By Laura Judy, published in Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine, Summer 2011
October 10, 2011 9:42:48 am
OUTDOOR/LANDSCAPE
Photo courtesy of Innovative Outdoors
Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire PIts
Extend the use of your outdoor-living space
By Laura Judy
Before you know it, the scorching hot days will be over, and fall will bring cooler nights for outdoor gatherings. If you’re thinking about upgrading a part of your home, turn to the backyard – adding an outdoor fireplace or fire pit to your space will allow you to make the most of your time at home. “Right now, homeowners are staying in their homes and making their living spaces more comfortable and inviting,” says Thomas Boyce of Innovative Outdoors LLC in Duluth. “Fire pits and fireplaces are a great way to create a warm and inviting outdoor living space that can be enjoyed throughout the year.”
Pit or place?
If you want to add some fiery fun to your yard, your first decision will probably be whether to go with a fireplace or a fire pit. “A fireplace will become the main point of interest, while a fire pit can be used as an accent,” says Steve Brooker of Stone Design & Build in Cumming.
Fire Pits
Those on a tighter budget may prefer a fire pit. You can pick up a portable, freestanding model at any hardware store for anywhere from $50 to $300. “You can get a great portable fire pit for any price point that can be used in season and moved where the activity best suits it,” says Brendan Smith of C & M Residential Services Inc. in Marietta. If you want something a little more permanent, go with a built-in pit, which will probably cost between $2,000 and $5,000. One of the drawbacks of fire pits is that there’s no smoke control (as with a campfire, it may seem to follow you!); however, the benefits are great. “Fire pits tend to create a natural, circular, conversational gathering spot, and the warmth tends to radiate a little more,” says Rick Kaldrovics of Outside Landscape Group LLC in Alpharetta. “A fire pit can also be converted into a perfect cocktail table; we make custom wood covers to create a year-round cocktail table when the fire pit’s not in use.”
Fireplaces
A fireplace is a bit more of a commitment, cost-wise, but it can create a beautiful point of interest, either on a porch or patio or in the yard with seating grouped around it. “A fireplace is always a show stopper and a great focal point,” Kaldrovics says. “Its scale and architectural interest naturally invites you to the space.” Depending on size, location and materials, fireplaces usually range anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000. “Fireplaces can be installed on existing patios and structures, assuming that there’s sufficient support on the patio, deck or porch,” Boyce says. “Often, when building on a deck or porch, materials such as cultured stone and gas inserts are used to minimize the weight of the fireplace.” When it comes to installation time, you can start using your new fire feature pretty quickly. “Prefab units can be installed in a couple of days, and custom fireplaces will take anywhere from seven to 14 days,” says Kym Gatti of P.O.P.S. Landscaping in Marietta.
Style Selections
When it comes to choosing materials, you’re free to pick whatever you like, from stone to brick; however, most landscapers agree that choosing materials to match or complement the home is most common. “We try to tie the finishes to the home with accents of like materials, such as brick, stone, stucco or a combination, so that it connects architecturally in the space,” Kaldrovics says. Since most outdoor fireplaces are custom- made, you can also choose the shape and style you like, and you might want to include a mantel, a spot for outdoor artwork or even a space for a weatherproof flat-screen TV.
While you’re installing a fireplace or fire pit, don’t forget to include add-ons! Often, people incorporate a fire feature as part of an entire
outdoor room, complete with a grill or kitchen and plenty of seating. “Many people want covered seating areas and a place to store firewood, and we get asked to work in grills, sinks and even wine coolers,” says Scott Chatham of Chatham Landscape Services Inc. in Marietta. Water features are also a nice complement to fire, and in some cases, a fire pit can even become a water feature. “On fire pits, we often run electricity to the base, so that during the summer months, they can be filled with planted pots and even a small fountain,” Chatham says.
Minimal Maintenance
One of the great advantages to both fire pits and fireplaces? They provide maximum fun and enjoyment with very little work. There are just a few things to consider:
• Check the inside of the structure every so often for birds’ nests or other obstructions that may prevent it from drawing smoke properly. With fire pits, check to see that the drainage holes are open and clear.
• On a regular basis, remove ash and soot with a broom and shovel, and cool it in a metal bucket before disposal. If you use a metal flue, have a professional chimney sweep clean it annually.
• If you cook over or in the fire, be sure to keep it clean to avoid attracting insects and animals.
• Seal (or have a professional seal) the flat work with a good masonry sealant every few years to protect the stonework and help prevent oil and grease stains. You can clean the structure with an occasional light pressure washing.
So are you ready to heat things up for fall? Get started right away, and you could be gathering your family around the fire in the matter of days!
Save Space
“For either a fireplace or a fire pit, often homeowners will try to fit a unit into a small space, only to be disappointed later by how few people they can accommodate. Basically, be sure to allow plenty of space when planning.”
—Laura Guilmette, Unique Environmental Landscapes, Mableton
Safety First
Of course, when you’re playing with fire, safety should always be at the top of your mind. Don’t throw trash into the fire, keep a close eye on children, and be sure that the fire is completely out and the ashes are cooled before you head inside for the night. Above all, never, ever leave the fire unattended!
Gas Logs
For both types of fire features, you have the option of using vent-free gas logs in place of real wood; just be sure to discuss this with your contractor. Gas logs generally have the look of real wood and come in a variety of styles and sizes, and they’re easy to turn on or off when you want to use them
Top Trend
“Homeowners are now moving toward electronic ignitions for the safety features offered. They’re more expensive, but they have many safety features and can be set up on remote, wall switch and home automation systems.”
—Sara Ferguson, The Custom Fire Place, Snellville
Micah Rogers
August 30, 2011 7:51:43 am
Published in The Gwinnett Daily Post, October 2008.
Innovative Outdoors
- Thomas Boyce, Owner
Congratulations to Innovative Outdoors--Small Business of the Month for October 2008
Innovative Outdoors is a full service design/install landscape contracting company out of Dacula, GA. Services include hardscape, landscape design and installation, outdoor lighting, and maintenance. Some the company's specialties include outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, landscape design, landscape Installation, stone and paver patios, decks and arbors, outdoor lighting, and maintenance. Our competitive advantage comes from artistic vision, expert craftsmen, and our devotion to forming strong customer relationships.
Thomas Boyce, the owner of Innovative Outdoors, started the company 8 years ago as a high school kid trying to earn some extra money. Since then the company has grown from a small turf maintenance company to one of the premiere landscape contracting companies in the Metro-Atlanta area. All of the full-time employees grew up in Gwinnett County and many have known each other since high school.
By Tara N. Wilfong, published in Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine, Spring 2011
July 7, 2011 3:43:21 pm
Monumental Makeovers
By Tara N. Wilfong
As spring descends on the South in a vibrant burst of color, there’s no better time to shed the winter blues and head outside. But, if your yard is unsightly and devoid of life, the invigorating sights and sounds of spring may be hard to imagine. If your yard falls in this category, consider transforming it from drab to dazzling with an outdoor makeover. Several readers asked us how to overcome common backyard problems, and local landscapers responded with examples of projects they created that showcase amazing outdoor living spaces with personality and pizazz.
QUESTION: Our lot backs up to a lake, providing us with gorgeous views from our home. With an active family, we’d like to incorporate a functional, yet fun, outdoor living space that won’t detract from our view. Any suggestions?
ANSWER: Living on a picturesque piece of property is every homeowner’s dream, but for those distinct few who reside waterside, the visual joys are often boundless. Harnessing that raw beauty and incorporating its eye-catching appeal in your own property is a delicate task that requires a certain finesse.
Embracing such a makeover for a home in Flowery Branch, Innovative Outdoors was careful to complement the homeowners’ view with the details of the design. With a double lot—the adjoining land had recently been purchased and was virtually untouched dirt and gravel—the homeowners wanted to claim the space for family entertaining.
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Envisioning a pool, covered patio area, fireplace and additional storage space, they wanted their makeover to look natural and cohesive. “Our main goal was to come up with a unique way to incorporate all the features they desired while complementing the natural setting,” says Thomas Boyce, owner of Innovative Outdoors. “We looked at the landscape’s potential and decided to tackle it from different vantage points.”
Although the site required extensive grading, Boyce used the existing hill to tuck the pool into the landscape. Using natural stone, such as fieldstone and Tennessee stacked stone, Boyce created retaining walls and the outdoor fireplace. The patio structure and its cupola were constructed of cedar and highlighted with native plants such as azaleas.
Finishing the makeover with specific details, such as a large boulder for diving into the pool, the company also incorporated expansive green spaces for outdoor play. “With outdoor living, it’s important to understand your options and make sure they work with the aesthetics of the space,” Boyce says. “These homeowners spent a significant amount of time planning and discussing how they wanted to use their yard. In the end, they got exactly what they wanted: a beautiful panorama punctuated by an appealing and functional living space.”
http://www.atlantahomeimprovement.com/home-improvement-articles/outdoor/landscape/readers-reclaim-their-yards-with-outdoor-living-space-overhauls.html
By Lori Johnston, Living in Atlanta Magazine, Published Summer 2011
July 6, 2011 8:13:56 am
Take a behind-the-scenes peek at the yards of two Atlanta landscape professionals
Thomas Boyce is swinging a golf club on the par-3 hole he created at his family home in Gwinnett County. The home, built by his parents about 25 years ago, was a testing ground for Boyce as he moved from mowing lawns as a teen to owning a Duluth-based landscape design business.
“My parents were gracious enough to let me experiment,” he says.
Boyce, who graduated from the University of Georgia in 2007 with a degree in business management, has created pools, gardens and landscaping at home in Buckhead and Virginia-Highlands, as well as the North metro suburbs.
His family’s 35-acre property in Dacula has touches by Boyce that show his focus on creating classic, timeless landscaping and outdoor features. His home doesn’t have any of the pricey and outrageous features that some clients have requested, from a poolside pizza oven to a psychedelic shuffleboard court with black lights and neon lines.
While Boyce considers the front yard similar to the formal living room of a home, the backyard serves as the den or family room.
In the garden, four Italian cypress trees create columns, making a vertical statement, surrounding a U.S. flag and one of Wyoming, where his family has a home. Boyce said he “trained” English lilies to form an archway, leading to a garden with perennials such as tulips, daffodils and day lilies, as well as azaleas and carpet roses.
“Any time of the year, you’ve got something that has some interest to it, that has some color and pop to it. People want color as often as they can,” he says.
The golf area, set up as a par-3, with its chipping green, sand trap and two small waterfalls, is where Boyce and his five siblings enjoy challenging each other.
“My brothers and I love playing golf,” he says. “This is something that might seem like it’s a real complicated thing, but it’s something we’ve all really enjoyed.”
The pool area was created to offer different entertaining spaces, since it has held parties with more than 75 people. (The property will be the site for his rehearsal dinner to his fiancée, Mary Williams, in July.) There’s seating around an outdoor fireplace, on lounge chairs at the pool, at tables and under a shaded cabana. The flowing lines, natural stone, waterfall and pebble bottom with dark blue and green hues create a lagoon look.
Boyce, who has bought a house nearby with his wife-to-be, describes what he does professionally—and one his own time—as therapeutic.
“I like working in the yard,” he says. “I like the creative side of coming up with an idea and seeing it all the way through, from the design to the construction.”
By Krista Reese, Published on the Terry College of Business Website, 2009
July 6, 2011 8:09:54 am
Innovative Outdoors handles high-end landscape jobs, and president-owner Thomas Boyce (BBA ’07) is only 24
Like a lot of big breaks in business, it started with a well-heeled customer. But if Innovative Outdoors founder Thomas Boyce (BBA ’07) hadn’t had a management degree — and the ability to think on his feet — his landscape company might have missed the chance to move into high-end installations.
Opportunity arrived in a flashy Mercedes coupe that pulled up at Pike’s Nursery in Atlanta. Spotting Boyce, who was merely waiting in line to buy some plants, the man behind the wheel asked, “Are you a landscaper?”
As luck would have it, Boyce was. Still a student, he already had a landscape operation going, but he and his crew were mainly doing maintenance jobs. The man in the Mercedes said he had $5,000 to spend on his lawn, but needed ideas. Those, Boyce had aplenty. When Boyce whipped out his brand-new Treo phone to record the customer’s number, the PDA appeared to seal the deal. “I just got one of those, too!” said the man as he drove away. “You must know what you’re talking about.”
As it turned out, Boyce did. At the customer’s house, he presented ideas that were far more complex than the man’s initial vision, involving not only plants and flowers, but hardscape construction projects. “He liked them all,” says Boyce. “He just kept saying, ‘Yeah! Yeah!’”
Long story short — ”$85,000 and one pergola later,” says Boyce, “he was very happy with what we did.”
In fact, photos of the second revision of that pivotal job open Innovative Outdoor’s impressive color brochures, which show a beautiful outdoor stacked stone fireplace (a company signature), with a wide-screen TV inset above the mantel, a travertine tile patio, and, of course, said pergola.
Like most overnight success stories, Boyce’s was a long time coming. Working mainly during the summer, he and his brothers and a crew of high school friends from Dacula had built their landscaping business into a successful enterprise, eventually grossing $225,000 their last two years at UGA. Boyce and Terry College classmate Nick Carlson (BBA ’08), who has since left the company after serving as IO’s project manager, even scheduled their college classes on alternate days so someone would always be available on-site.
The current management team includes two more Terry College alums — Boyce’s brothers John Robert (BBA ’08) and Geoffrey (MBA ’07) — and several UGA students and alums.
At 24, Thomas Boyce is the senior citizen of the management team, and yet the company’s landscape projects often run to six figures. Relying solely only word-of-mouth recommendations — and no advertising — the company is on track to gross $2.25-$2.5 million this year.
Early on, Boyce says he made the decision to focus on high-end clients because they would be to some degree insulated from the fluctuations of the economy — and he has a few core philosophies:
“We do what we say we’re going to do, when we say we’re going to do it.”
And they continually refine their processes:
“Everything we do, we ask, ‘Why are we doing things this way?’”
By plotting their jobs on spreadsheets, the staff has been able to pinpoint consistent issues, such as underbidding or over-optimistic timelines. In that way, they’ve been able to overcome such early problems as “making a bid on excavation, and then finding Stone Mountain under a water feature,” says Boyce, still wincing at the memory of two unexpected weeks of jackhammering.
IO’s small operation means everybody in the firm ends up doing anything that needs doing; Boyce finds himself dealing with everything from personnel issues to comparing health care plans and pricing office supplies.
Landscaping is typically a seasonal enterprise, but the Georgia winters are short and Boyce & Co. stay busy during the cold months with stonework, hardscapes, and outdoor lighting projects.
Boyce also stays in touch with his Terry mentors, and often consults UGA’s landscape architecture department for design ideas.
Thus far, IO’s business model looks as polished and put-together as the new backyard of clients Michael and Robyn Cobb. Their house at the Sugarloaf Country Club has a new travertine patio, Tumbled cobblestone pavers, a spiral staircase to the second-floor deck, and an outdoor kitchen that includes a built-in, stainless-steel barbecue, refrigerator, and bar — all surrounding a pebbled pool and hot-tub. The greenery includes Dwarf mondo grass, day lilies, George Tabor Azaleas, Knockout Roses and Natchez Crepe Myrtles.
“This was just a hillside,” says Boyce, looking over the yard with satisfaction. At which point, Robyn comes outside to be sure her recommendation makes it into print. “These guys were great!” she says. “On the last day, you never saw so many green shirts.” The green-shirted Innovative Outdoor crew laughs. Most people can’t wait until a renovation is over and workers leave, but Robyn tells the IO staff, “My husband wants to have you over for a cookout. We miss you!”
