Patios provide perfect setting

Robin Hill hates cutting grass. He hate yards. But he likes the amenities of a backyard. The solution? About 300 square feet of concrete that serves as Hill’s urban oasis. “It’s a very tranquil Mediterranean-style little patio we created in the middle of the city,” said Hill of Midtown.

For many Atlanta area residents, Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of patio season. Their highly designed spaces range from balcony retreats and rooftop lounges in the city to curtained patios overlooking the pool in the suburbs. The goal, however, is often the same — to create an aesthetically pleasing place to relax, entertain and spend time with family.

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Sarah Dorio

Rooftop patio in Castleberry Hill designed by Brian Patrick Flynn, on-air designer and producer, TBS Movie and A Makeover, who formerly lived in the building has an L shape design with dining area and lounging area. In the dining area, Flynn painted wooden floor planks with greek key pattern to mimic a carpet. The chandelier can be hung out for events, then stored away. Chairs were purchased at local flea markets.

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ELISSA EUBANKS / eeubanks@ajc.com

Brian Jones’ Castleberry Hill balcony in Atlanta. The space has seating for 20 which is also divided into separate areas for lounging and dining. Lamp posts light the balcony’s perimeter, including the corner where a five-burner gas grill sits. Jones still hopes to make a few additions to the patio, adding more greenery and possibly, a hot tub. ‘I think the biggest problem would be getting it inside,’ he said.

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“The term outdoor room, coined about three years ago, was about creating environments outdoors that were similar to those inside our homes,” said Dino Luckino, owner of Georgia Backyard. These outdoor living spaces not only enhance the quality of life, Luckino said, but also the value of a home. “When people walk into someone’s backyard and see these kinds of spaces, they get really excited,” he said.

Hill, a designer, and his roommate Tony Bean serving as gardener, chose fountain statuary as the focal point of the space. Two reclining loungers, an antiqued table and a few sturdy palms and bamboo later, and the scene was set for midafternoon naps, Web surfing by sunlight and starlit dinners. “We use the patio more than we use the dining table when the weather is nice,” Bean said.

Rotted floor revamped

Dining space is the centerpiece of the L-shaped deck serving a community of 14 in Castleberry Hill. In 2004, Brian Patrick Flynn, interior designer for “TBS Movie and a Makeover” and HGTV’s “Decorating Cents,” launched a patio revamp. He replaced rotting floor boards and covered the entire deck with a coat of paint, including a Greek key pattern to emulate an area rug. A removable chandelier hangs above the wooden table (made with salvageable parts of the old deck) that seats 10, while an adjacent lounging area padded with synthetic grass allows residents to hold separate events at the same time.

Just a few blocks away, a balcony equal in size to half of his condominium is what sold Brian Jones on his Castleberry Hill home. The space has seating for 20, which is also divided into separate areas for lounging and dining. Lampposts light the balcony’s perimeter, including the corner where a five-burner gas grill sits. Jones still hopes to make a few additions to the patio, adding more greenery and, possibly, a hot tub. “I think the biggest problem would be getting it inside,” he said.

Though both Flynn and Jones spent under $1,000 dressing up their spaces, Tim Adams, an architect with TS Adams Studio, said it isn’t unusual for clients to spend anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 to pimp a patio. Popular features include fire pits, summer kitchens with built-in Big Green Eggs, artwork, wiring for television and audio systems, and details such as antique beams and retractable screens. Another important feature, one Adams employs on his own Buckhead patio, is curtains, which provide sun protection and privacy when necessary.

When Allison Wildenburg and her husband moved to their Chastain digs, privacy was very important. Using a South Beach theme, they hung white draperies around the deck and hot tub area, in addition to planting Cypress. “We are giving those bad boys some Miracle Grow,” said Wildenburg.

Location, location

Sometimes the hardest part about creating a patio space is not deciding how it should look, but exactly where to put it. “We always knew we wanted a screened-in patio because my husband had one as a child,” said Allison Loetscher, of Alpharetta. They just couldn’t decide on the best location. The builder suggested putting it right off the master bedroom. The area, a bi-level space with sofa seating in soft blue overlooking the pool, serves equally well as the place for pre-dinner drinks with guests and a place to take morning coffee. Though Christmas and Fourth of July parties at the Loetscher residence are legendary, it isn’t unheard of for Loetscher to arrive home on any given evening to find her husband with a group of buddies just hanging out.

What is behind all this Atlanta patio love? Loetscher offers a pretty simple take. “I think people just like to be outside,” she said.