Our Favorite Projects

2019

A luxurious covered patio and outdoor kitchen chock full of amenities—but with a twist … it was designed with a thoroughly rustic aesthetic. This project in Round Rock, TX, is a freestanding 17’x19’ poolside cabana. The high, open-gable roof creates the perfect combination of shade and light. The project includes an extra you don’t see every day. We created a special surround for one of the mature trees, which will preserve its health. Surrounding it with concrete would have killed the tree. Instead, we laid flagstone surrounded by decomposed granite. Altogether, this is a “statement project” if there ever was one.
Read more about it here: Round Rock TX Poolside Cabana Makes a Statement

In Bee Cave, TX, these clients wanted to expand their elevated deck, add a roof for shade and create an under-deck storage area. They also wanted to add a patio at ground level. We built the deck with AZEK low-maintenance synthetic decking and used Western red cedar for the skirting to conceal the under-deck storage. The ground-level patio is connected to the deck by a stairway. The patio provides an intimate seating area and features a curved stone seating wall. As always, these structures were all custom-designed for the home to provide a one-of-a-kind outdoor living area.

These clients in NW Austin wanted to use part of their existing patio for a screened porch. They specifically didn’t want to disturb the nearby flagstone grilling area and fire pit. We were able to create a porch that blends into the home perfectly and didn’t encroach on any more of the back yard. The result was a picture-perfect, light and airy screened porch, just charming.

The screenwork on the porch showcases the fact that we custom make all of our screens. The porch is small but effective and gives the homeowners everything they were looking for. We were able to use the patio as the porch floor. We added a textured overlay that increased its durability and made it slip-resistant.

2018

We had built this nice elevated deck and pergola in Georgetown, TX, a while ago. The homeowners called us back for “Phase II,” installing an under-deck system to create a dry storage area below the deck. We secured a pan system to the underside of the deck frame so water would be channeled to—and through—the gutters. The family’s stored items stay dry, and we walled it in to keep everything out of sight so the yard looks tidy.

This was a new home, new build, in Leander, TX. We added an outdoor kitchen on the covered patio and a custom fire pit with a flagstone walkway leading out from the patio. The fire pit has curved stone benches with two access points, one facing the home and the other opening to the yard.

We centered the fire pit to line up perfectly with the view from inside the home. The clients have a large patio window that extends 15 linear feet across the back of the house. With the French doors open, the patio and fire pit areas become one with the indoor living space. The effect makes this design even more special than it might have been on another home. Read more in our project spotlight story, New Leander TX Home – New Leander TX Outdoor Living Space

The project picture above was of those situations where the Austin-area homeowners called us to begin planning their outdoor improvements before they even closed on the house. The clients wanted to extend the patio and add a hot tub space and outdoor kitchen. We designed four specific areas. The outdoor kitchen and the comfortable seating area with TV are in the covered space. The hot tub and the dining area—a table with a huge umbrella—are in the uncovered space.

For the hot tub we built a recessed concrete area about a foot lower than the patio surface. The design included a special AZEK low-maintenance surround on two sides to keep the hot tub’s access panel accessible.

2017

Another award winner for us, again the Archadeck Outdoor Living Design Excellence Award. The homeowners knew when they purchased this home in the Berry Creek neighborhood of Georgetown, TX, that they wanted to improve the outdoor space. It was a small, plain covered back porch with the bare minimum of a concrete pad. We were able to help them see the potential here. We expanded the patio and added what was missing—an outdoor kitchen. The bigger and better patio in stunning flagstone erased any memory of the original concrete pad. A stone seating bench, curved, at one end of the patio, was part of the magic, too.

Read more about this stunning project in our spotlight article: Don’t just own that outdoor space — make it your own, like these Georgetown, TX, homeowners did!

One of our favorite screened porch projects, this one is in NW Austin. Screened porch, shed roof, skylights and a small deck, too. Here we had to straighten out a mess left by another contractor who walked away from a job too complex for them to handle. What makes this project stand out is the beautiful cedar everywhere—the screened porch, the porch ceiling, the deck and the deck skirting. The space behind the house is full of trees and this porch feels like a screened-in tree house!

For this screened porch addition in East Central Austin, we could say proportions matter. The homeowners entertain a lot and sometimes work at home. They needed an extra-large screened porch to accommodate dining and entertaining outdoors and the needs of an occasional home office.

What’s remarkable here is their home is only about 1,400 sq. ft. Instead of designing a porch sized proportionately to the size of their home, we went big. The screened porch increased their usable space by almost 50%. We added the equivalent of two new rooms. Another reason we like this one so much: four skylights in the porch ceiling.

2016

This luxurious detached covered porch in Davenport Ranch in West Austin stands out among our favorites. And not just because we won an Archadeck National Design Excellence Award for it. The large, dramatic fireplace of white limestone is unforgettable. The open rafters, the ceiling of Western red cedar, the outdoor kitchen with a walk-up bar, the subtle outdoor lighting throughout …

Watch our video and you’ll see why we say this spectacular project includes everything you could ever want in an outdoor living space.

2015

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Super South Austin deck project. Started out to be a place to sit the spa and turned into a complete outdoor room including the spa, bar with cooler, space to chill out and enjoy the green belt. All built level with the house slab on an AzekPVC deck. The pergola allows shade and lots of attention to low voltage lights, dimmable sconce lights and railing lights. Makes you want to hang out. You can view more images of this incredible project in our Archadeck of Austin Houzz galleries.

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Probably our most ambitious roof project. This one spans 30 ft, replaced an aging pergola and redefined the back of this home. The rear of the home faces west and was scorched by the evening sun, thus the closed gable roof. Inside it has a cathedral ceiling with 2 sky lights, a bar with fridge and several fans. Now everyone can enjoy the pool and have a great space to get out of the sun but still be outside.

2014

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We do a lot of cabanas but I particularly like this one because it complements the space so well. The size is not too big and not too small and the detail is outstanding. It has a corner fireplace, kitchen, bar, and space for dining. You could just spend all day outside, at the pool and into the evening. It’s probably the best definition of what it’s all about.

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We can’t take much credit for the general design because the client had been planning projects for many years. The home is their retirement location in Lago Vista. Cooking is the passion here. The roof addition and super looking fireplace were just necessities to house a kitchen with everything. Large grill, smoker, recessed burners, surface burners, warmers, fridge, sink, you name it it’s here. We even returned the following year to build a separate structure for another smoker. It makes me hungry thinking about it! Read the full story behind this amazing project in our blog article titled: Our combination project in Lago Vista, TX, turns up the heat with outdoor living possibilities!

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Some projects are hard to capture in photographs. This is for sure one of those. We replaced an aging deck with this multi-level deck and it includes a new roof cover over the top deck which serves as the main cooking and dining area. The deck actually has 4 separate levels and is built on a very challenging grade making the back yard unusable without the decks. This provided the homeowner a covered living space at the top center, an uncovered area next to that which is built to provide a perfectly dry area below. The space below the center deck was enclosed to provide storage and stairs to navigate around the trees.

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We do a lot of beautiful projects but I put so much of my personal design touch into this one it’s probably my all-time favorite. It’s a cliff deck overlooking the loop 360 bridge with stunning views. The horizontal railing with a double wide cap is completely unique, as well as the 6 sided tables made from the composite material. There are 3 zones of low voltage lighting including perimeter lights and lights under the tables. Love the customer and super happy they allowed us to build this. This project was featured in the 2016 issue of Qualified Remodelers magazine and you can read all about the details in our blog post: Custom features abound in this Austin, TX, elevated outdoor living space.

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This is one of the many Steiner Ranch projects we have done. Other than the great stained concrete patio, kitchen, patio, and pergolas; we also added on the exercise room that extends from the double French door to the left. This was a completely finished extension to the home and you would never know it was not built on the home originally.

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Also, a Steiner Ranch project that unfortunately can never be seen unless you’re playing golf at the UT Golf Center. The project has double composite decks and pergolas, a firepit, very unique railing design and under deck storage. This was a complex project and tremendous enhancement of the space

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South Austin home for someone that wanted to spend more time outside than inside. This project added 30% more living space to the home and include kitchen seating space and room for nice furniture. Best of all the initial design was accepted without changes. On a project this large, that was unique.

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Wow – stunning appeal. This was a very complex roof design in a very irregular space with lots of challenges but turned out really nice. It’s full, giant fireplace, kitchen, cabinets, TV wall and one request from the client was to be able to sit in the spa and watch the game – he got that and much more. Read all about this project in our blog titled: Join Archadeck of Austin as we explore this hideaway in Westlake Hills