It seemed a rather daunting task—transform an overgrown back yard into an outdoor paradise that replicates the historic beauty found inside Mark and Kathy Willis’ Eaton home, but with help from a skilled team, the couple was able to do just that.
The family moved into the period home in 1999. Mark and Kathy say the back yard had served its initial purpose, which was to offer a space for young kids to play. Now it was time to recreate a new lifestyle that would serve grown-up activities, including a place to practice their golf swing—a favorite family pastime.
With no suburban basement for “hanging out”, Kathy and Mark wanted to offer a recreational space so their kids could have friends over to visit.
“It wasn’t as daunting as it looked,” says Dave Swearingen, a landscape architect and owner of The Site Group. “It already had a sense of intimacy. Every square foot was contained.”
Kathy and Mark were just glad to see The Site Group’s plans in hand. After a long search that included five total bids, they were thrilled to see a landscape architect that understood a contemporary outdoor space didn’t do justice to the beauty of an 1830s period home.
While open outdoor recreation spaces are all the rage right now, Swearingen says the couple kept a primitive décor inside, adopting the original character of the house and adding modern conveniences. So he set out to create a design and find materials that allowed the new space to continue the antique, classic story found on the home’s interior.
One original feature of the house—a detached summer kitchen, used currently for storage—remained in place, although The Site Group turned the fireplace around so it faced the newly created pavilion that serves as the main feature of the renovation.
Summer kitchens were once the only way to cook during the hot months. “Dave was the only one who knew what it was,” laughs Kathy, recalling her long search for the right contractor.
Like the inside of the Willis’ home, Swearingen set out to create a period look in the back yard that included modern conveniences. The Site Group used brick pavers for the patio as they offer a rustic appearance and durability. Swearingen also installed slate flagstone on the pavilion floor as well an accent stripe around the patio. “The flagstone has a nice hand-tooled edge to give it an antique feel,” he says.
The Site Group used buff-to-blue stone from Wysong Stone Co. in Lewisburg, Ohio for a retaining wall and for a grill counter, the latter of which is blind-mortared.
Because the home is situated in an urban setting, adding a water feature to help drown out the traffic noise was an important element to the family. The Site Group jumped at the chance to modify an old cast iron water feature into a cascading fountain. The historic, finished product blends in perfectly with the back yard and faces the main outdoor patio and can be heard from additional, adjacent seating areas.
Swearingen says there were some drainage issues on the property, but they were solved by ‘re-routing’ water away from neighboring land, allowing it to ‘percolate’ and gradually soak into the landscape flowerbeds.
Of course, even though the house’s history dates back long before television, it was one outdoor priority, as was a bar and dining space.
The television is tucked into the corner of the pavilion, hanging near the fireplace above a comfortable sectional sofa. The family spends a lot of time lounging out here, watching golf tournaments and other sporting events, rain or shine.
In addition to the pavilion, the patio is surrounded by already-established pocket gardens featuring iron planting urns and the rich textures reminiscent of the old south.
Since installing a backyard chipping and putting green isn’t characteristic of deep-south properties, The Site Group had to find a way to make it accessible without overshadowing the historic beauty already underway. They brought in Buckeye Putting Greens, based in Springboro, to help with this portion of the overhaul. The putting green is expertly hidden behind a white fence and colorful plantings.
Swearingen says open-air outdoor spaces are a current trend, having taken over three-season rooms for the time being. “People seem willing to trade the protection of indoor rooms for outside beauty.”
Kathy agrees. “We’re active, outdoor people. Since we don’t have a front porch, I tell my children all the time that one of my favorite things growing up was sitting outside listening to the rain. Now we have the perfect, private spot to do that and many more activities.”
Thanks to the fireplace, the Willis family can enjoy the back yard down to about 50 degrees, and Kathy adds the space is cooler than she expected after a long, hot day on the links.
Swearingen especially likes how the finished back yard proves that a contemporary style isn’t the only option for open-air pavilion spaces. “If you have a primitive or sleek interior, you don’t want overstuffed chairs outside,” he says. “Some people just accept what’s popular versus working with the indoor story. I always tell people to look at what they enjoy inside and see if it can be taken outdoors.”