Designing a terrace or outdoor kitchen around the view in Burlington

A lot of Burlington backyards come with something you cannot buy: a view. Lake Ontario to the south, the escarpment to the north, or both from a house in Tyandaga or along the ridge. The mistake we see is building an outdoor kitchen that turns its back on it.

Start where people will sit

Before drawing anything, we stand where the dining table and lounge chairs will go and look. Then we stand where the cook will stand and look again. The best layouts put seated guests facing the view and put the cook facing the guests, so nobody spends the evening staring at a wall or a fence.

A pavilion roof should frame the view, not chop it in half. That usually means keeping beams and posts out of the main sightline and setting the roof height so the horizon sits comfortably below it from a seated position.

Wind is the other half of the design

Open views come with open exposure. Lakeshore properties in Roseland and Shoreacres can get a steady breeze off the water, and higher ground near the escarpment catches wind that a sheltered backyard never sees.

A few things we plan for:

• Grill placement. Smoke should blow away from the seating, not across it. We check which way the wind usually comes from on your property, not just the region.
• Wind breaks. A low stone wall, glass panels or a planted screen on the windward side can make a terrace usable on cooler evenings without blocking the view.
• Heaters and fire features. A fire table loses much of its warmth in a crosswind. Overhead infrared heaters under a roof are more reliable on breezy nights.
• Furniture and covers. Anything light will move. We plan storage for cushions and covers close to where they are used.

Grades and drainage

Escarpment and ravine-side lots are rarely flat. Terraces often need retaining walls, steps and careful drainage so water from a new hard surface does not run toward the house or down a slope it could erode. Footings need to be designed for the soil and the slope, and below frost depth.

Approvals near the lake and the escarpment

Some Burlington properties near Lake Ontario, creeks or valley lands are regulated by Conservation Halton. Properties close to the escarpment may also fall within the Niagara Escarpment planning area, which has its own approval process. Not every lot is affected, and requirements depend on exactly where the work is.

We check this at the start of design. Finding out after the drawings are done means redrawing, and sometimes it changes where the structure can go.

Lighting that does not ruin the view

At night, the view becomes lights across the water or along the ridge. Bright fixtures on the terrace will wash that out. We use low, shielded lighting at the cooking and dining areas and keep everything else soft and warm, so your eyes adjust and you can still see past the edge of the terrace.

Materials

Exposed sites see more sun, more wind and more freeze and thaw. Porcelain pavers, dense natural stone and powder-coated or stainless hardware hold up well. Softer stones and untreated wood need more care on a site like this.

If you are in Burlington and want a terrace that makes the most of your setting, see how we design outdoor kitchens. Everything is shown in 3D, with the view in place, before you commit to a price.