Custom outdoor kitchens can include a brick or stone clad counter that encloses gas grills and rotisserie kits, warming ovens, sinks and more. Mostly they are built on masonry paving against masonry walls in a patio setting.
The Wa Project is a private residence perched on top of a ridge above Half Moon Bay. The 20-acre property has views of chaparral vegetation overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The main house, barn and walls reflect countryside English neo-classical influences.
We installed a natural quartzite-like stone of full-thickness that covers all of the facades of the main building, the tower of the silo, and the landscape walls. Accents of architectural cast stone were installed around openings on other areas of the building in the form of trim, belly band, and wall caps. The top of each chimney was veneered with full-size hand-mold (sand-mold) brick in a pattern designed by Walton & Sons Masonry, Inc and they are topped with terracotta chimney pots.
The scope of work included natural stone as well as cast stone that had to be mechanically attached to withstand seismic forces. The natural stone is meta-sedimentary (metamorphic rock derived from sedimentary sandstone similar to quartzite) of full-thickness. It was set in a random ashlar pattern. Brick were laid with soldier, rowlock and running bonds.
Stone Residence on Ridge: Back facade faces west overlooking Pacific Ocean
Stone Residence: Back façade overlooking sunny slopes of chaparral vegetation.
Turret with Belly Band: Turret with a cast stone belly band.
Arches & Windows: Windows and facade veneered with a quartz-like stone of full-thickness.
Arches & Decorative Molding: Semicircular arches of real stone with precast stone horizontal decorative molding (cornice) and a watertable at the base to deflect water away from the foundation.
Bay: Bay windows with a semicircular arch clad in real stone. Cast stone belly band and window trim.
Bay Window Detail: Cast stone bay window detail with semicircular arch pilaster and cast stone belly band.
Entrance Facade: South façade with access to main house.
Entrance Drive: North façade with driveway to main house.
Main Entrance: East façade with main entrance.
Stone Veneer Entrance: Meta-sedimentary rock veneer has decorative cast stone banding.
Doorway Entry: Entrance doorway with decorative cast stone trim.
Bay Windows: North facade meta-sedimentary veneer with cast stone trim on bay and windows set into a side-gable with a long roof slope.
Bay Windows: Decorative molding of cast stone on real stone windows of back façade overlooking Pacific Ocean.
Arched Window: Window with stone arch and decorative molding
Chimney Stack: Chimney by Tower
Stone Turret: Turret clad with real stone and with cast stone trim on windows and belly band on tower.
Tower & Stack: Chimney stack with meta-sedimentary veneer and hand molded brick at top.
Chimney Detail: Decorative hand molded brick on chimney stack set in a fancy pattern with a decorative terracotta chimney pot flues.
North Exposure: North facade of residence with meta-sedimentary rock veneer.
Main house and barn: Stone buildings on ridge above Half Moon Bay.
Barn with Silo: Stone tower attached to barn.
Tower Detail: Stone veneer on tower silo attached to barn.
On a fairly flat, rectangular lot in Woodside, our job was build masonry walls to surround a pool and spa behind the existing house. The goal was to achieve the feel of a natural mountain setting and blend in with the style of an Alpine Mountain Lodge. Our job was to construct masonry walls and paving. It was necessary to achieve exact plumb of walls (true vertical) and exact level (horizontal height) of wall cap and coping. On walls and paving, we applied stone veneer of a river rock blend with very tight joints. The blend of three stones was laid in a random pattern.
Landscape Boluders: Yuba boulders weighing up to 30-tons were set in place around the pools.
Yuba Boulders: Yuba boulders were placed with a 200-ton crane.
Boulder Landscape: California River Rock are placed for a natural mountain setting.
Mountain Landscape: Yuba Boulders and California River Rock provide a natural mountain setting.
Mountain Lodge: River Rock edging and stepping stones create an alpine pool.
Alpine Pool: Boulders above the pool create an alpine mountain setting.
Alpine Meadow: Landscape plants add to the natural look of the placed river rock.
River Rock Wall: The wall by the pool is veneered with a blend of three river stones. Laid in a random pattern they have very tight joints.
