Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

The owners of this home enjoy spending time entertaining family and friends. In summer, when the days are longer and the nights warmer, they wanted to bring some of the amenities they enjoy indoors to the outdoors. They needed a way to shelter an outdoor kitchen, bar, television, screened gas fireplace and seating area from the elements – including the sun on a hot afternoon. The solution was a tall, open-sided poolside pavilion.

A popular home design trend that we are seeing in the Greater Cincinnati Area is a growing demand for outdoor fireplaces and firepits, both wood-burning and natural gas. People want to enjoy each season and spend more time outdoors relaxing and entertaining family and friends. Summers can have cool nights. Fall is spectacular. Winter is invigorating and spring is a time for nature’s renewal. In each season, a warm fire is enchanting and extends the time spent outdoors.

If you’re planning a remodeling project, you’ve probably spent some time browsing through “Before” and “After” photos of projects other people have done. It’s helpful to see how spaces can be transformed. This month we are introducing a new feature to our blog, “Project Spotlight”, where we will show before and after photos of recent projects and provide details, including a discussion of the homeowners’ objectives and designs we created to help them achieve their objectives.

This month’s project features a stunning outdoor living space. The owners of this beautiful home love both nature and entertaining. They envisioned an “outdoor room” that could be a quiet year-round retreat as well as a place to host parties and entertain guests.

In our climate, summers are great! If you want to take full advantage of sultry warm days, why not vacation at home by creating an outdoor living space for all the activities you enjoy? Add a patio for relaxing, a pool to cool down on a hot day or an outdoor kitchen for entertaining. An outdoor fireplace and hot tub can be a perfect setting for a romantic evening or a place where the family can roast marshmallows and warm up the kids after a swim. A screened porch is an ideal spot to read a book or enjoy a summer’s eve with family and friends.