All summer, going out has meant retreating to porches and backyards. Even with easing restrictions, people are still spending more time at home. These three local projects show that creating a comfortable retreat is always worth the investment — whether you’re adding functional seating to a porch, modifying an existing deck, or completely transforming your backyard.
Everyday vacation
Interior designer Barbie Shepherd says adding a covered pergola to the deck running along the back of her Cary home opened up lots of possibilities.
“I was finally able to do my own project and use some of the great ideas. And one of them was covering the entire deck, so you can use it year round,” said Shepherd, who specializes in creating inviting outdoor spaces in her business, Inside Out Design.
Because the deck is covered, she was able to bring out several pieces of her wicker collection — even though the furniture wasn’t made for the outdoors. Shepherd and her husband Alan also removed a railing at the edge of the deck, making way for uninterrupted views of the pool.
“That pool is such a beautiful focal point,” she said. “I don’t even have to get in that pool, and I just adore it. Every day we’re out on the deck, and the pool’s so pretty at all the different times of day and then at night, with the lights on.”
“The addition of the covered deck and the pool and all the extra living space that it’s provided has just been wonderful,” says Barbie Shepherd. She also appreciates the fencing around her yard, so she can let her dog roam freely.
She calls the backyard her personal sanctuary, but there is also plenty of space to have friends over for socially distant gatherings outside.
“I feel like being on vacation, going away every day, because it’s so relaxing and beautiful,” Shepherd said.
Inspired by Italy
Mary Ellen Mottola and her husband revamped their Morrisville backyard about eight years ago, putting in a pool and other amenities. The renovations were done largely to give their two then-teenage daughters a reason to hang out at home, but the space has turned into what Mottola calls “our little getaway.”
“I think we’re using the outdoor space a lot more,” she said. “We just kind of hang outside more, because being inside is tough all the time. And it’s also allowed me to have my children over in a safe environment, because we are outdoors.”
Along with the built-in pool, there is a pool house with a bathroom and changing room, a large outdoor grill with a small kitchen area, a fireplace and outdoor seating area, and a large grassy area perfect for family badminton or croquet games.
Among Mottola’s favorite features are a marble statue she found on an anniversary trip to California and the waterfall, which they run year round.
Mary Ellen Mottola and her husband put in the pool, pool house and other outdoor amenities about eight years ago. The pool house has 16-foot ceilings, an open kitchen area with a big farm table, and a bar that seats up to eight people. Art on the walls reflects the family’s travels to Italy. “Eating dinner at the table, while looking at the picture from Capri and remembering the wonderful meals we had there, makes me realize how special this space is,” she says.
“To hear the water cascading into the pool, both from the spa side, as well as the flowing fountain at the top of the pool, it’s just so tranquil at night,” said Mottola, who owns Magnolia Construction and Renovations.
With the tile, the blue pool and the statues, she is reminded of trips to the Mediterranean every time she steps outside.
“We feel like we have created our own open air piazza and slice of Italy in our backyard,” Mottola said.
Peaceful Porch
Kristen Ennis designed this cheery porch for a mom and her young daughter, both of whom love the outdoors.
The house, located in Cary’s Lochmere neighborhood, was built in 1994. The 16-by-16-foot porch was added earlier this year, and the homeowner hired Ennis to add furnishings that would be comfortable, functional and charming. The project was finished in late June.
Kristen Ennis designed this comfortable, functional porch for a client in Cary’s Lochmere neighborhood.
“She wanted in that space, obviously, a place to unwind and relax. She did not want it so full of furniture that she couldn’t move around, and she wanted a big sectional in the space,” said Ennis, describing the homeowner’s priorities.
The porch also had to accommodate a first-grader and several cats.
At first, the homeowner didn’t want live plants in the space, because she was afraid the cats would eat anything that was out there. But Ennis knew the space needed plants to soften the outdoor space and bridge the indoor and outdoor environments. She planted cat grass in baskets and put in other cat-friendly plants like the fiddle-leaf fig.
The boxy sectional was paired with rattan accent chairs in a modern, curvaceous shape. And Ennis added a distinctive live-edge slab coffee table, although it wasn’t strictly an outdoor piece.
Designer Kristen Ennis bridged the indoor and outdoor on this Cary porch with natural elements like rattan, live plants and a live edge coffee table. Bright-hued pillows and a sofa throw echo the flowering crepe myrtles outside.
Because the porch has removable vinyl panels, the homeowners can close it off during pollen season or when rain is forecast. This flexibility gave the family more options for decorating and for using the space.
“They eat dinner out there every evening and just chill, just unwind,” Ennis said.
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