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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
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Deana Petersen
A Tallmadge family wanted to develop the area under their back deck — but David Baughman, the owner and lead designer of Darkhorse Design and Build, suggested they look elsewhere in their yard.
“I recommended they spend the majority of their budget … for something out in the sun, where they’d want to spend a lot of time,” he says.
The end result was a new 20-by-40-foot patio, placed away from the back of the house and to the side of the deck. It features a gas fire pit, a unique TV display and another 400 square feet of paved walkway, wrapping around it and leading up to the driveway.
THE DETAILS Seating Area: Part of the patio is devoted to a covered lounge area. This space boasts a rectangular stone gas fire pit, where the family passes time on nights and weekends. There is also a bar and dining area with granite countertops and a cedar trim. In addition, the family enjoys a large open, paved space on the patio during bigger events. “They’d have graduation parties, and they’d have parties for their kids’ teams,” Baughman says.
TV: The patio’s piece de resistance is a flat-screen TV, which rises from and lowers into a retaining wall block planter. Baughman says he was given a relatively free hand in the design of the yard and patio, but the TV was an intractable demand — one he wasn’t initially on board with. “I said, This was supposed to be the kind of place that takes you away from the TV,” he recalls. “He said, I have teenage boys. So, the compromise is that we had it, but it’s hidden.” Building it allowed Baughman to do something he’d only theorized before. “We knew how to do it properly. We never had a customer who was willing to invest in the idea,” he says.
Steps: The process included heavy excavation and the installation of about 9 inches of gravel — used as a base on the patio and inclined walkway. The walkway’s steps are curved, with an inlaid paver pattern. The plan for its aesthetic started with sketches and a 3D rendering — and led to a trip to the Henry Bierce Supply Co. in Tallmadge. There, the family and Baughman picked out discover-pattern pavers from County Materials Corp. in neutral shades called Enlighten, Beckon and Vision. “We wanted a classic element with a modern twist,” Baughman says.
Landscaping: The pathway and landscaping around the deck and patio area are accented with pink knockout roses, a hearty hybrid that grows well in Ohio, according to Baughman. Arborvitae and boxwood shrubs give the flowers a contrasting background. “They provide color from May to Thanksgiving,” he says.
