When Michael Herman first saw the view outside his now-soon-to-be-finished home on Elder Mountain, he knew he had to make the property his.
From the back deck, he could see the entirety of Lookout Valley, from the cars silently racing along I-24 to the curve of Moccasin Bend to the sky blue arches of the Walnut Street Bridge. The house provided a rare 180-degree panorama of everything stretching to the Cherokee National Forest, and everyone Michael brought up to the awe-inspiring cliff agreed it was the best view in Chattanooga.
Well, almost everyone. His wife, Lynne, was not quite as smitten. “He saw the view, not the house,” she laughs. “I saw the house.”
Gorgeous as the location was, the double suntrap-style home was in complete disrepair. Several portions of the exterior wall were rotten, the siding had fallen victim to decay, the fence overlooking a two-story drop was dangerously rickety – the list went on and on.
“Every time I turned around, I had a $40,000 problem that had five $20,000 problems attached to the $40,000 problem,” Michael chuckles. He spent the last three years of the four-year renovation project in denial about how much more work he likely had ahead of him. “Every time someone asked when we would be done I would say, ‘Six weeks!'”
When all was said and done, the couple realized they’d spent more money renovating the house than they’d paid for the house itself. But by then it didn’t matter. They had already fallen in love.
Somewhere between scrubbing the uneven-colored floors and hoisting heavy furniture up to the second floor, both Michael and Lynne had been mesmerized by the ever-changing view, which they say is never the same two hours in a row.
In the morning, just before the sun peeks over the mountains facing the Hermans’ deck, the sky is painted a vivid, fiery red. As the day continues, a line of golden light illuminates the buildings and trees below. When the sun disappears behinds the mountains and darkness cloaks the valley, the city glows brilliantly – though Lynne says she’s more captivated by the massive full moon that comes to conquer the sky.
“We just come out here and sit down with our mouths open,” says her husband.
Each year, the Hermans head west for a 10-day hiking trip at a national park, visiting locations like Yosemite and Yellowstone. This year, however, they decided to stay home to enjoy a vacation in their backyard.
Not only is their outdoor space a playground for several creatures – like a 25-pound groundhog, the occasional fox, 15 different species of lizards and turkey vultures riding the breeze – it has also been transformed into a miniature hiking ground. Michael, obsessed with boulders, had mammoth rocks placed at key locations to give the home a mountainous feel, and with help from a mason who crafted imitation stones for the Tennessee Aquarium, he installed a rock waterfall for the soothing sound of rushing water. With the addition of ornate foliage and a path of stepping stones leading to steep, rock-cut stairs, the backyard paradise serves as the couple’s quick fix when they can’t venture deep into the great outdoors.
“It’s just our lifestyle,” Michael says of their home retreat. “It’s like a national park lodge, and we’ve got all these grounds, and we see all the wildlife that we like. It’s just a relaxing place.”
The Outdoor Trend
While the Hermans might have a unique mountain backyard getaway, they aren’t the only Chattanoogans trading their luxury vacations for a trip out the back door. Since recovering from the 2008 housing crisis, Americans have become interested in buying a home and staying in it longer, according to Joe Hendrix, business development manager at Southern Luxury Construction, a local contractor. And instead of pouring their extra money into lavish getaways, many are investing even more into their homes via outdoor living spaces, he adds.
“If someone is in a position to take a large vacation, they may withhold that to do an outdoor fireplace,” says Hendrix. “They’re essentially bringing that permanent vacation right to their backyard.”
Hendrix has watched the demand for outdoor living spaces grow from within the company. Southern Luxury Construction receives three to five inquiries each week about installing an outdoor living space, and despite offering both interior and exterior services, Hendrix says outdoor living space construction now accounts for 70 to 85 percent of the company’s business.
“We just live in an area where people are attracted to being outdoors,” Hendrix says.
Many may have some idea of what an outdoor living space might include – a pool, a patio, a pergola – but Hendrix says the company has never designed a project that looked the same as the one before it, specifically because “everyone dreams a little bit differently.”
“An outdoor living space is anything a homeowner can dream up about how to entertain a guest, how to spend time with their family and how to bring a vacation to their own backyard,” he says. “There really is no beginning and there really is no end to what that can be.”
The price of each project varies just as much as its design, says Hendrix. The cost is contingent on a number of factors, such as how accessible an individual’s backyard is, how many outdoor elements are being installed, what kind of stonework the homeowner wants and how elaborate he or she wants the design to be.
While the cost of most multifaceted outdoor living spaces averages between $45,000 and $60,000, others can cost as little as $30,000 or put homeowners back half a million dollars.
Hendrix says it would be nearly impossible to estimate how much a project will cost without consulting a contractor – but he strongly believes each renovation is worth every penny.
“I’ve had multiple people tear up right in front of me. I’ve had them hug me and become emotional,” Hendrix says. “You have provided a space for them to enjoy their family for years to come. And it’s right outside their back door. They don’t have to go on a vacation or pay for an experience.”
Projects span the gamut, from a basic fire pit up to gourmet outdoor kitchens.
The Outdoor Fire Pit
Though outdoor living spaces provide the perfect excuse to lounge outside during long, warm summer days, one of the most common amenities has much to offer night owls and fall-weather lovers like Rebecca Langford.
While other Chattanoogans spend their winters waiting for summer, Langford spends her summers quietly anticipating October. When darkness falls during the long-awaited month, she sneaks into the cold night air with a steaming cup of coffee and sets the wood in her custom-made fire pit ablaze. There she’ll sit, listening to the pop of the flames, the chirp of the crickets and the bleat of the katydids.
“It just reminds me of the sounds I heard when we were kids,” Langford says. “It’s just so pleasant and relaxing and makes you appreciate nature so much.”
As the market for outdoor living spaces has grown, fire pits have gained popularity for more than their ability to bring a campsite experience to any backyard. John Creasey, co-owner of local landscaping company Phillips | Creasey Horticultural, says fire pits, fire rings and fireplaces are generally more appealing because they’re quick and budget-friendly.
“Comparatively,” he explains, “there’s probably more sheer demand just because as a sort of one-off item, they’re easier and less expensive to do than a whole patio or a deck.”
A fire ring or pit – a perfect choice for those with less backyard space – can be installed in anywhere from a day up to a week for as little as $800 (the cost of a basic precast fire ring) to as much as several thousand dollars (the cost of natural material and custom design). Outdoor fireplaces tend to cost more, often stretching past $10,000, Creasey says.
Despite their lower price tag, fire pits provide just as much value to those who like to entertain. During the fall and winter months, Langford invites family and neighbors to her yard for drinks two or three times a week. Though she has a large outdoor space equipped with a patio and screened-in porch, she and her guests always migrate to the pit, hauling their chairs in close to the fire and setting their feet up on the curvilinear flagstone structure. On nights like those, she knows a fire pit was the right choice for her.
“We thought about a regular fireplace,” she says, “but then everybody couldn’t sit around it!”
Though a fire pit will certainly be more attractive to those who want their flame to be a central element, Creasey suggests that those hoping to accentuate their overall patio design invest in a fireplace as a backdrop.
The Outdoor Kitchen
For Steve Fauer, the backyard has always been all about family. So when he contacted Southern Luxury about converting his yard into an outdoor living space, he knew he needed more than just a pool. He needed something that would keep his 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter outside long after they’d splashed around in the water. He needed a central place where his wife and kids would be naturally drawn together.
He needed an outdoor kitchen.
“Everyone tends to congregate around the kitchen [inside],” Fauer says. “I figured that if we had an outdoor kitchen, that would help keep people in the backyard area.”
Outdoor kitchens are meant to command the overall outdoor space while also flowing with the home’s other amenities – in Fauer’s case, the pool area and its cascading mountain waterfall. Whenever Tyler White, owner of Southern Luxury, and his team approach such a project, they craft the kitchen first and build around it, acknowledging the design’s crucial social component.
“[Just like] your indoor kitchen opens to the living room, your outdoor kitchen opens to your patio or your pool,” White explains. “Your chef wants to see what’s going on even if they’re cooking.”
This function allows the host to engage with his or her guests while preparing food, instead of being cut off from the rest of the group. The pool-facing design also holds significance for fathers like Fauer, who can watch their kids as they play in the water, serving as both lifeguard and chef.
The family man isn’t the only one who’s discovered the value of a well-placed cookery. White says more and more Chattanoogans with ample backyard space are having outdoor kitchens installed because they serve as a natural focal point.
While indoor kitchens are focused on functionality and necessity, he says, their outdoor counterparts are focused primarily on entertaining. A favorite among those who enjoy hosting large groups, an outdoor kitchen provides the perfect opportunity to show off a bit. Common appliances found in such a space include grills, smokers, ice makers, fridges and sinks, but those truly looking to impress can equip theirs with wine machines, kegerators, pizza ovens, rotisseries, deep fryers and popcorn machines. In addition to enough appliances to throw one hell of a party, unique stonework often makes this space one guests won’t soon forget.
Though unique structural design for the kitchen can be costly, White says most of the kitchen’s expense will stem from the number and quality of appliances. While he says he never suggests expensive items to clients, he does urge them to choose carefully, as price may determine longevity.
“Pay attention to quality,” he advises. “You get what you paid for.”
The Outdoor Inquiry
Fire pits and outdoor kitchens are both quickly growing in popularity, but there are several other elements from which to choose if you’ve been dreaming about an outdoor living space of your own. The best place to start is by calling a contractor out to look at your backyard and talk with you about how to use your space.
“Don’t assume that you have an idea of how much it’s going to cost, don’t assume that something’s not possible or something is possible,” says Hendrix.
If you’re still waiting for the perfect time to make your dreams reality, this summer is your chance. Your backyard vacation awaits.