Despite the troubled economy, it still makes sense to invest in your home. Many New Jersey homeowners aren’t just maintaining, they’re improving their residences, and in some cases creating spectacular resort-like retreats in their own backyards.
Complete with pools, hot tubs, and waterfalls, gourmet outdoor kitchens, cozy firepits or elaborate masonry fireplaces, and enough comfortable seating for a crowd, these spaces rival the Ritz.
Backyards are not just a stand-alone grill, a picnic table, and a couple of chaise lounges around a pool anymore, says Chris Cipriano of Cipriano Landscape Design in Ramsey, whose firm has won numerous awards for designing and building these grand retreats.
“We find that people want to spend more time at home and want to bring the family together, to keep the kids around.” Even if you’re not breaking ground on a new pool or major landscape project, adding a few well-designed stand-alone elements can make your backyard more inviting and involving.
So What’s Hot?
The basic grill has some brawny new cousins—gourmet cooking centers complete with running water, refrigeration, elaborate rotisserie grills, and ample counter space to prepare, then serve the meal. Appliance manufacturers have gotten savvy; many offer appliances that withstand the often-harsh outdoor elements. Sleek countertop materials, such as limestone, granite, and concrete, naturally hold up to the weather, allowing these outdoor kitchens to be operational 24/7, twelve months a year.
Similarly, furniture companies have jumped on the bandwagon, offering more weather-resistant fabrics and furnishings, from chic bistro tables and chairs to stylish bar stools and comfortable dining sets designed for lingering. A pergola or other hardscape can define the dining area, creating an intimate setting under sun or stars.
Simple pools are giving way to infinity-edge types that also have hot tubs and, sometimes, a water slide for the kids. Moving-water features, such as a fountain or waterfall, are especially popular, says Cipriano.
“They can make you feel like you’re deep in nature, like you’re in another place,” he explains. “Plus, no two waterfalls are the same. We use different stones to always create something unique.”
Speaking of stones, another trend is deep stone carving—the art of intricately cutting medallions and borders into a stone floor, resulting in a “rug” that mimics a Persian pattern, for instance. “It’s an outdoor rug carved in stone,” Cipriano says. It can also be done on countertops and backsplashes.
Other enticing backyard amenities: outdoor heaters, insect-repelling misting systems, high-tech surround-sound, and outdoor screening rooms. Clearly, the sky’s the limit.
“These backyards can feel like you’ve left New Jersey and are in some tropical place far away,” Cipriano says. “It’s a vacation setting at home.”
Take It To The Limit
A backyard is only as memorable as its details. Chris Cipriano suggests these special features:
Carved Stone Corbels and balusters to adorn outdoor cabinetry. “The outdoor kitchen has as much intricate detail as the indoors.”
Volcanic Firepits built into the sides of waterfalls. The fire—about 4 feet wide, jumping 2 feet in the air—looks like red-hot lava. “It’s an elaborate system of hydraulics and water, and it actually looks like a volcano.”
Glass Tile Inlays in the bottom of pools. Glass tile, a 95% recycled product, is gaining popularity in all sorts of applications including backsplashes, but glistens particularly beautifully in pool settings.
Wisconsin Limestone as a pool deck. Its naturally light color and tremendous density mean it doesn’t absorb summer heat so feet stay cool. It is more expensive, but “it’s the perfect stone. ”