NEXT 2 NATURE

In the summer, North Dakotans take advantage of every opportunity they have to be outside in the warm weather. With this in mind, many people make their backyards the perfect place to relax in the sun by adding a fireplace, pool, outdoor seating, or any combination of the three like in this featured home.

Next 2 Nature helped create this featured backyard. The homeowners came to Next 2 Nature with some ideas and a wish list. On the wish list was a pool and a fireplace. The family has younger kids who still live at home and use the pool all summer long, having friends over and spending time in the sun. After getting the wish list from the client, Mitch Becker, designer at Next 2 Nature, took the idea and ran with it, coming up with an end product even better than what the client imagined. “They always have different needs and wants throughout the process, but in the end, we always try to make it so they can use it for many years afterwards,” says Mitch.

In order to complete this project, Next 2 Nature enlisted the help of Backyard Escapes by Kerner Pools and Spas to put in the pool. The two companies worked handin-hand to overcome obstacles that came with the pool. Because of the pool’s location, utilities had to be moved. “That always poses a challenge,” says Mitch. “Between Backyard Escapes’ ideas and ours we made it work,” says Mitch. The pool, surrounding concrete, and recessed vinyl pool cover were all installed by Backyard Escapes.

It is always important to Next 2 Nature to create their client’s dream backyard, even when working within practical limitations. “It was a little more limited in the backyard, so trying to figure out exactly where to fit everything and make everything work and not take up the entire backyard, leaving greenspace, was a challenge,” describes Mitch. An important item on the homeowner’s wish list was to make his backyard feel like an escape from the city, despite being located within the city. “The homeowner here wanted to have a lot of natural space,” says Mitch. “He didn’t want a lot of rock or anything, so he wanted to keep the natural. When the plants get bigger, he wanted to create more of a space where you don’t think you’re in town, you’re out more in nature.” Mitch and the crew at Next 2 Nature worked hard to make this backyard full of greenery and flowers, as well as preserving plenty of lawn space for backyard games and the homeowner’s garden. The pool was intentionally designed to add to this nature setting. “The noise of the waterfall creates more of an ambiance to more of a nature setting and drowns out the sounds of the major road that they live next to,” explains Mitch.

Next 2 Nature also installed the beautiful stone fireplace in addition to the plant material, pavers, and resodding the backyard. The shed at the end of the pool was put in by Big River Builders, who were working on the home’s interior remodel. The shed covers up the various pumps while also acting as additional storage. Overall, the project took about one month from start to finish. The pool install itself only took a week, while the remaining landscaping took the rest of the time.

Thanks to the expert planning of everyone who worked on the project, everything came together beautifully in the end. “I think everything ended up flowing really well in the backyard, and there’s still ample room for all the activities you can do in the backyard,” says Mitch.