Outdoor living includes all those elements that make it possible to enjoy more time out of doors year-round, either on your own, with family or with friends: outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces or firepits, patios, decks, plantings, ponds or fountains, etc. The features that you’ll need to create your outdoor living space depend on the activities that you and your family enjoy.

If you enjoy:	Then you’ll want to consider adding:
Dining with family	A patio/deck space with comfortable outdoor dining table and chairs and added room to move around or to just sit and relax in lounge chairs (see our DECKS/PATIOS page for more info)
Entertaining friends	An outdoor kitchen with bar, mini-fridge, grill, sink, cabinets, tables and seating for friends in a spacious patio/deck space (see OUTDOOR KITCHENS below)
Relaxation	An outdoor “room” complete with paver patio, outdoor furniture, screened with plants or structures for privacy and noise reduction, and a small fountain providing the soothing sound of running water.
Observing birds or other wildlife	Planted borders or garden areas with trees, shrubs and perennials and a suitable water feature that can provide food, habitat and water for the type of wildlife you want to see with a seating area nearby (but not too close) for observation.
Night-sky gazing	A patio/deck area without overhead canopy arranged with firepit for cold clear nights and comfortable outdoor lounge chairs.

Outdoor Kitchens

Your outdoor kitchen can include all of the features and space you need whether you plan to entertain guests or just enjoy being outdoors cooking and dining with your family. We can install any of the following outdoor kitchen elements:

• built-in grills, ranges, cooktops, ovens and warming drawers
• built-in or undercounter refrigerators
• ice makers
• undercounter wine cellars
• dishwashers and trash compactors
• cabinets, carts and countertops

Adding an outdoor kitchen to your outdoor living space has many benefits:

• Located near your indoor kitchen and dining area, an outdoor kitchen increases the amount of space you have for dining and entertaining so you can invite more guests.
• You'll have more time to enjoy being outdoors AND be able to visit with family and guests because you won't have to leave them while preparing and serving food and beverages.
• Decks and patios can be designed to coordinate with and function as extensions of the outdoor kitchen to give family and guests space to relax, eat and drink, or just to enjoy the great outdoors. (See our DECKS/PATIOS Web page for more info.)
• The design possibilities for your outdoor kitchen are endless! Your custom design can include as many or as few features as you need for your dining and entertaining needs.

Let us work with you to create
the perfect outdoor living space for you and your family.
Call or click here to contact Ground Up for a free consultation.

Outdoor Fireplaces

Would you like to relax outside with friends or family on those cool evenings after the bugs are gone? Well, you can. Let us install masonry fireplaces or firepits to extend the outdoor season for entertaining guests or just lying under the stars.

There are a wide variety of styles and materials to choose from. We can help you select a style and materials for your fireplace or firepit to suit your needs, your home and your landscape. To see some of the many available fireplace design ideas, see Belgard’s Web site or click on the logo at right.

If you’d like to enjoy the outdoors throughout the year,
call or click here to contact us about adding
an outdoor fireplace or firepit.

Outdoor Rooms

What is meant by outdoor rooms? An outdoor room is created when you enclose or define the vertical, overhead, or horizontal boundaries of an outdoor space using hedges, privacy fencing, pergolas, arbors, pavers, retaining walls, etc. Generally such an enclosed space would include elements representing (or implying) walls, floors and even ceilings. For example: the ceiling of an outdoor room could be defined by the overhead canopy of a shade tree, the floor by a paver patio, and the walls by a low hedge surrounding the space with openings for access into and out of the “room.” If the function of this room is to be outdoor dining, this room could include a table and chairs, an outdoor kitchen or island with grill, refrigerator, storage, and prep space.

And, just like your indoor living space, these outdoor rooms can be large or small, formal or informal, and can include many different features. An outdoor room can function as:

• An intimate, quiet space with a firepit where you and your family can rest and relax on pleasant evenings.
• An outdoor dining area with a paver patio and enough room for the grill or outdoor kitchen, furniture, your family, and your guests.
• A shaded, secluded spot used for reading, exercise, meditation, or watching wildlife.
• A particular spot in your yard where you like to sit and enjoy watching the sunset, admiring the panoramic view of the surrounding hills when the leaves are changing color, or just gazing at the stars in the night sky.

Depending on the size of your yard and the functions you need, you can have one or several outdoor rooms. Or, a single sizable area can serve several functions during different seasons of the year. The choice of function and features for your outdoor room is up to you and what activities you and your family enjoy.

The types of outdoor rooms and the combination of elements that make up the walls, ceilings, and floors are limitless. The enclosing elements can provide as much or as little screening as you desire.

• Walls can be implied using low stone walls, short or tall hedges, climbing roses or vines on a trellis or pergola, privacy fencing, etc.
• Ceilings of an outdoor room can be an awning or wooden roof, or they can be implied by the canopies of trees or vines growing on a pergola or arbor overhead.
• Floors can be made of living or nonliving materials. Turf or other groundcovers can create a soft, quiet floor covering. To accommodate outdoor kitchens or outdoor furniture, a paver patio can provide a solid, level surface that is not only attractive but quite durable.

Most importantly, outdoor rooms can be designed to suit your needs and, at the same time, can enhance the beauty of your yard and the value of your property.

If you’d like to enjoy the outdoors more,
call or click here to contact us about a custom design
for an outdoor room, kitchen, fireplace or firepit.

We Provide Services to the Following Cities, Towns and surrounding areas in VA:

• Blue Ridge, VA
• Boones Mill, VA
• Botetourt County, VA
• Cave Spring, VA
• Cloverdale, VA
• Daleville, VA

• Fincastle, VA
• Franklin County, VA
• Garden City, VA
• Hardy, VA
• Hollins, VA
• Moneta, VA

• Roanoke, VA
• Rocky Mount, VA
• Salem, VA
• Smith Mountain Lake, VA
• Troutville, VA
• Vinton, VA