Desert Crest Press

There is little question that backyard landscaping and outdoor living spaces add value to a residential property’s value should you decide to sell your Arizona home. Features like shade ramadas and built in gas grills not only have good curb appeal, these popular additions to Phoenix patio designs also add much value to your lifestyle. Unlike other things one would add to their home or yard, paver patios will never look dated or go out of style. Like a patio made of natural stone, pavers are super low maintenance and will look as beautiful in ten or twenty years as they do the day your patio installation is completed.

The very nature of pavers makes them a wise investment. Should some sort of underground repair be needed or you decide to add onto paver patios in the future, they can be picked up and reused to put the paving back together again. Pavers fit together like a puzzle, making it possible to restore the patio surface and the repair would not be noticeable. One certainly can’t accomplish that with poured concrete.

Adding soft accents to the paver pattern can give you great focal points and break up a large expanse of paver attractively. The most common accent is a circle pattern. At times a homeowner would love to add an outdoor fire pit to their new patio, yet it just isn’t possible with their budget. By integrating a circle inlay where the fire pit is desired to be makes it easy to add this feature later on without the need to also extend the patio. To save on the amount of labor required to put in the fire pit in the future, it is wise to have the gas line installed under the patio. This means half the patio won’t need to be torn up and replaced when work on the fire pit begins. The same is true of water lines or electrical that would run beneath pavers to feed other features you may want to add later, such as spas or outdoor gas grills.

All over Scottsdale and Phoenix, patio designs that are most highly sought are those created with pavers. This isn’t surprising. They are easy to care for, beautiful and will never depreciate in value.

Popularity: 1% [?]

The good life, like a truly great movie, is all about the experience that unfolds around us. Exceptional patio designs today are referred to as outdoor living spaces, far more than a paved area to keep your outdoor furniture off of the dirt. When considering what to write about today, this photo of one of our projects reminded me of surround sound, and how just a blend of channels can take watching a movie to an entirely different plane of experience. One that tends to make the experience more like you’re in the movie, rather than in front of a screen, because the action enfolds you.

Paradise Valley landscaping is really no different in preferred plot than the focus intended to be used in all professional landscape design. The goal of all landscape design is supposed to be creating a place that blends with and makes the most of the surrounding scenery. In essence, this means more of accenting and beautifying the tableau, that it does outdoing the Jones or Smiths next door and down the street. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m all for the well-appointed approach to the design and enjoyment of outdoor living spaces. The thing is, you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.

Patio designs in residential developments can’t always take advantage of a natural panorama beyond them though, and this may very well be the reason so many landscape designers around Phoenix and Scottsdale forget that the goal is to be at one with the natural setting. This particular property though is situated in a spot to perfectly put the true rule of landscape architecture to work and pull it off beautifully. This surround-a-scene outcome, like a movie watched at the theater, give you a sense of the greater beyond being part of the outdoor living space’s experience and attraction.

As is found with most outdoor living patio designs, the fireplace here is the tallest feature. Even though it’s stucco finish has dramatic accents, as a whole, the outdoor fireplace’s presence acts as a buffer between the patio pavers and the natural world beyond.

While we have created many outdoor fireplaces and great looking patio designs over the years, this image that I’ve looked at many times before struck me as exuding peace this time. I think surrounding oneself with nature may just be the key to ultimately relaxing outdoor living spaces. Not just in Paradise Valley landscaping, but in all of Arizona and locations across the country.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Unless you were born here, our 300 days of sunshine every year has a lot to do with why people move to Arizona. It’s also why having a Phoenix home with a patio is important to most homeowners. Except for the few chilly weeks we have in winter, the bright days and ambient nights make outdoor living spaces more valuable here than many areas of the country. Naturally, the most desirable Phoenix patio design is spacious enough to allow for room to enjoy the outdoor room in a myriad of ways.

Whether you opt for a wood deck, or a concrete paver or natural stone patio, the improvement adds instant value to any home. Due to the low maintenance and long lasting beauty of pavers, most people prefer to have their Phoenix patio designs constructed of this material. Composite decks cost almost as much as pavers, and are known to have issues like warping. Wood decks are decidedly less expensive but require annual maintenance and extensive repair in the future as wood deteriorates and needs replacing. Flagstone and stone paving tile patios are equally as beautiful, but will generally be higher priced than a paver patio.

Adding a gas grill to the patio is a must for any homeowner. It’s part of our cuisine and adds an asset to our entertaining of friends and family. The trend of built in gas grills as opposed to a portable one continues to grow, and for good reason. Slip in grills are far better quality than anything you can buy on wheels today. It’s a big plus for outdoor grilling and dining to have food preparation and serving space right next to the grill, making the usefulness of a built in unit so much more too.

Naturally, with patios designed for entertaining, a bar area is common and many times part of the built in grill structure. This makes outdoor cooking much more enjoyable, with guests and chef all in the same space. Keeping the costs of having patios installed that allow for comforts like shade from the sun, many people turn to large umbrellas as opposed to the cost of pergolas or ramadas. Well placed lighting and outdoor refrigerators are in big demand for owners of modestly priced homes and in very affluent communities.

There’s nothing quite like an evening spent in great company that is shared around the dancing flames. While adding outdoor fireplaces to patio designs isn’t always possible for sticking to the budget, the outdoor fire pit fits most people needs at a lower cost.

In this particular entertainment-centric patio design, the bar area, cooking and serving space and the fire pit are conveniently located for easy access and flow from one activity to another.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Blending the existing with the new to extend Phoenix and Scottsdale patio designs doesn’t always mean matching what you have with what will be. Sometimes, the more creative and budget minded approach to be more eclectic about it all. There is something to be said for adding variety to life, and here’s one more place that you can do just that. Outdoor living spaces don’t always have to match every little detail to look sensational. Take this recently finished project at Desert Crest in the image above for example.

The original covered patio design featured one stucco pillar and stamped concrete flooring all in white to match the house. The space was far too small for anything besides a table that seats four and a grill, which is pretty standard sizing for a home builder when it comes to outdoor living spaces. For people living in this part of Arizona, a builder’s idea of a patio is never sufficient. Additionally, too much of one color is many times – just too much. We need a little more dimension to our world than that, especially at home where life is more relaxed.

Sure the optimum approach would be to tear out the original patio surface and redo the entire expanse. For many though, this simply isn’t possible if they are going to add the rest of the outdoor living features they really want. The cost involved may very well make many homeowners look for alternatives, and here is a great example of an excellent solution. There is no reason that the homeowner here, or even you, can revisit the patio pavers situation in a year or two and replace the original stamped concrete patio’s area with the more attractive Phoenix pavers. That’s one of the beauties of pavers, the fact that they always fit together like puzzle pieces.

In this backyard, there were two other needs to provide a solution for the homeowners’ desire for the perfect Scottsdale landscape design. First was the need for shade on the extended patio and secondly was the incorporation of an outdoor fireplace’s feature. Both were addressed in keeping with southwestern traditions with a keen eye on making the outdoor living space’s addition flow with other elements on the house.

While beehives are a very old form of Arizona fireplaces, they can also be very contemporary due to their sleek, curvaceous lines. They make the perfect compact outdoor fireplaces for small patios around Phoenix and Scottsdale, whether you want it to be wood burning or gas. Finishing the stucco masonry of the beehive and trellis ramada’s post footings in white connects the new construction with the home’s exterior beautifully. While the Pheonix pavers in the patio extension pick up the red tile roof, they also compliment the black frames of the windows. Making the ramada’s wood dark and weathered looking also compliments the window frames as well as the homeowner’s existing outdoor furniture.

This particular remodeled patio design’s appeal is not just a great blend of traditional and modern, but also creates more warmth to the outdoor living area. At the same time, the colors and materials used blend the old and the new very well. Scottsdale landscape design can be far more creative than you might think when it comes to adding onto your existing spaces.

Popularity: 5% [?]

For the majority of Arizona homeowners, they’ve either acquired an existing outdoor living area that falls short of the features they would like, or the process must be done in stages as the budget allows. This is true not just with Glendale landscaping clients, but those all over the greater Scottsdale – Phoenix area. Many times, starting all over from scratch isn’t a feasible strategy and isn’t necessary to enjoy great outdoor living spaces outfitted with everything you want them to offer.

It is very popular today to create different outdoor living areas with a change in the patio flooring. In new build installations in some parts of the country, the dining area, cooking area, fireplace lounging area or outdoor living room are all treated with outline borders to set them apart from the overall paver fill. The finished look is as if there are area rugs under the patio dining set and outdoor furniture that create open air rooms. These are interesting and can be very intricate to create on the ground behind a home. Unfortunately, the paver manufacturers who make the types of block this is done with do not have distributors here in Arizona. (Please send your complaints about being discriminated against to Unilock and tell them they need to open a new location in this part of Arizona.)

Still, just as the flooring changes from room to room inside your house, this is the perfect strategy for upgrading outdoor living spaces. Adding areas that don’t exist or enlarging those that are inadequate, even with Phoenix pavers, an exact match to the old paving surface to the new one will be almost impossible. Pavers differ by dye lots, and even natural stone can have a noticeable change of coloring from what was there before the construction began to what is used in the added on square footage. With stone paving, this would be due to them quarrying in different places than at the time when the original patio designs were installed. Because of this issue, it makes far more sense to create distinctly different ‘room spaces’ when starting all over isn’t really an option.

Some homeowners will opt for the change in patio paving to be more subtle than what you see in the images here, but it is really dependent on what the current material and coloring is as to whether this is possible or will fit your budget. As long as the two type of paving material’s colors don’t clash, it will look great and very unique to your backyard. There is no set rules on how you decorate your Glendale landscaping, beyond proper material selection for long lasting beauty, installation procedures and prep work. After that, whatever suits your taste and style is what you should do.

Here, adding to the outdoor living space’s features included a built in gas grill, outdoor fire pit with seat walls and enough new patio space to add an outdoor dining set close to the cooking area. The new raised patio space gives the homeowner ample room and plenty of extra seating whenever they have a larger gathering for dinner or an evening of relaxation. Dancing firelight can be enjoyed from the pool or the lounge chairs on the pool deck too. Just about anything is possible when you remodel with the right amount of creativity, craftsmanship and masonry knowledge.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Like all other communities around greater Pheonix, backyard Peoria landscaping almost always features a patio. While you’re looking at the options available for paving with Arizona patio designs, don’t overlook high interest – all beauty travertine stone tile.

Unlike man made pavers, there is a great deal more color variation and subtle nuances with a natural stone product. The irregularities and pitting in natural travertine tiles offer a very smooth surface for Peoria patio designs now found in flagstone paving. This is because the finish on each piece of travertine paving is smoothed as they are sliced from the large rock formations. Split face rock as you have with flagstone will never be perfectly level, but travertine will. Its the closest thing to the flat surface one gets with Arizona pavers without it being a concrete product.

Travertine paving tiles are laid the same way that patio pavers are with the base and fill sand being compacted to provide you with long lasting, beautiful paving. Travertine being a soft stone allows easy cutting to create installation patterns also not possible with concrete pavers. Not that you cannot cut paver stones, but the brick-like shape of pavers available in Arizona really only allow cutting to fit a fluid curve or make a straight edge with an offset laying pattern. Travertine pavers are available in a variety of sizes, allowing for more intricate cuts and wider variation in patio designs.

As is seen in the backyard Peoria landscaping pictured above, the patio design’s travertine pieces are much larger than those used in the walk that leads from the house to the outdoor living space’s flooring. Depending on your preferences, travertine pavers can be cut to create an intricate pattern or simple ones as was done in this Peoria landscape. Whether its a more random pattern you seek, or something more artistic, travertine makes a unique laying pattern a simple task. It does require a lot of cutting work, but renders a truly beautiful and very different patio designs than you would find just anywhere.

One of the greatest thing about travertine patio designs is the subtle and more dramatic tone variations in the stone tiles. The finished surface has miles more character than Peoria patios made from concrete pavers. The overall light coloring of travertine also deflects heat, which is a good thing in the Arizona during the summer months.

There are a lot positive and creative benefits to having Peoria patio designs made from travertine. These natural stone paver tiles are will suited for both formal and informal areas. They also make great courtyard floors and even front walkways. Anywhere the pavers don’t need to stand up to the stress of vehicle traffic or parking, travertine is an excellent paving material that will remain beautiful and low maintenance in the Arizona climate.

Popularity: 7% [?]

There’s nothing quite like the cool night air after a summer afternoon here in our Arizona desert climate. While the sun’s disappearance overhead makes for comfortable outdoor lounging, early in the warmer months and as we approach winter, the night air can be quite chilly. Whether for ambiance added to a social gathering or to put some warmth into the night spent visiting with friends in Peoria, there is something very special about adding custom fire pits to your patio.

Designs that work with your available space and flow with the colors already present in the pavers or patio stone tile or other hardscape in the backyard, even the walls of the house make for beautiful outdoor living space elements. While most Peoria fire pit designs are round, there is no law that decrees your outdoor fire feature has to be that shape. It can be square or rectangular, but long standing traditions direct most homeowners to want a round fire pit.

Gas firepits are most popular thanks to our relative lack of abundant fire wood here in the valley. For most, when comparing the two options in fire pit designs, gas burning models are more attractive for more reasons than firewood being at a premium. First,  its much easier and faster to have flames dancing with gas than with a wood burning fire pit. Still some love that aroma of burning wood, so from time to time, we get requests for the wood burner as opposed to gas. In a city or development community, however, ordinances could be in place that curtail the use of wood as the fuel for open burning as is what occurs in fire pits. During dry months here in Arizona this is especially an issue, since live sparks could be a hazard.

Adding custom fire pits to Peoria patio designs is popular. They are definitely an asset to outdoor living spaces. Something homeowners here in Arizona can enjoy almost 12 months a year.  As with the fire pit design in the image above, the patio pavers and landscape stone in the backyard landscaping are echoed in the natural stone caps on the built in seat walls and on the fire pit itself. The sand tones in the stone coping adds a light accent color to the overall design appeal.

With four seat walls circling the round fire feature, this corner of the home’s outdoor living space is a special spot for evenings spent with friends and family. Nicely accenting the dark patio paves, the area stands out from surrounding hardscape elements and the rest of the backyard landscaping. Once lit after sundown, Peoria fire pit designs like this offer the perfect relaxed conversation space for entertaining or the family in residence.

Popularity: 7% [?]

No matter how much you pay for a spa, it still winds up looking like an over sized outdoor bathtub, unless it is custom built as part of your in-ground swimming pool. For many homeowners around Scottsdale and Phoenix, patio design leads to adding a hot tub. As we all know, the inside of a spa is far more wonderful than the manufacturer’s shell. The solution to hiding that ugly part is to have a custom built spa surround installed.

Like any type of masonry walls or features we add to our outdoor living space, Phoenix spa surrounds need to look great with the pavers or stone used on your patio, as well as make a good match with the walls of your home. After all, that hot tub is one of those great life enriching features that is highly desirable to include on the Arizona patio, and it should look just as beautiful as your landscaping and hardscaping does.

There are lots of ways to cover the majority of the exterior walls of a spa, but all of them will when professionally designed and installed:

• Leave access for repair and maintenance to the spa.
• Be constructed from stone or stucco for long lasting beauty and value.
• Accommodate and hide the electricity needed to run the spa.
• Allow for drainage so water doesn’t collect around or under the shell inside the surround.
• Allow complete removal of the spa if necessary without dismantling the surrounding wall.

The best way to start the process will always be by contacting fully licensed Phoenix landscapers. These seasoned contractors will have the experience, skills and permits to not only complete the project right, they will be able to make your spa surround the perfect asset to both your landscaping and patio design’s appeal. There won’t be any guesswork involved in what your finished enclosure will look like since a highly detailed CAD design will be the first thing they will do after your onsite consultation to look the situation over and be able to create a solution that meets your desires.

While it may look like the spa surround in this picture completely encloses the hot tub, it is u-shaped to allow full access to the control and areas that must be reached should repairs to the unit be needed. Notice that the spa is no where near where you would find an electrical outlet in an outdoor living space’s layout. A dedicated 220 line has been run to provide the proper electricity without dangerous and unsightly extension cords stretched across the patio.

Designs and styles can be highly unique, very simple or more elaborate. You can elect to lower the spa halfway into the ground and shorten its presence or have taller enclosure walls installed and leave it fully above ground. Adding drainage all the way around the shell of a hot tub in a permanent masonry enclosure is important. Whether from rainfall, overflow or a leaking water line, water collecting without a means of escape can cause damage to Scottsdale and Phoenix spa surrounds, something many might not consider an issue here in our arid climate. For spas installed partially below ground, adding a sump pump is very important. Water trapped in the hole can cause damage to the floor of the unit. This makes keeping excavated area dry at all times a must.

Whether you’re just looking into Phoenix patio designs or already have one in place, Desert Crest can create spa surrounds to match the pavers or stone chosen, as well as your outdoor fireplace and all other feature elements that are part of your landscaping. We can add seat walls, pillars, lighting or overhangs with an adjacent bar area for entertaining… whatever you have in mind is possible when working with us. Why have a patio bathtub when your spa can be a thing of great beauty and luxury?

Popularity: 7% [?]

In many areas of the country, it would be all wrong to add permanent brilliant color to residential patio designs. Things are different here in Arizona where Southwestern architecture with it’s Spanish and South of the Border influence is predominate. When adding a new patio to your Scottsdale landscaping, where it is located may have a great deal to do with whether the color comes from plants or not. Take this particular featured patio as an example.

Yes, there are plants, but very few and the most colorful ones are potted and placed in the focal point between the eye catching stair case and the outdoor water fountain. Other than that, only a narrow bed between the stone pavers and the safety rail allows space for permanent plants. Of course, this patio is more unique than most as it is not on the ground level, which makes space at a premium for entertaining and seating. There isn’t any room to expand the landscape planting as you would have with ground level patio designs. Since this photo was taken when the installation was completed, it is highly likely that the homeowner has added more potted plants for a livelier outdoor living space.

Naturally the bold primary colored tiles that are part of the house on the risers of the stairs leading to the upper story really stand out against the stark white stucco walls. On the more popular earth tone stuccoes most homes are done in today, though vivid, these colored tiles would not be as noticeable. By picking up the more restful blue and repeating it in solid expanses in the tile seat top and the water feature’s face, two things are accomplished that may not be noticeable.

1. Any potted plants that are added to the space whether flowering or just foliage will not blend into the permanent structures. There will never be a ‘wrong’ color of bloom or leaf to use here, allowing the homeowner to change accent colors at will in the areas away from the stairs.
2. The stone paver’s warmer tones aren’t made more pronounced, allowing the outdoor living space’s flooring to remain very neutral.

We have had other clients who have added brilliant color to their Scottsdale landscaping on the permanent elements rather than with large plants due to the space being very limited. Having a bright purple retainer wall may not be on the average homeowner’s wish list for their Arizona landscape design, yet when seen used properly, they love the creative use of color and the vibrancy it adds to a small space. One tip for anyone who is getting ready to add outdoor living spaces to their Scottsdale or Phoenix area yard. The color of the walls of your home will influence the choice of bright accent used. The purple mentioned above would be too much with this white house, yet it was perfect with the darker stucco walls. You can see that something more outstanding than blue was called for on this Patio Designs post from 2009.

Popularity: 12% [?]

For most homeowners around Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona landscaping their patio area and turning it into outdoor living space is high on the list of necessities. We can’t say as we blame them, a well designed backyard living style of patio ensures that this will be a pleasant, comfortable space with feature elements that expand the meaning of home.

One of the first things needed is shade for relief from that intense summer sun. Adding ramadas and pergolas creates a cooler space that everyone naturally gravitates toward.

Ramadas can be designed to have many different  looks. This one is a trellis ramada style with open sides and timber slat roof. In this clean contemporary outdoor living space the white masonry posts give the feeling of no barriers. The color of the red cedar cross members and roof slats adds great accent color in just the right amount to keep the patio design’s sleek charm.

Rather than making that wood tone more prominent by matching the stone masonry material used in the outdoor fireplace’s design, the stone selected only softly echoes its presence. The same natural stone was used in the design and construction of the patio bar island. In keeping with the clean, cool expanses of white, the base of the island is finished in the same white stucco masonry as the ramada’s posts.

There are many details like this that must be considered when planning your Scottsdale or Phoenix, Arizona landscaping. Patio designs or hardscape are the foundation of outdoor living spaces that enhance your home and lifestyle.

One wouldn’t imagine that all this stark white intermittently interrupted with cooling green would result in such a beautiful and inviting space, but that is exactly what this homeowner now has beyond the back door. Sometimes simple can be far more attractive than we think. Just look at how relaxing and pleasant such patio designs can be.

Properly placed plants are minimal, making this a very low maintenance yard that is big on impact, yet very soothing. There is just enough use of subtle color in the soft grays and red tones of the stonework from the outdoor fireplace’s facing and the counter of the bar seating island. Over it all is the drama and surprise of the ramada’s natural red cedar roof. Unusual and very striking in a low-keyed and elegant way.

Popularity: 17% [?]