Like many in the Pacific Northwest, our clients underutilized their home’s outdoor space. With a stunning back facade and extensive backyard landscaping already in place, they dreamed of creating an integrated outdoor extension of their living area usable throughout the year. Equipped with this ideal outdoor canvas, the COOPER team set out to help them design the ultimate outdoor living area, with this Lake Oswego outdoor living addition.
The Vision: A Natural Extension Perfect for Outdoor Entertaining
Our clients envisioned using their outdoor space for year-round entertainment. They desired a luxurious outdoor fireplace in the dining area and a functional outdoor kitchen. Durability of construction materials and fixtures also mattered greatly to them and to our team.
The Process: Making Outdoor Space Suitable for All Weather
To maintain the back architecture of the house, COOPER designed a flat roof porch covering with a cedar wood ceiling. We installed space heaters within the ceiling to provide warmth during winter and added ceiling fans for air circulation in warmer months. In the L-shaped kitchen space, we installed a dishwasher, taking special precautions like winterizing the plumbing and adding a water shut-off.
The Final Touches: Finishings Perfect for Outdoor Living
We completed the kitchen with stainless steel appliances known for their durability and granite countertops suited for outdoor use. For the fireplace, we chose a mix of natural stone tiles for a rugged yet sophisticated appearance and topped it with a custom wood mantel. Unable to find a pre-made mantel that matched the clients’ vision, our designers crafted one in-house. To integrate seamlessly with the existing landscaping, we utilized the pavers already in place.
The renovation transformed our clients’ previously underused backyard into a functional space ideal for year-round entertaining. The final result is an expertly integrated outdoor living area that extends their indoor space into the great outdoors.
