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Making the Outdoor Space the Family Place
With wintertime vistas of the Washington Monument and the Capitol, Keith Kelly, 40, and Margaret Kelly, 38, knew that their Arlington home was exceptional. But the one thing missing from their custom home built by The Christopher Companies was a way to enjoy their backyard and all the lights and sounds that come with being so close to DC.
“The driving force behind the whole yard was to drown out the noise,” Margaret says. With ideas in mind, like a pergola, a fireplace and a waterfall cascading into a spa fashioned after one enjoyed on a recent vacation, the Kellys met with Phil Kelly (no relation), chief operations officer of the Virginia division ofMcHale Landscape Design Inc. That’s when their visions of entertainment areas melding with relaxation spaces began to take shape.
Phil presented a watercolor rendition of the outdoor oasis to the Kellys. “It was unbelievable,” Keith says. And the finished product came out even better than the keepsake artwork, he adds.
Bringing the Inside Out
The interior’s high-end furnishings and the owners’ tastes and desire to bring the inside out influenced the finished design. Creating drama and light proved to be the way to go.
With the bright city lights not far away, the Kellys hired Outdoor Illumination Inc. to install subtle mood-enhancing lighting. Less is more when it comes to lights, says Mark Oxley, president of Outdoor Illumination. “Anyone can put in lighting, but we’re creating an atmosphere.” If the lighting goes unnoticed, then this company has done its job. The idea is to maintain the visual centerpiece, which is the waterfall, Oxley says.
Making a Grand Entry
Sensitive to the neighbors’ views, the Kellys conferred with Phil about what slow-growing trees to plant around the entire home, while adding interesting elements, such as the pair of entry piers flanking the path into the rear yard. McHale Landscape Design also created a front courtyard made of tumbled architectural pavers complementing the end result – the backyard haven.
The best way to illuminate the waterfall is from above, like moonlight, says Oxley, or along the sides to capture the water’s motion. But with no trees overhead to attach lighting to and no rocks on the side to hide the bulbs, the only option was to place a Lumiere 206 light at the front to shine across the waterfall. Then it can be switched on and off when in the spa. Soft lighting works in all areas, including the sunken patio and the fireplace-enhanced kitchen.
Serious European craftsmanship went into designing the hand-chiseled edges of the Antique Blend dry impression stone fireplace, says Phil. The whole intent was to create several outside spaces, including tiered patios with Carnation Rose flagstone imported from India and a pergola made of Brazilian hardwood. The owners wanted to keep the natural look of the wood and blend it into the setting. And McHale Landscape Design delivered with the perfect complements of water and warmth, adds Margaret.
While the summer nights were fun, the owners are enjoying the crisp fall evenings and looking forward to the winter when using the spa in the snow will add another dimension to their outside oasis.
