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A luxurious outdoor patio designed by Lake Effect Garden & Design, complete with comfortable seating

Patios and Decks

There's nothing like patios and decks to expand your outside living space. Many materials are available in various colors, shapes, sizes, and textures for paving and wall stones, and many new color choices in composite wood.

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Cement walls and patios have made a resurgence, especially exposed aggregate, and decks, stairs, and platform steps made out of cedar and pressure-treated wood are also classic looks.

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Whatever your dreams might be for your outdoor living space, we can help bring those ideas to reality! Let us know how we can help.

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Entrance Walkways

Intricate

Entrance Walkways can make a dramatic statement as you approach your house.

 

In this picture, we mixed pavers with a horizontal placement of charcoal-colored bricks that extend out into the garden. I need to find an updated photo, as the pavers are still covered with sand from construction in this picture!

A stone entrance way crafted by Lake Effect Garden & Design
Lindenmeyer Patio by Lake Effect Garden & Design in Michigan

Patios

Long-Lasting

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In this irregularly shaped patio renovation, we outlined the future conversation, firepit area, and seating wall in dark brick to form a circle.

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The client plans to create a circular seating area within the design to "rust" the corrugated metal for a more rustic look.

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Decks and Steps

Well-Designed

In this project, we ran the cedar steps almost the entire width of the elevated terrace to provide access to the outdoor kitchen and deck area and the concrete pool patio.

 

I love how all the materials intersect with each other!

 

We cut out an 8-foot section of the deck next to the pool to plant trees for shading the kitchen and dining area.

A multi-level deck overlooking an aesthetic patio, designed by Lake Effect Garden & Design
Custom Platform Stairs in West Michigan designed by Lake Effect Garden & Design.
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Platform Stairs

Custom

When possible, I am a big fan of Platform Stairs, especially here in the snow belt of West Michigan.

 

Typical stair treads are between 8 and 11 inches, but shoveling those widths can be a real pain if you use your steps during winter.

 

I like small platforms, 3-4 feet wide, so you can easily remove the snow.

 

I also love the sculptural quality they provide to walkways and decks.

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Sunken Patios & Walls

Unique

As a child in the 70s, my parents had a sunken conversation pit that I absolutely loved. My goal for the next year is to create as many sunken patios as my clients will allow – I'm bringing them back!

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I love the intimate areas they create. For this project, we pushed the sunken patio up against the walkout basement to provide privacy from the neighbors on either side.

Lake Effect Garden & Design's sunken patio and walls featuring a serene walkway
Lake Effect Garden & Design's modern boardwalks and surrounding native garden.
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Boardwalks

Eye-Catching

 I am a big fan of boardwalks to keep dirt out of the house and reduce steps when possible.

 

Boardwalks are awesome for pushing the snow off to the side and are easy to clean without the worry of dirt, mulch, and debris washing over your walkway.

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Dramatic Colors

Vibrant

Black houses and black-painted rooms seem to be all the rage. I love how black sets off green vegetation and colorful blooms from the garden.

 

In this picture, we used the same charcoal-colored bricks in the top image (Entrance Walkways) and carried the material to a small side patio.

Charcoal colored bricks used to create an Entrance walkway by Lake Effect Garden & Design
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