One of my favorite things to do on this blog is to profile recent projects. It's a fun opportunity to show what's possible, and maybe brag a …
Hardscaping
What’s behind door # 1? Helping guests find your front door
I grew up in a 1950s ranch house in Rhode Island. It's the one in the photo above. You can see that there are two doors on the front of the …
Can I paint or put stone over an old concrete porch?
We see a lot of concrete porches, especially on older homes (1950s-1970s for sure). If I had to guess, that’s about the time the …
Pros and Cons of Building a Pergola in Northern Virginia
I get a lot of requests from people interested in adding a pergola to their landscape. They’re cool to begin with and they’ve been made all …
What Makes Danver Stainless Steel Cabinetry So Great?
In the past year I decided to become a dealer for Danver stainless steel cabinets. I get approached many times a year by companies who want …
Can a Built-In Charcoal Grill Be Installed in an Outdoor Kitchen?
I'm a charcoal snob. It's one of the reasons why I really only deal with the higher end gas grills, because an infra-red sear burner is the …
Why did this paver walk fail? The value of edge restraint
I was walking into a meeting at a hotel last week when I saw what my path looked like. Here's a hint: your paver walk should NEVER look like …
Do I Have Color Options for Flagstone Walks and Patios?
If you live in Virginia, Maryland, or DC and someone says "flagstone patio", what comes to mind? Something that looks like this, …
What Concrete Paver Goes with My Brick House?
I get asked that question a lot, as you can imagine. After all, Virginians love their brick homes, so I design a lot of patios for brick …