Creative Concrete
“Breakfast on the veranda!” was a call I often made to my kids on Sunday mornings in the summer when they were young. I usually made Sunday morning breakfast, often featuring pancakes with nuts, fruits and raisins. Sundays were the only time our family ate breakfast together and I loved to eat on our little back patio. My kids would snarl something to the effect, “It’s not a veranda Dad; it’s just a tiny porch.” Their implication seemed to me that if it wasn’t a huge elaborate porch in Fox Chapel overlooking the Allegheny River, it could not be a veranda. But with an awesome wife, three wonderful children (albeit a bit snippy), and a little house of our own, I felt like an aristocrat even if my “veranda” did not measure up. (Don’t judge, this photo was taken in 1993 on a camping trip. A perfect visual for that “albeit a bit snippy” comment above.)
Deby and I are doing much of the exterior work of our home and so have had time to visualize and create some unique spaces, a veranda indeed. This is the benefit of not being rushed with a deadline. The house and yard are a creative work in progress. As a craftsman, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to build some unique, custom work into your own dream home.
We are lucky to be helped in the forming and the design of the veranda with input from our family and friends, including Caleb and Nadia, our Pittsburgh grandchildren and a dear friend, Mr. Paul Harris, who shared a glass of wine with me one evening before we formed it (ok, so it might have been more than one glass).
When we landscape we plan to plant a dense hedge on the outside of the arch, creating the feeling of enclosure, without the sight-blocking rail. We will eventually build a cooking center at the far end near where we currently have a grill.
We designed the front steps to be arched for several reasons. One is that it continues the Tuscan theme of simple arches. It also mimics the stone arch above the porch, creating a unity of form.
Deby and I also formed the curved concrete. I cannot wait to see my five grandchildren sitting on the front steps this coming week when my son, John, gets married.
Lastly, the curved steps off of the master bath door lead down to what will be our outdoor shower room. Since I work in the construction field and love to hike and garden, I often come home very dirty. With this outdoor shower, Deby will no longer have to yell at me to “stop dragging all that mud into the house!”
It’s all coming along nicely and we cannot wait to see where the winds of creativity take us. Thank you for following along as we take our time, creating our dream home.
Until next time,
David