Options for Affordable Outdoor Living
Midwest Block and Brick supports the outdoor living trend with affordable, beautiful, and durable products designed for homeowners to maximize their outdoor space.
Glance through any home or design magazine right now and the fact that outdoor living spaces have become a focal point for many homeowners is pretty clear. From Dwell to Architectural Digest to Garden & Gun, the pages of these publications feature more than the usual number of fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, firepits, and other exterior amenities.
Houzz, an online platform that provides home remodeling research, conducted a landscaping study in 2015 and found that 56 percent of respondents were “updating their yards to make them more friendly for entertaining.” To achieve this goal, homeowners are adding patios, barbecues, and/or fire pits. Others are transforming their yards into high-end living spaces by installing outdoor kitchens and sound systems.
“Enhancing outdoor living spaces is pretty trendy right now,” said Scott Nelson, operations manager at Nelson Land Services in Eldon, Mo. “Our customers are requesting a lot of fireplaces, patios, and kitchens—features that will allow them to entertain and/or just enjoy their surroundings.”
To fulfill those customer needs and complement his company’s beautiful landscaping work, Nelson turns to Midwest Block & Brick in Columbia, Mo. His favorite products include the Rosetta® line of outcroppings, firepits, retaining walls, hardscapes, and related structures. “The Rosetta line (seen below) is unique. No one else has anything like it,” said Nelson. “Customers really tend to gravitate to it because they know the end result won’t look like what everyone else has in their backyards.”
Rosetta® Product Line
Creating the Outdoor Space of Your Dreams
The National Gardening Association reported that homeowners in the U.S. spent close to $40 billion last year on all garden and outdoor-related services and products. And, according to real estate experts, these were wise expenses. It is estimated that for every dollar invested in landscaping projects, homeowners can see up to a $2 return on investment.
A Midwest Products Group company, Midwest Block & Brick’s multiple locations supply masonry and landscape product solutions for projects nationwide. One of the leading producers and distributors of masonry and landscape building materials, the company specializes in concrete block, retaining walls, pavers, brick, stone, and other masonry and landscape products.
Working with customers like Nelson, Midwest Block & Brick has been supplying more products and support to homeowners that either want to build new outdoor spaces or upgrade existing patios and decks. “People are definitely investing in outdoor spaces. They want to enjoy the outdoors, entertain outside, and just relax in areas that are outside of their own four walls,” said Michelle Jansen, a product consultant with Midwest Block & Brick.
With 20 years of experience in landscaping, design, and construction under her belt, Jansen said homeowners are particularly interested in cooking and dining outdoors. This trend is driving demand for outdoor kitchens ranging from simple countertop-buffet areas (for serving food that’s been prepared indoors) to full-blown kitchens that include barbeques, stovetops, warming drawers, and refrigerators. Midwest Block & Brick’s beautiful, flexible products provide the backdrop for these and other outdoor kitchen features.
For example, the company offers a DIY Romanstone® Fremont outdoor fireplace kit that installs with simple tools and includes easy step-by-step instructions. A homeowner or third party can build a professional quality outdoor fireplace can be built in a day. For someone who is looking for a larger outdoor kitchen, the company offers a range of outdoor kitchen, fireplace, and firepit options from its Rosetta line. “We offer a very customized approach to building the outdoor kitchen of your dreams,” said Jansen. “From the very simple, DIY firepit or bar kit all the way up to extremely elaborate designs and features.”
A Product that Blends Easily with Existing Structures
What makes Midwest Block & Brick’s products particularly attractive is their ability to “blend” with existing structures without having to tear down and start from scratch. “We work to find the stone or product that complements what’s already onsite—to help avoid extra cost or hassle,” said Jansen. The best news is that even a small investment in an enhanced outdoor living space can yield positive returns for homeowners. “Whether someone wants a DIY kit that can be installed over the weekend,” said Jansen, “or a complete outdoor kitchen design, we provide the products and support necessary to get the job done.”
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