{"id":9284,"date":"2023-05-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/?p=9284"},"modified":"2024-11-28T09:32:13","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T09:32:13","slug":"how-to-redesign-and-rebuild-an-ailing-backyard-to-make-room-for-an-outdoor-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surroundslandscaping.com\/how-to-redesign-and-rebuild-an-ailing-backyard-to-make-room-for-an-outdoor-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Redesign and Rebuild an Ailing Backyard to Make Room for an Outdoor Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Is there a way to find enough space to fit an outdoor kitchen when your yard space is limited? That was the question Chad and Denise Tillbrook were initially trying to answer when they thought about changing up their backyard landscape.<\/p>\n

There was no room to spare in this shallow Bethesda backyard. Much of the space was taken up with hardscaping and plantings the homeowners described as \u201craggedy.\u201d It was a yard that had gone well past its expiration date.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After taking a walk around the property, their landscape architect, Howard Cohen of Surrounds, recommended a complete do-over. There is certainly some relief when one accepts the idea of starting over from scratch, but there are many decisions to make. Where does one start? Here is how one family did it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Starting With a Clean Slate<\/h2>

\u201cInitially, all we\u2019d thought about was the outdoor kitchen. We hadn\u2019t really conceptualized it,\u201d Denise remembers. \u201cAnd we didn\u2019t think of combining the entire back and side yards in the design, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d That was the landscape architect\u2019s idea.<\/p>

We hadn\u2019t thought of combining the back and side yards into one design.<\/p><\/blockquote>

The challenges of designing this\u00a0small yard landscape<\/a>\u00a0were many. First and foremost was a Norwegian Maple 60 feet high and standing right in the middle of the yard. The roots branched out in every direction, preventing grass and other plant life from taking hold. And there were the imposing concrete pads, at least 20 x 20 each, that the Tillbrooks never quite found a good use for.\u00a0<\/p>

It was not an easy decision to take the tree down. But their architect cautioned them that the roots would eventually push through and break anything that they tried to build out in the yard.\u00a0 \u201cIt was home to birds and other wildlife, so we really wrestled with whether or not it should stay,\u201d says Denise. But for the purpose of reclaiming the yard into usable space for both the local wildlife and for the Tillbrooks, it was a sacrifice that had to be made.<\/p>

\u201cThe entire backyard was completely torn out down to the dirt itself, redesigned and rebuilt,\u00a0 from the property boundary on one side to the other,\u201d Chad says. \u201cWe started with a clean slate.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Unlocking Creative Potential in Small Yard Landscaping<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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With planning and the right design concept, you can maximize the yard space you have so it feels and functions like a much larger space.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Much More than an Outdoor Kitchen<\/h2>\n

With the domineering maple tree, underperforming shrubs, and mysterious concrete pads taken out of the equation, there suddenly seemed to be a lot more space to fill. How do you wrangle all that blank space into an organic, cohesive landscape design?<\/p>\n

When\u00a0planning an outdoor kitchen<\/a>, the initial objective is always to determine the right location. Once that was decided, the possibilities seemed endless.<\/p>\n

Their landscape architect encouraged the Tillbrooks to see the outdoors from all angles from inside the house. The placement and composition of individual landscape elements in the whole picture are important to take into account. \u201cWe love how they used different hardscapes and other materials to transition from one space to another,\u201d says Denise, \u201cand how colors are repeated in different ways as you move through the landscape.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The side yard path to the back yard features raised cutting beds and stacked growing boxes for herbs.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Side yard pebble pathway allows rain water to percolate directly through into the ground.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Broad stepping stones lead to a gathering area bordered by a low stone wall.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Here are some of the core features the Tillbrooks landed on:<\/p>\n