You can't beat a view like one right on the water in Seaford (a little town near Poquoson, Virginia)! While the second-story deck was already in place, we wanted to create a special oasis on the ground floor for an extra flair and a shaded view of this little York River inlet.

One of our problems: how do you add to the perfect water view with a boat dock? Well, it's a problem we love solving...

Sure, this Virginia Beach home already featured a beautiful pool as the highlight of the backyard, but somehow it needed a little more...and, as always, we had a few ideas 😏 The challenge for this space was to combine a concrete pool with pavers in a natural looking way, and add a little privacy in the meantime.

The elements we added - a seating wall for coziness, shade panels, some landscaping featuring ligustrum, and color-changing lights - all achieved this goal, but what we're REALLY here to talk about is the brand new outdoor kitchen.

An outdoor kitchen can include tons of features, from a gas grill to stunning granite countertops to an ice maker built right into the design. Truly, the options are endless! For this project in the beautiful Hilton Village area of Newport News, we brainstormed with the homeowners to make sure we weren't missing anything, and in the process came up with two nice additions:
1) HD TV installed directly underneath the countertop so the homeowners and their guests can watch any station comfortably from their patio chairs.
2) Open-flame gas burner that lights easily, has multiple safety features to prevent any accidents, and adds some fire to any party.

They love the results and if we're honest, we are a little obsessed ourselves. Check out the finished product and leave a comment letting us know what YOU would add to an outdoor kitchen if you could. Dream big - the sky is the limit!