Life Begins Outdoors “Something for everyone” is how Sue Redfield describes the back yard of the home she and her husband, Charles, share with their sons, Avery and Matthew. Now sporting a spacious pool and patio area where the boys congregate with friends, an adjoining covered porch where Sue and Charles can relax in the shade or entertain guests, and even a firepit surrounded by seating where kids and adults gather to roast marshmallows, the newly completed outdoor area has every member of the family singing its praises. This laid-back, family-friendly lifestyle is what the Redfields had in mind when they moved into their new home on a wooded hillside in Bentonville. “We fell in love with the home’s setting and the idea that there was room for the boys to run around without worrying about traffic,” says Sue. The steep lot, however, meant that the backyard had been left untouched, which Sue and Charles saw as a design opportunity. “We were looking to create an outdoor setting that each member of the family would enjoy,” says Sue. “A place to kick back and relax outside, a pool and patio area that fit all the needs of our family—those who love sun as well as those who love being outside but in the shade.” The Redfields were considering a garage addition to their home as well, and they began working with Stitt Energy Systems on an environmentally-conscious plan that would encompass both needs. The steep slope of the Redfield’s back yard meant that the garage addition would terrace down the hillside, creating a space below it that could serve as a covered porch. Patios and walkways that connect the lower-level covered porch to the main level of the house were the next step, and the resulting design involves an upper patio with seating and a firepit and a lower patio with a pool. Next to the covered porch and pool, the team added an outdoor shower and bathroom for convenience. Garden beds filled with drought-resistant plants rim the new patios, softening the transition between levels. As a finishing touch, Sue outfitted the outdoor spaces with enough all-weather seating options to accommodate a crowd. Most weekends, the chairs and chaises are now occupied, as the Redfields welcome family and friends to join them in their al fresco retreat. “These spaces were meant to be shared,” says Sue, “and having a pool full of kids while the adults kick back in the outdoor living area has become a favorite pastime of ours.”
Lawrie Rash Locally owned and operated since 1992
Design Resources Contractor Stitt Energy Systems, Inc., Rogers Cabinetry Timber Mill Wood Products, Rogers Concrete Ozark Patterned Concrete, Lowell Furnishings The Patio, Bentonville Landscaping S&S Creative Landscapes, Rogers Mirrors: I.O. Metro, locations statewide Pillows Pottery Barn, Rogers Rug Lowe’s, locations statewide
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