Outdoor Spaces We Love

Adam Carver and his wife, Angela McNeal, did the first thing you assume most people do when they buy a new home. They furnished it—but not the way you might expect. Instead of making sure the inside was comfortable, they set their sights on the outside, envisioning their 6,000-square-foot deck as a year-round social spot for family and friends.

“We bought our outdoor furniture before we even had furniture inside,” McNeal says. “We wanted to be in the pool, and we wanted to create an outdoor space that we could really, really use.”

As Arkansas natives moving to the Ozarks, their home on the James River in Nixa is the only house they toured before signing a contract. Built in the early 1990s, the home required several safety upgrades, a hefty financial investment and a sizable time commitment, but the property was a perfect match for the growing family.

Included among the renovations were reinforcing old decking, creating room for an outdoor kitchen, replacing the existing pool and restyling the Tuscan theme to match their nature-inspired, modern-industrial aesthetic. Four years later, the couple has a gorgeous outdoor living space with unobstructed views of the rolling hills surrounding them—part of a fancy tree house of sorts, where the ladder leads to dreams coming true.

Pool Priorities

Whether you’re building a new home with a pool or already have a pool and want to upgrade, these features are trending according to local experts.

Old-School Oasis

In the early 1900s, the City of Springfield’s first photography business was developing from a darkroom in the basement of a home in what is now the Rountree Neighborhood. Eventually, the home became where the Ozark Mountain Daredevils lived and recorded during their most famous years, but the darkroom remained intact. Today, the property belongs to photographer Julie Blackmon, whose discovery of the darkroom launched her career, as well as turned her artistic eye toward transforming the backyard into a family-friendly common area that would summon memories of her childhood just down the block.

“As a little girl, I was always intrigued by the house,” Blackmon says. “I had no idea that I’d eventually live there and raise my own kids there.”

Initially, Blackmon didn’t have plans for the backyard, but as she scoured photos in old Architectural Digest magazines, she became inspired to recreate the minimalist outdoor living areas she saw. Her sister, designer Sharon Taylor, helped her pull together a look that incorporates a rectangular pool, abundant lawn, vintage furniture and concrete adornments—all reminiscent of iconic, midcentury America and the ultimate throwback to simpler times. Now, pool parties are on-trend again.

To Branson and Beyond

The Ozarks called to Jack and Diane King. They loved the beautiful terrain, and their personal connection to the area was strong—the result of many summers spent driving their kids to Kanakuk Kamps and regularly vacationing to Branson. In 2000, ready to retire, the couple built a sprawling mansion on the shores of Table Rock Lake, unaware one particular design flaw would lead to an impressive addition to their outdoor space that would make others take notice.“The whole focus of the house is outdoors, which is why we put a lot of deck on the lake side,” says Jack. “But we also found out that because of the summertime sun, a lot of the deck wasn’t usable.” Kingsgate Manor, the original complex situated on 550 acres, consisted of two primary structures, a main house and a guest house, connected by a covered breezeway. To remedy the shortcoming, an octagon-shaped gazebo was attached to the breezeway. Equipped with an old brick fireplace, drop-down television and state-of-the-art kitchen, it’s now the homeowners’ go-to spot for relaxing, viewing the lake and making memories with their children and grandchildren.“I love the house,” Diane says. “It becomes even more special the longer we live here.”

Fancy Foliage

Looking for an easy way to spruce up your garden without spending money on shipping? Choose a beyond-the-basic pot, plant stand or statuary accent from these local retailers.