A fresh, updated look for her master and hall bathrooms and decks was the goal of this home remodel.  The homeowner, a frequent traveler, stays in fabulous hotels and wanted her own home to have the same spa-like luxury that she experiences when she travels.

A few must-haves on the homeowners’ list…a fix for a leaking master bath shower and better master bedroom closet organization.

The scope of work for the project was extensive and included:

Master Bathroom: Removing a fireplace wall, installing a custom closet system and adding built-in drawers.

Laundry room: New cabinets and flooring.

Guest room: A window seat.

Interior and Exterior: New hardwood floors and paint throughout the second floor and new decks and planter outside.

The homeowner was especially excited about the master bathroom that featured a Robern medicine cabinet, an Amba heated towel rack, feature wall with tile, and wall mounted fixtures. Another unique design feature is the bench spanning the glass from the shower into the bathroom. Careful attention needed to be paid to the structural viability of this. Another fun design element was the use of horizontal balusters on the deck rails and screens to incorporate a more updated and modern style.

In the end we were able to create a respite within the home. The homeowner wanted a spa-like environment in her master bath that had bold, yet at the same time restrained statement pieces which were accomplished with the tile feature wall as well as the wall mounted fixtures and shower bench. The hall bath also had modern touches with a white straight-stacked subway tile paired with a gray grout and contemporary fixtures. The home features a modern style throughout so the renovations help tie the entire space together beautifully.

Make it Soothing with Water. There’s something about water that’s serene and peaceful. Be sure to add it to your patio. Enhance those relaxing moments with a patio-size water garden.

Leverage Shade. Have a large shade tree? Why not consider building your patio under its canopy? You’ll enjoy the cool, shady retreat in the heat of summer when you need a quick break from your afternoon gardening chores. You can also plant your favorite shade plants around your patio for summer-long color and interest.

Add Cover with a Pergola. More substantial than an arbor but less confining than a gazebo, a pergola may be as simple as an overhead structure attached to the back of your house to cover a deck. Or it might be a grand, freestanding structure that’s the main focal point of a yard. Pergolas are especially effective over paved areas, such as paths, courtyards, and patios.

Throw down a Rug. There are more and more high-quality, weather-resistant rugs for use outdoors. They come in a variety of colors and styles, so you can find one to suit your tastes.

Using Light on the Patio. Give your patio personality at night. Whether to illuminate a dark space or add ambiance to your favorite seating area, outdoor lighting can be just the touch of nighttime pizzazz your patio needs.

Build a Fire Pit. Gather around the fire with the kids late at night. Perfect for toasting marshmallows in summer or warming your outdoor space in spring or fall, fire pits are a gathering place on the patio. Fire pits can be made from anything from flagstone slabs to small boulders.

Create a Patio with Curving Edges
Don’t be square! Create a patio with curving edges to add character and a sense of informality to your outdoor living area. Curves can be more relaxing and visually appealing than straight lines.

Homes for Life – May 2014 SVA Construction Corp Design Build Newsletter

Tim Stephens has built several decks in Dayton and Cincinnati that measure 1,500 square feet or more. “People are wanting to extend the indoor living space to the outside,” says Stephens, owner of Archadeck of West Central & Southwest Ohio. “Inside, you have a dining room, kitchen, living room, and family room. We’re designing the same things in the deck: an area for dining, a sitting or socializing area, and then a cooking area.”

The 200-square foot deck is increasingly looking like a relic of the past as homeowners push for more outside living space, and remodelers and builders line up to accommodate them.

Building a deck that’s as big as a small house takes more time, planning, and designing than building a small one, notes Stephens. Even a big deck shouldn’t have any wasted space. It’s time-consuming to design each section of the deck so it caters to the homeowner’s plan for using it.

Remodelers and builders who keep abreast of outdoor living trends can provide their clients the best plans and designs for their needs, as well as offer advice on which of the latest decking materials are well-suited for creating the curves, niches, railings and staircases that are the signatures of oversized outdoor rooms. Knowing where to source the outdoor kitchen appliances, weather-resistant countertop materials, built-in grills, fireplaces, and hot tubs that make the outdoor living space as accommodating and luxurious as the space inside the home can be a real selling point for remodelers specializing in decks, and help give them a leg up on the competition.

Here are 10 ideas from deck builders and industry experts to consider when building a big deck:

1. Think in layers. Decks—large and small—used to be flat, square, single-surface spaces. But the larger the deck, the more it calls for curves, multiple levels, staircases, built-in seating, and railings.

2. Capture the curves. Flexible composite decking is a favorite among deck builders who are partial to curved surfaces, sidewalks, and staircases, which can create an eye-catching segue between two levels of the deck.

3. Move the eye along. Add a focal point or two to a large, empty span of deck by building a planter or fire pit in the middle and lining the perimeter with built-in seating.

4. Create drama. Accentuate curves, railings and fascia boards with a contrasting color to create a frame around the deck floor. Incorporate inset designs, like diamond shapes in alternate colors, to create something unique for each homeowner. And don’t be shy about mixing materials on a big deck: faux stone columns, a metal roof, or a granite countertop on a built-in food preparation area will make the outdoor room look more upscale and custom-designed.

5. Proportions matter. An 1,800-square-foot deck on the back of a 2,000-square-foot home is probably too big to “go” with that house. Size up within reason.

6. Add some shade. A homeowner who springs for a 600-square-foot-plus deck is going to want to use it as often as possible. A pergola, awning, canopy, or roof over the deck will allow the client to cook, entertain, or relax outdoors even on hot, sunny days or during rain showers. Any shade structure should be as low-maintenance as the deck itself.

7. Prepare homeowner/clients for a long wait. It takes a long time to build a big deck. Especially if the outdoor room will be home to electric and gas appliances, the job will include an electrician, a plumber, and the local building inspector. If the deck includes multiple tiers, the builder might need to consult with an engineer or architect.

8. Consider the view. If the upper tier of a two-story deck is right over the lower one, take care with the placement of the posts so they’re not too close to doors and windows, where they can block the homeowner’s view and path to the yard. Also, build in an under-deck gutter to catch rain that falls on the upper deck so it won’t soak the deck’s lower level and its inhabitants.

9. Leave enough room. Even a big deck can run out of room if the design includes a hot tub. A typical 7-by-7-foot spa takes up at least a 10-by-10-foot space so there’s enough room around it for a railing, a privacy screen or a path for bathers and maintenance techs to walk around it.

10. Make it useful. Include heat and light so the owners can use their deck after dark and during at least three seasons. Popular options: built-in fireplaces and fire pits and ceiling-mounted heaters. You’ll have plenty of room for them.

Original article by Hanleywood Media