Create Your Own Hidden Retreat

Hidden retreats; a quiet place to get away from the hectic pace of our daily lives is something many only dream about. How do you create a peaceful place to unwind or get away from it all without ever leaving your own back yard? One family in Ohio did just that.

The Yates family is like every other normal family; busy jobs, crazy schedules and never enough time in the day to get things done. So when they wanted to have a place at home to relax and get away from it all, they turned to a back yard renovation.

Retaining Walls by Allan Block

With a home sitting on the edge of a busy golf course the challenge was to create a space that allowed them a place to relax and entertain, while providing them with some privacy. They wanted the space to have a contemporary, clean feel with areas for cooking and entertaining. Their existing yard has a paver patio and an older deck that was in need of repair and none of the space was meeting their relaxation needs.

The new design removed the old deck and added a terraced living space designed to frame and enhance the beautiful views out onto the golf course’s lake. The lower patio area was created to make a private spot for the family to enjoy the outdoors. A retaining wall would be needed to create the sunken private patio, as well as create the large raised patio area to replace the old deck.

The family chose the Allan Block Lite Stone blocks for their retaining walls because of their low profile style and feel. To accent the retaining walls, travertine was then used to finish off the top of the walls as well as the patio and stair surfaces.

Construction took about 4 months to complete. The retaining walls, stairs and patio areas were built to maximize space while protecting the house and foundation from any potential water damage. The stainless steel accents on the wall and the stainless steel bar were custom designed and locally fabricated. The patio was also surrounded by natural gas lanterns to create a unique look at night. Behind the bar and grill area there is a 60” LED flat screen TV that comes up out of the ground and is all controlled by remote. The upper patio area provides a great view out onto the lake and has an inviting fire pit that they use at night when the golfers are done for the day.

The Yates family now has a place to entertain their family and friends or simply get away to relax and unwind.