A cozy outdoor patio with a stone fireplace featuring a roaring fire. Above the mantel, there's a TV displaying an image of a tree with autumn foliage. The space is flanked by white columns, and there are two wooden chairs and stacks of firewood on either side.

This Outdoor Living Room is Built for Relaxation and Game Day with Friends

As the chilly winds of autumn roll into our region, curling up by a toasty fire feels like the perfect way to unwind. Our Lower Gwynedd, PA client wanted to expand their outdoor entertaining space from meager to magnificent. The homeowners wanted to keep the enjoyment going for many months out of the year, from sunny spring days all the way through to the first frost. So we designed a patio and deck area that brought together all of their favorite entertaining elements in one expansive space.   

A Deck and Patio in Lower Gwynedd for All Seasons

To help our clients enjoy the beauty of the outdoors in their own backyard, we first blended a new open patio area in with a newly constructed covered deck. This provided both a place to soak in the sun on warm days and a living room space to retreat to when the temps cool down or there are spring showers. 

To begin, we built a low-maintenance flooring base using Trex decking, in a warm wood grain tone. This composite deck option will provide the homeowners with many years of maintenance-free enjoyment. There’s no painting, staining or refinishing required. Then we moved on to building the centerpiece of the outdoor space, a grand stone fireplace using natural stone in earth tones of gray, beige and brown.

Fireplaces Extend Outdoor Entertaining

This beautiful fireplace, with its minimal natural wood mantle, will give the family a lovely place to curl up and enjoy the fall season. We’re sure there will also be plenty of parties here whether it’s game day for the Eagles or watching the Phils in the postseason. There’s nothing like hearing the crackle of the fire as you gather with friends or curl up with a soft blanket and a warm mug of apple cider. 

No area was overlooked. To further enhance the feeling of warmth in this outdoor living room, we added Azek millwork to the ceiling. Here, in warm wood honey tones, the ceiling becomes a gorgeous natural-looking focal point. It’s accented by a gorgeous ceiling fan and heaters to ensure guests always enjoy optimum comfort. 

Dedicated Spaces for All the Outdoor Entertaining Needs

To provide plenty of space to entertain, the layout was designed to let everyone have room to relax. Here, the outdoor dining area is set off to the side allowing for ample living room style seating in the covered deck. Then a bump out was added to the other side of the living room to leave plenty of space for the family’s outdoor cooking appliances. 

Creative Contracting designed this remodeled deck space in coordination with the homeowner’s interior remodel that included a new kitchen design. We made certain to take into account the flow of the interior space with the new outdoor areas. Windows, access and lighting were all considered  in our detailed design-build process, highlighting excellent craftsmanship in both our interior and exterior workmanship. 

Now our clients have a breathtaking place to host neighborhood parties, relax after a long day or enjoy family TV time by the fire. Where will you be watching the Eagles play next season? Now is the perfect time to start designing the outdoor living area of your dreams, so by next fall you’ll be ready to unwind in your very own getaway space that’s conveniently located right in your own backyard. 

We loved creating this amazing outdoor space and wish our homeowners many years of fun, joyous times in their gorgeous new outdoor living room. Here’s to many years of tailgates by the fire!

Go EAGLES!

Lower Gwynedd Kitchen and Outdoor Remodel Made for Entertaining  

Our Lower Gwynedd clients wanted to give their circa-1980s kitchen a modern feel and to make it more functional and inviting. This was a fun project for us that also included opening up the eat-in area to include a picturesque bump-out that connects the space to the new outdoor living addition we constructed.

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Wainscoting 101

Kitchen Remodel wainscoting in red kitchen. Vertical panels

Reflect with us on a project we’ve done for a previous client. The high ceilings, big windows, and wainscoting work helps elevate your space to the next level!

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Three Necessities for an Attic Renovation

Attic space in progress

Is your house bursting at the seams? Do you feel like no matter what you do there just isn’t enough room for everything? Feeling like you are living on top of each other, and you just can’t take it anymore? If the answer is yes, look up to the attic!

If you have an unfinished attic, you are one step closer to having a home that works with you, not against you. Attic spaces already have the basics – a floor, walls, and roof. With a little creativity, your attic can become that playroom, extra bedroom, home office, gym, or hobby room of your dreams!

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Choosing A Vanity for your Bathroom Remodel

There are lots of styles and considerations when choosing the vanity for your bathroom remodel. Cabinetry designs have really changed in the last 30 years. One of the biggest differences is in vanity height. A standard bathroom vanity was 30″ high in the 1980’s, now the standard vanity height is 36.” The reason for the change is all about comfort. It is much easier on the back to have a bathroom sink the same height as a typical kitchen sink. Leaning over causes stress on the lower back and having a surface at work- station height makes sense in most instances. Custom vanities can be made for ADA height requirements, or if you want something lower for children. Most families are fine with a step stool for young children – they grow fast!

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Luxury Bath Remodel

Scaled floor plan of original master bath.
Before Floor Plan

This is the original Master Bath floor plan of a two-story colonial home built in the 1960’s. Notice a tiny bathroom with a single sink and a cramped corner shower. Outside of the bathroom was an awkward dressing space with two closets. The closet doors hinged into each other and much of the space was not easily accessible.

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Kitchen Remodel Ideas

There are so many options to consider when planning a kitchen remodel, that it is often overwhelming to think about beginning the process. To avoid getting mired in all of the details, it is best to use the services of an experienced kitchen remodel designer. But before you take that step, there is some research that you can do to help make the process as seamless as possible.

Creative Contracting Kitchen
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How to Make a Home Workspace That Actually Works

Home Office Remodeling Creative Contracting

More of us are working from home than ever before. Thanks to the nasty virus COVID-19, our lives have been upended in a historically dramatic fashion. As we try to do what’s best for our society and loved ones, the phrase “Stay at Home” changes every aspect of our daily lives; from work and school to isolation and limited social interaction. Fortunately, many of us continue to be productive and to engage with family and friends through the technology of our time. 

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White is the New Orange

It’s Fall – and you’re not a huge fan of orange?!

We’ve seen a trending pattern in design to be more modern and neutral, but what happens as we are celebrating one of the great traditional American Holidays – Thanksgiving? Shouldn’t it be all about Orange Pumpkins, Indian Corn and Harvest Colored mums? As beautiful as these things are – if you are ready to change things up – there are lots of options.

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Design trends: Stone, Wood and Brick

Luxury Remodel Creative Contracting

Over the last few month we have seen an increasing number of clients who are looking for more rustic finishes and natural materials. Although colors still tend to remain in a soft neutral palette, there is a lot of interest in the texture found in stone, wood and brick. Fortunately, the possibilities of incorporating these materials are endless and manufacturers are helping by supplying some very good practical means of application.

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