As an interior designer I have been transforming spaces by bringing ideas and inspirations to life for over a decade. Over the past few years I have been asked by clients to create an outdoor space that can coexist with what has been created inside. This addition to my design portfolio has been a huge success and it gives me so much pleasure to bring the client’s vision to life.
If you are searching for a new, exciting vacation spot, look no further than your own backyard. We can transform your backyard into a playful, comfortable and relaxing vacation destination. In today’s world, it is becoming more difficult, as well as expensive, to travel with busy work schedules and growing families. Residents of Ohio only have about five months to enjoy the outdoors so we need to make the most of it! Most of my inspiration for outdoor design has come from the association with my family’s swimming pool business, Kings Precision Pools. For more than 40 years they have been installing inground pools throughout northeast Ohio and I have had the opportunity to contribute to those designs. A lot of people think a swimming pool is expensive but if you do the math, a pool is equivalent to the cost of about five family vacations. Having a pool in your backyard gives you summer vacation every day for as long as you live in that home.
Now water isn’t for everyone and that’s ok! I have also worked on design projects to bring the indoors out, creating a covered porch for outdoor dining, a fireplace area to entertain guests and roast marshmallows, and a space to lounge and relax. Just like a vacation, the possibilities are endless in your own backyard! Our latest project was a porch addition. The inspiration for this project was a door the clients purchased that was originally a part of the First Church of Science in downtown Massillon. Since the door frame stood 10 feet high, we were unable to find a place for it inside the room, and that’s when we decided to create a porch addition to their sunroom. Additional concrete was laid to the area which was originally a walking path leading to the patio. New double doors from the sunroom lead you to out to the porch. In order to insure that the porch looked like part of the original home construction, we used the same stone and also added repurposed stone and wood to give it a flare and to match the inspirational door. Arched window openings were added to mimic the arch in the door itself. For the floor, we added concrete stamped it in a brick pattern and then glazed it to give it a more worn look.
A wood cathedral ceiling was stained to match the wood door frame. Outdoor chandeliers in an old-cathedral style and can lighting were used to illuminate the space to entertain guests. A gas fireplace was added and strategically placed in an area where you can see it glowing from inside the house. A 10-foot dining table constructed of repurposed wood adds plenty of seating for dinner parties. Although the total new area was 20×30 feet, it was divided into two spaces; one for dining and another for relaxing by the fireplace and watching TV. While the porch was left open on 3 sides, it was designed to easily be enclosed if the owners decide to make it a 3-season room in the future.
Since the owners of this property love working in their yard and were fond of the plants and bushes they already had, we retained the original landscaping and foliage. With their busy work schedules, these clients now look forward to coming home in the summer, working in their yard, and simply enjoying each other’s company lounging in their new backyard. This porch addition not only accommodates what the owners wanted, it matches the original home construction and also captures the owners’ personalities.
Although this design project was rather extensive, just a few changes can transform any backyard into your own special area, suitable to whatever size family you have or whatever its intended use will be. If you would like to see how your backyard dreams can come true, contact Josh King Designs by phone at 330-705-4126, email an inquiry to JoshKingDesigns@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page at JoshKingDesigns2017.
A vacation in your backyard
