When our Church Street clients reached out, they had a clear vision: a place to cook, dine, and relax outdoors. The couple splits their time between homes, so the space had to be low-maintenance yet beautiful and easy to enjoy.
The wish list was straightforward:
- An outdoor kitchen (with the ability to make pizza)
- A fire feature for evening gatherings
- Comfortable seating for hosting friends
- Plantings that brought a touch of their tropical Florida favorites while still thriving in Georgia’s climate
For the client—a talented home cook known for whipping up inventive grilled dishes and, as his partner puts it, “a damn good pizza”—the outdoor kitchen had to be both functional and inspiring: “I wanted a space where I could fire up the grill, experiment with new recipes… and whip up a pizza, all while we’re kicking back on crisp autumn evenings.”
We wanted to design an outdoor space that combined the home’s architecture with the owners’ personalities, creating a natural extension of their living space.
Details That Make the Project
The hand-built outdoor kitchen became the star of the show, designed from scratch to fit the space perfectly and finished with custom veneer and integrated electrical. The fire feature adds a cozy focal point for gatherings, while a thoughtful mix of native perennials and the clients’ favorite tropical plants creates year-round interest with minimal upkeep. As Patrick, our Design + Build Lead, explains, the client “had a tropical Florida mentality in terms of what plants they liked, so we mixed in those, but we also mixed in a bunch of native perennials into the garden space as well.”
It’s a space that looks polished but lives easy, proof that with the right materials and a simplified approach, you can extend your home outdoors without overcomplicating the design.
