There's a moment on a summer evening when no one wants to go inside. The food is done, the kids are still in the pool, and the light is doing that thing it does in late August. This backyard was built for that moment.
A fibreglass pool with a shallow beach area. A covered outdoor kitchen with a built-in BBQ, a griddle, a sink, a fridge, and a bar with seating. A dining table that seats the whole family and then some. In Ormstown, on a quiet property with a lot of sky - this is what we built.
The Outdoor Kitchen
The family wanted to spend more time outside. Not just by the pool, but actually living out there - cooking, eating, hosting without the constant back and forth to the house.
The covered structure made that possible. It has a solid roof, integrated lighting, and its own siding - so the kitchen stays functional even when the weather shifts, which in Quebec, it will. The cooking setup runs along one wall: a built-in BBQ, a built-in griddle, and real counter space for prep. The bar seating on the other side means people naturally gather while the cooking happens, the way they do in any good kitchen.
It's a setup that works for a casual lunch and a dinner with guests. The covered roof means it stays usable even as the evening cools down or the sky changes.
The island is where the rest of the function lives. A proper sink with a faucet, an undercounter fridge, and built-in stainless steel drawers and doors for storage. Counter space that actually gets used.
Nothing is missing. That was the point.
If you're thinking about an exterior project for your own property, you can learn more about how we approach that work on our exteriors page.
The Materials
The kitchen base and island are built from natural stone sourced locally in Franklin, Quebec. It has warmth and texture that feels right in a backyard setting - nothing too polished, nothing that looks like it was dropped in from somewhere else.
The patio is laid in a herringbone pattern - a detail that gives the space its own character underfoot without competing with everything around it.
The Pool
The pool is a simple fiberglass rectangle. On one end there's a shallow beach area - a gradual slope where the water stays low. It's one of those details that changes how a pool feels. More relaxed. More like somewhere you settle into for the afternoon.
Glass panels along the fence keep the sightlines open from the lounge and kitchen straight through to the water. The space stays connected even when people are spread across it.
The Dining Space
Just off the kitchen, there's a dedicated dining area. A table that seats the whole family comfortably - its own space, but close enough to the kitchen that everything flows naturally. It works for a casual lunch and an evening with guests just the same.
How It All Lives Together
The outdoor furniture is built for real use. Each piece has a protective cover - at the end of the day you throw them on and go inside. No hauling cushions, no worrying about overnight rain.
That practicality runs through the whole project. The covered kitchen gets used on grey afternoons. The beach area means the kids stay in the water longer. The dining table is big enough that meals don't feel rushed.
It's a backyard that was thought through. And the result is a family that spends their whole summer outside.
We work on exterior projects alongside our interior renovation work throughout the Montérégie region. If you're planning something for your property, take a look at our exterior services or reach out directly - I'd love to hear what you have in mind.
And if you want to see how we carry the same approach inside, the Century Farmhouse Addition is worth a look.