MYHRE CONCRETE

When Jon Artz and his family approached Heidi Dietrich, owner of Myhre Concrete Design, about their backyard, they did not have a full vision yet of what they wanted. They had moved into their home about ten years ago and were outgrowing their backyard space. “As our family grew, we just didn’t use the space. It was there, but it wasn’t what we desired,” explains Jon. The only thing currently in their backyard was a simple slab of concrete that they occasionally had fires on. So they went to Heidi, a family friend and expert at creating backyard spaces, for help. Heidi describes, “When I came out here to meet with them, I designed the patio and helped them figure out how we could make it work with their landscaping and elevation-wise since the yard drops down. I helped them design it from the start because they really didn’t know what they wanted,” explains Heidi.

While it may seem like a simple project, there was a lot of designing that went into the project before any physical work was done. The Artzs and Heidi began planning the new backyard space over a year before they broke ground. “It was a process to try coming up with a plan, but we really wanted to make sure we made the best decision,” explains Jon. They had to think through several different scenarios, trying to ensure they were designing a space that would be functional for years to come.

To make the backyard work for the entertainment space the Artzs envisioned it to be, Heidi and her crew had to work around the 20-inch elevation change from the edge of the house to the edge of the patio. Heidi describes, “We had to deal with some structural stuff to make sure that the pad would stay in place. What you can’t see underneath those posts is a really thick, deepened edge on the patio because Next 2 Nature did such a nice job landscaping around it. Then, we have a couple steps down to a lower firepit area which also has some deepened edges around the outside because there is still a drop-off into the yard.” In addition to the concrete, Heidi helped design other elements as well. “This project was unique. I was able to help them pick out all the stonework. That’s not something I would normally do for people, but it really is thought about when we’re talking about the colors. We’re trying to coordinate it well,” says Heidi.

Kourtney

In the end, Myhre Concrete designed and developed a perfect space for entertaining outdoors, perfectly balancing function with aesthetic. “Heidi is like a wizard when it comes to this stuff. Not just the technical piece, like how many yards of concrete, what color, what’s going to match, but more of the functional piece as well,” says Jon. The space on the upper level of the yard, next to the house, was designed with space for multiple outdoor seating areas. The firepit was intentionally placed off to the side to keep a clear path to the yard as well as leave room for loungers in the summer. “I always try to give people the most bang for their buck, especially when you’re going to be out there all the time. I hate wasted space,” says Heidi.

In the end, the hard work and patience was well worth it. “It was well worth the wait. We absolutely love it, says Jon. “It’s totally perfect for what we need… I would not change a thing.”