This home had a worn-out pergola that didn’t provide any shade. The family wanted to have a nicer space to hang out while using the pool, as well as protection from bugs and mosquitoes. 

The new screened-in patio is about 430 SF with a gabled roof and a vaulted ceiling. The knee walls are brick and painted to match the home, and we used Hardie trim to finish the screened area. We built an 8’ kitchen that’s the perfect size for prepping and serving. The silver-gray counter is from Instyle Granite and Marble. All of the appliances are from Cunningham Gas, including a 38” grill, vent hood, storage, and an outdoor fridge. The kitchen is faced with painted brick, and the flooring is concrete. 

The fireplace at the end of the screened porch is a 42” gas insert with a herringbone pattern from Perfection Fireplace. It is faced with painted brick and has a raised hearth. The ceiling is Woodtone Real Soffit pre-stained tongue and groove in West Coast IPA. 

This screened porch gives the family the needed room and ability to enjoy their backyard. Picture yourself wrapped up in a blanket with a glass of wine in front of the fire while a steak is grilling. Pure perfection.

This home did not have any covered space in their backyard and really needed some shade, giving us a large yard with a blank slate. 

TCP poured approximately 1330SF of new concrete to allow for both a covered and uncovered area. We built a covered space of about 810SF that included three distinct areas – a screened porch, a kitchen area, and just an open-air space.  

The screened-in porch area is a year-round room with screens meant for sun and bug-blocking. In addition, we installed a retractable screen in the opening that leads to the other sections of the outdoor space. A custom-built gas-starting wood fireplace is the room’s focal point, featuring Bromic heaters. The stone is an Austin Cream and Austin Chop White from Republic Stone, and a custom wood mantle was installed as well as a pre-stained tongue and groove wood American Nut Brown ceiling. A large fan was also installed to keep the family cooler in the summertime. 

The custom outdoor kitchen area is roughly 300 SF and has the same ceiling and stone finishes. The gabled roof really opens up the space over the kitchen counter. All appliances are from RCS and include a grill, fridge, door, and drawers, while the counter is granite and has a nice bar top area that wraps around to define the space. There is plenty of room for the dining table to seat eight people comfortably. 

This area is adjoined to an open-air space for the entrance into the home and as a connector to the uncovered patio area also installed. The flooring throughout is a Versailles pattern travertine color Philadelphia from QDI. 

This space is now a backyard oasis with plenty of room to enjoy the outdoors.

Click here to discover details about this unique patio in Keller, Texas.

Click here to discover details on this gorgeous project in Frisco, Texas.

Modern outdoor living accessories make it simple to create an outdoor room that’s comfortable enough to sit in all day.  Here are some of our favorite ways to turn your porch or patio into an outdoor living room.

Buy Lounge-able Furniture Once upon a time, comfortable, attractive, well-made outdoor furniture was impossible to find.  Now it’s everywhere.  You can get couches, easy chairs, and matching pillows that look like they should be inside your home but are built to withstand the outdoors.  They’re built with durable, easy-to-clean materials and come in every color imaginable.

Create Comfort for All Seasons
If you want to enjoy your outdoor living room year round, consider adding some cooling elements for the summer months and heating for the winter.

In the summer, the easiest way to stay cool outside is to install ceiling fans on your patio cover.  Fans have the added benefit of keeping bugs away.

To stay warm, you have a few more options.  Heating lamps are a great option and come in a variety of styles and price ranges.  Outdoor fireplaces are an even more attractive option and can add to the overall value of your home.

Get Rid of Bugs!
No one wants to spend time in an outdoor living room if they’re constantly scratching – so come up with a plan to keep the bugs away.  The most economical option is to buy mosquito repelling candles, but you will have to purchase quite a few to keep mosquitoes off your patio.

Adding a screen to your outdoor living room and creating a screened-in porch is a very effective way to keep bugs away.  If you want to keep things more open, a mosquito misting system will keep your outdoor living room virtually bug free.