stop there! There’s so much you can do even in a small yard. By researching trends and deciding on your own preferences, you can make your backyard design ideas come to life!

Looking for more design ideas? Join the conversation to see how other Houston homeowners decorate their backyards.

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Author Archives: Sam Hickey