This backyard is an example of a formal use of stone with a desire to entertain. The homeowner wanted the designer to omit the lawn, maximizing the space with stone features and divide the spaces into entertaining areas. Designed by SLS Design, our goal was to install specialty stonework into a full backyard design. Traditional stonework gives center to a formal water fountain, which we designed and built. This large scale hardscape project included not only the water feature, but many seating walls, retaining walls for gardens, stone steps, and an outdoor kitchen.

We used templates for the curved seating wall, perfectly symmetrical, followed the curves in the large scale design. Material for the vertical surfaces is a named Bluestone, a Limestone from Pennsylvania/New York. The steps capstones are the same geological stone, but were cut, shaped, and thermal-faced on-site to the design specifications. The patio surface is a cut-pattern flagging named by Orijin stone as Laurel.

Outdoor living areas are one of our favorite undertakings, as it always includes a special feature. This style was a mortared dry-laid look, and the design was to use the balance of a modern use for entertaining and allow for the historic neighborhood of Crocus Hill to be respected.