Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

As warm days approach, do you find yourself thinking about getting outside more and how you can enjoy your own backyard? This month’s “Project Spotlight” showcases an outdoor living room that provides a great place to relax and entertain with an adjacent open-air patio setup for cooking, dining and gathering by a fire on a cool evening.

Have you had enough of winter weather? Do you find yourself daydreaming about the warm sunny days of summer? You are not alone. During these cold, blustery days we compiled a new resource for homeowners, “How to Transform Your Yard Into an Outdoor Living Space.” In this 16-page guide you will see some of the best outdoor design ideas for recreation, relaxation, entertaining, outdoor cooking and creating a backyard oasis. There are many photos of projects we’ve built for customers residing here in the Greater Cincinnati area.

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.

There’s no place like home and more people are opting for “staycations” by creating personal backyard retreats. If you have a family with school age children, are a “Baby Boomer” with adult kids and grandchildren or are a person who loves their home, a yard with amenities such as a pool, hot tub, outdoor cooking area, firepit, outdoor fireplace, foot paths and gardens is a delightful haven. The best part is that it’s just outside your back door.