Timber & Flame Hideaway

Solution: This refuge in Blaine, MN, is grounded by distinctive County Materials concrete pavers and concrete landscape products that add comfort, durability, and a rustic visual appeal. Smooth tile-like concrete pavers are used throughout, contrasted by paver planks with authentic-looking wood grain textures, freestanding building stones, and an inviting fire circle flanked by trees.

A Warm and Wooded Backyard Retreat

The lot of this suburban home in Blaine, Minnesota, slopes downward toward the rear, which means that the first-floor patio doors sit a full story above the backyard. The homeowners’ solution was to build a handsome timber deck with stairs leading down to the yard, where County Materials’ DISCOVER PAVERS® lend a smooth, silky surface texture to the courtyard of the finished patio.

The space beneath the timber deck was put to good use as a covered outdoor kitchen. Tucked up against the home, a cook station built of rugged, durable Smooth SUMMIT STONE® LANDSCAPE UNITS encloses one end. It includes a stove, a grill, and a wood-fired pizza oven. Additionally, a Smooth SUMMIT STONE bar separates the kitchen zone from the patio courtyard. A floor made of ESSENCE® PAVERS, concrete planks with authentic-looking grain and textures found in weathered wood, visually holds it all together.

The homeowners also built a nearby gazebo with a shingled roof supported by timber columns and beams. Designed to shelter a hot tub and a dining table, its floor is composed of light-toned DISCOVER PAVERS that extend from the courtyard. At the far end of the patio, smoky-colored concrete pavers encircle an inviting fire pit made of Smooth SUMMIT STONE and ESSENCE PAVERS. Surrounded by trees, it contributes a roaring flame to the timber solitude of this north woods hideaway.

Project Highlights

This project demonstrates how the diverse variety of concrete pavers, stones, and other landscaping products manufactured by County Materials can be creatively combined to reflect and complement a landscape project’s natural surroundings.