Personal Stories

Clients: The Garza’s

Project: Pergolas, outdoor kitchen, firepit, concrete walkways and patio spaces, new trees

Why: The Garza’s have a large piece of property, but before their Extreme Exteriors renovation they rarely went outside. They wanted a safe, fun place for the girls to play and a space to entertain friends.

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design, Construction, Retail

Over a period of 20 years, Armando Garza renovated and added on to his original home, making it more comfortable for himself, his daughter, and four grandchildren. When they got to the point to make the outside just as comfortable as the inside they called the Extreme Exteriors team! The Garza’s were looking for two main things; seating areas so they could eat together, and concrete walkways so the younger girls could ride their bikes around. They live on a busy road, so they wanted the girls to have a safe place to play in their own backyard.

The design team went to work and came up with a plan that the Garza’s loved and that fit their investment goal. Stacie explained how they chose Extreme Exteriors over another company. “We had another estimate, but they were going to do less work for the same price. They were also going to have to outsource some of the work. We liked the Extreme Exteriors design because it was more detailed and we got more bang for the buck.” The Garza’s design includes two pergolas. One fits directly over the outdoor kitchen and the other adds visual interest to the backyard patio. They also chose a new wood-burning fire pit and concrete walkways that connect the two patios and curve around the sides of the house. This allows younger sisters Kambri and Addalyn plenty of space to ride their bikes. The Extreme Exteriors team also defined a space for their play structure, adding mulch for safety.

With these enhancements in place, Stacie said, “We’ve been cooking, entertaining people and relaxing by the firepit. It’s just been great. In the past, we’d never come outside and now we’re out here a lot more!” They had fun celebrating with friends on New Year’s Eve, and Stacie is looking forward to throwing birthday parties this year in the backyard, something they’ve never done before. Stacie loved working with the Extreme Exteriors team and encourages anyone who is thinking of working with us to go for it. The whole family really loves their outdoor living spaces, and they look forward to making lots of great memories together in the years to come. 

Project: Pool, pavers, firepit, and landscaping

Why: There are two significant reasons – first, they wanted their home to be a gathering place for their family which would give their children great memories and serve as an inspiration for the future. Second, John takes weekend call as a neuroradiologist from his home office. In between sometimes stressful cases, he’s able to take a break to enjoy his plants or jump in the pool to unwind.

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design and Construction

John planned his home and backyard to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and most importantly, people! So far, it’s working great. John’s father loves to stop by and check out the hummingbird activity, and his kids enjoy spending time in the pool. The Extreme Exteriors team designed the flowerbed layout, but John himself organized and planted his abundantly blooming backyard. He is a serious plant-lover, and his yard includes cacti he brought from Arizona, salvias, honeysuckle vines, and blue mist flower shrubs that grow from early spring to late fall. “I had a strong desire to build something and landscape it the way I wanted it. It can be hard to make modifications to an existing home. Kelley sometimes tells people we built the house for the plants!”

When it came time to work on the pool, John drew inspiration from a home tour he took when he lived in Tucson for his neuroradiology fellowship. He said, “I was awestruck by this pool. There were rivulets coming off of flat rock boulders and no coping at all. Kelley and I talked about it and decided if we built a pool, we wanted to emulate that. When we started getting bids, Extreme Exteriors was the first to respond and the pricing was good. Everyone else was extremely expensive.” John and Kelley’s pool has a look unlike Extreme Exteriors has ever done before, with impressively large boulders hugging the pool’s edge. John said the team was able to do a phenomenal job with the resources at hand to build the pool. He admits it’s not exactly like his “inspiration pool” in Tucson, but that pool had a quarry next door and they could get all the granite they wanted at a very low cost. John appreciates that the team working carefully to position each boulder, achieved the right look, and did not drop them into the new pool! In addition, John literally went the extra mile, and drove to Marble Falls to choose more large boulders he wanted to include in his landscape.

Other elements that add to the character of the Bliznak’s backyard include: a custom built firepit, inspired by John’s travels in Africa; and a multi-tiered fountain they like to turn on when they’re hosting parties.

John and Kelley have enjoyed their pool and backyard for more than three years now. Judging from the pictures, everything looks like it could have been completed yesterday! The Bliznak’s are doing a wonderful job of keeping the pool looking great and all the plants healthy and happy. We appreciate them for taking the time to be our client profile and for sharing their story of why. We all have a story of why, and we hope that we can be a part of your story.

Project: Pool/spa (spool), pavers, sod, landscaping, outdoor fireplace, outdoor kitchen

Why: The drought years had taken their toll on the backyard. Gary and Ginger knew their view of the golf course had the potential to look really amazing. Gary is a do-it-yourselfer, but he knew what they wanted would require professional services. They also finally had the time to enjoy being at home, after many years of frequent travel to support their sons’ sporting activities.

Extreme Exteriors Services Used: Design, construction, irrigation, retail

Good things often start with imagination and creativity. Ginger and Gary had both of these qualities in abundance as they pictured a beautiful backyard for their home. Having lived in their home for twelve years, they knew the potential it had – and the challenge it would be to bring out that potential. “I would have loved to do it myself, but it was too big of a job. We wanted something worthwhile to match the view and add value to the home,” Gary said.

At around the same time as the Causey’s were seriously considering upgrading the backyard, the golf course was undergoing a major revision. The greens close to their property were redone and the lake was enlarged. Thankfully this made their view even more beautiful than it was before, and provided additional motivation to move forward. 

Ginger and Gary wanted an outdoor fireplace or a firepit, a moderately-sized outdoor kitchen, new landscaping, and just enough grass for their new dog, Kona, to have a place to play. After meeting with the design team, Ginger and Gary decided to include a spool as well. Because the Causey’s yard is very open, it doesn’t have natural wind breaks such as tall trees, so they realized a firepit would likely be too smoky for the space. A large outdoor fireplace with the natural stone that Gary liked was chosen and constructed, matching the stone on the spool and highlighting the color of the travertine pavers. Ginger especially likes the Versailles pattern of the pavers they chose.

The project has only been completed for a couple of weeks; but in that time, Ginger has enjoyed spending time outside on the patio, just watching people go by on the golf course. Gary and Ginger have spent some time in the spool and even Kona has tried it out a little! Ginger is very happy that the project was completed on schedule and that the team was so helpful. “They said to call at any time if I had questions and they were very responsive to our desires. They sent me pictures of exactly what to do with the spool and also made a video of how to test the chemicals so I wouldn’t forget. The crews were very respectful and were some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.”

Gary and Ginger envisioned a nice place to relax and socialize and as of now, it’s nearly picture-perfect. The big-screen TV is in the box ready to be installed, and the Extreme Exteriors team has only a few minor adjustments to make to the outdoor kitchen and landscaping. Other than that, Ginger’s friends are asking, “When are we having a girls’ night?” The Causey’s may end up being more popular than they want to be! In all seriousness, the backyard looks amazing and definitely adds the value to their home that they were looking for. There’s no doubt at all that they have many years ahead of enjoying their Extreme Exteriors renovation to the fullest.

Clients: Terry and Garnet Essex

Original project:  Pool with waterfall, grotto and spa, sunken outdoor kitchen, outdoor lighting, wood-burning firepit, sod and landscaping

Additional renovation: Custom therapeutic spa, replaced wood-burning firepit with gas firepit, remodeled stairs to bridge

Why: Terry and Garnet wanted to create a place they could enjoy with their friends and family year-round

Services used: Design, pool and landscape construction

When Terry was in Acapulco dreaming of his ideal retirement location, he loved the thought of living right there with the magnificent ocean views and a golf course steps away. But for an asking price of a cool $1 million for an acre lot, Terry knew the dream would have to be realized elsewhere. Fortunately for Extreme Exteriors, Terry and his wife Garnet settled on Abilene to build their home. And though he’s missing his ocean view, he has created a backyard paradise that he loves to use each and every day – and he did get his house on the golf course!

Terry and Garnet lived and worked in Montana for a number of years and although he loved cooking outside, the cold climate naturally limited the amount of time they could truly enjoy their backyard. He knew that by moving to Texas, he would not only be able to cook outside a lot more, but he would also be able to live his ideal lifestyle more easily.

The original build approximately seven years ago included the pool with the bridge, the grotto with a spa, a sunken outdoor kitchen, and complete landscaping. It also included a wood-burning firepit. After enjoying this for several years, Terry and Garnet decided there were a few design changes they would like to make it ideal. First of all, the wood burning firepit was removed and replaced with a gas firepit, making it easier on Garnet who is allergic to smoke. Additionally, the rock steps were remodeled, making them more level than the original build thus making it easier to negotiate the steps without stumbling. The spa under the grotto was removed and completely redone. The new spa features four Bullfrog therapeutic chairs, two of which are completely customized for Terry and Garnet and the other two were placed for guests.

In working with the team on the spa remodel, Terry praised the Extreme Exteriors team saying, “This was creative stuff that’s not easy to do. We appreciated the crew being here on the build, making sure everything was done right and completed the way we wanted it to be.” Terry considers his backyard the perfect place to be outside, and he said there isn’t a week that goes by that they’re not cooking outside. Terry consistently cooks on the Big Green Egg, and he’s gotten pretty good at ribs and brisket. He mentioned what a great cook Garnet is and how she loves to entertain. “The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Garnet hosts a party as a gift to her friends as a celebration of the Christmas season. She includes a wine tasting, along with a variety of cheeses and hors d’ouevres.”  Garnet and Terry also recently hosted a baby shower and dozens of guests were easily accommodated. They love having a place where they can host special events and where they have no problem getting the grandkids to visit!

Terry is impressed with how company president Randy Glenn has grown the business and put a good team together. He summed up his thoughts saying, “If you’re considering doing something creative outside, that’s not cookie cutter, and you don’t talk to Extreme Exteriors, you’re going to make a mistake.” Terry has generously trusted us to create some very original work. Without clients such as Terry and Garnet, we wouldn’t grow as a company.  And so we graciously say “thank you” to the Essex family for allowing us to be a part of their story.