We love building big, beautiful spaces, but sometimes it's the simple, cozy ones that meet a homeowner's needs exactly. This smaller project in the Eagle Harbor neighborhood of Carrollton is just that - a quiet space to entertain a few friends or just enjoy as the evenings get cooler and the backyard blooms continue to grow.

As with any project, no matter the size, there was a challenge: with no door, how would they enjoy their space?

Sometimes our projects involve a lot of installation, and sometimes we're connecting the dots with what is already in the backyard. This fun job in Yorktown is the latter! We always love working with a good River Pools installation, and this one is no exception. The backyard pool features 57 gravel and creates the perfect setup for what we're going to add.

You already saw part 1 of this project when we began to create a backyard paradise at this Williamsburg home, and now we're thrilled to show you the final results. This little slice of heaven is tucked away amidst already-beautiful landscaping, and our goal was to create a space where the homeowners could truly enjoy what was already growing right in their backyard.

The basic outline of the area was to add pavers with a stair landing, water feature, fire pit, and - of course - a small but beautiful water feature. The curved staircase leads down from the new landing straight to a grill, perfect for backyard cookouts. The fire pit, centered among the pavers, has some added features - a wood grain look and smokeless insert - that will make this space perfect for those outdoor summer evenings spent with friends.

And that's not all...

The beginning of a project often looks like a lot of demolition, but envisioning how the final project will look when it's done keeps us motivated to work hard! This little spot of paradise in Williamsburg already has beautiful landscaping throughout the backyard, so we wanted to add to what was already there by making the space even more welcoming.

Whenever you start a project in the town of Poquoson, there is always a high potential for flooded or saturated ground, and this project was no exception. We have been working on this backyard for awhile, so welcome to Phase 4! Before we even started we designed the whole area in advance, complete with a gazebo, outdoor kitchen, an already-existing pool, wood deck, paver-style patio, and a fire pit where guests can relax and enjoy the evening together. But then we ran into a problem...

We love designing and building patios, and we do just that all over Hampton Roads! From Williamsburg to Newport News to Smithfield and beyond, today we're showcasing some of our all-time favorites. Drop a comment and tell us which one you like best!

The backyard started out as just grass and ended with 2,500 square feet of a Techo-Bloc constructed patio complete with a massive sunken fire pit, two water features, a pergola, some screening walls, and a total of 91 lights. One of our favorite elements is the Boy with His Dog, a small fountain that had been dormant in their garage for over 15 years!

As large as this space was, we didn't want it to feel too big and grandiose. Instead, we want it to feel like a comfortable space for their family to be at home outdoors, especially when their grandkids get the opportunity to play in the fountain.

This project, built at a home nestled in the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia, is one of our favorites and we can't wait to see how they live life outdoors in such a gorgeous space.

When we arrived to this Yorktown home we pulled into the driveway...which is exactly the thing we were replacing and expanding. What started out with concrete turned into a beautiful paver-style driveway. The homeowner helped with this design process, adding curves and circles, creating a piece of art in the place that welcomes her family home every day. Of course a driveway demands a seriously stable structure, so that became key as we built the new fixture from the ground up.

What do we love about pavers in driveways? Well, if things do shift and change in the future, fixing it is as simple as moving a few of them around rather than having to rebuild it from the ground up. This driveway will last a lifetime - that's what we want for our clients!

We hit a unique challenge with an existing walkway that might look mismatched if we didn't configure it correctly, so we tackled the problem head-on and created a solution. You can see how we did it in the video below!

When we first walked to the back of this home nestled in the Patriots Walk neighborhood of Yorktown, we did a double take. The deck that should have been an outdoor haven for the family was falling apart and was no longer safe, let alone usable. It took us a little over a day to replace the deck with a brand new patio that will last for decades to come.

With a lot of demolition of the existing structure and special attention paid to preserving the beautiful yard that is typical of York County homes, we created a simple but eye-catching stone patio so that life can be lived better outdoors for the entire family, from the grill master to the little ones who will use the slide over and over again.

Watch this video to see the transformation!

Technical Specifications
Belgard Highland Stone (Color: Jefferson)
12 feet of Chesapeake XL Cap
18-foot patio

It wasn’t that long ago COVID happened. It was a bit rough. Travel was almost completely nixed. Consequently 2020 was coined The Year of the Home. Boy was it! As we entered 2021, the trend continued. We were asked many times to use the vacation budget to create a place where experiences, conversations, and life could happen steps from the living room. We happily accepted the challenge. We are honored to change the landscape around Hampton Roads, consequently changing the way our clients live outdoors.

Watch the video below to see some of our favorites, then click here for a brief review of our top 10 projects and take the opportunity to vote for YOUR favorite!

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how much is a video worth? Usually our project recaps include an explanation of our process and the installation details, but for this koi pond and patio install, we thought that we would let the finished project do all the talking. It's no secret that water feature are our favorite element to build in Hampton Roads and beyond, so this one - complete with a fire pit and patio - was the perfect project for us.

If you're interested in the details, here they are: We installed a 14x10 Tranquility Elite koi pond. Complete with underwater lights, water auto fill valve, and an auto doser. We also carved stone steps into the landscape along with a 38’ retention wall and two patios.

Our goal, as always, was for this family to enjoy their outdoor space as a second home right outside their home. Let us know if this is something you would want in your backyard!

We started with a mess and ended with a pool! Originally, we installed everything from a patio to a hot tub in this Toano backyard, but it was time for a pretty big upgrade. Of course, we had to tie the new pool in with the existing hardscape, and the result is an absolutely incredible outdoor space.

Now, the yard features:

• A patio with a small addition that leads to the pool.
  
• Hollies and hydrangeas, along with other low ground-cover plants.
  
• A stunning pool with added on mini waterfalls.
  
• Lighting on the path, magnolias, and bowls.
  
• Outdoor kitchen with built-in grill.
  

Anyone else want to spend the rest of their summer here?!

It's never a bad day when you have a beachside view! This backyard in Croatan Beach needed a makeover, and we were here to help. We partnered with Virginia Beach Patios to fix a minor disaster that destroyed the original landscaping. After the rebuild, we added a gorgeous water feature to take it to the next level. 

We also added hydrangeas, flame inserts to the aquascape, and a new, safe way to collect water during a rainstorm.

Now this backyard in Virginia Beach, so close to the Atlantic Ocean, has paradise written all over it. Watch the video to hear about what happened and how we worked together to fix it!

How do you like your marshmallows? When you have your own fire pit, you can experiment every night if you want!
This home in Hampton, Virginia, started out with a lot, and it was our job to refine, simplify, and upgrade the space. We added native plants and clean landscaping, and not too long after the homeowners decided to add a fire pit to their backyard.

The entire patio is made to maximize seating space and use shade-loving plants (think azaleas, virburnum, forsythia, hydrangeas, etc.) to beautify the overall project.

Watch the video to see our process and get ideas for your backyard fire pit!

This AirBnB owner in New Kent, Virginia, wanted an outdoor patio overlooking the Pamunkey River for living life outdoors and hosting small weddings. Those views made the job worth it all by itself! Here are some of the specs:

• 620-square foot Belgard London Cobble patio
• 28’ long Belgard Highland free standing wall
• Cast iron fire pit
• Vacation-ready AirBnB for Williamsburg and New Kent travelers
  
• Hampton Roads private wedding venue for intimate weddings and elopements
  

Watch the video to see the transformation and a full breakdown of this Williamsburg-area outdoor patio project.

What happens when you're having a party and your backyard just isn't ready? Well, for this homeowner, giving us a call was the first step, and we took care of the rest. Watch the process for this beautiful backyard patio renovation at Cypress Creek in Smithfield, Virginia. Learn how we:

• Brainstormed the initial design.
  
• Worked hard to get it done within the timeline.
• Came up with a creative way to save the new backyard grass.
• Our different patio types and why you should choose each.
  

Do you think we made it under the deadline? Watch the transformation happen and find out!

Who knew what 2020 would bring?! It ended up being The Year of Home. I mused that since no one would be traveling to Paris or Venice this year, maybe people would put their vacation budget into their home, landscape, and outdoor spaces. While I may have meant that as a joke, it wasn't far from the truth, as few of our clients have told us.

Despite the challenges of finding supplies, manufacturers being shut down, wood prices skyrocketing, and material shortages, we had a lot of fun this year. We live to create. We enjoy the end result. We love seeing our clients live in their new space. We take pride knowing we had something to do with the memories they'll create enjoying the great outdoors. 

Here are the Easton Outdoors top 10 projects for 2020!