A Riverview Pergola with a Modern Twist

From the Know Your Home Staff/Photographs provided by Wooton Construction

 A client with a home nestled on a picturesque curve of the Vermillion River reached out to the Home Project Center by Wooton Construction with a new request. The homeowners wanted to add value to their home, and one must-have was a new social outdoor space. Cameron Janise of the Planning & Design Division of Home Project Center took the lead on this project. Cameron says, “when examining the home and space, we realized that with their low-pitched roof and short exterior walls, tying into the roofline would block some of their beautiful views of the river.” Through further discussion with the couple, Cameron concluded that a “full-coverage” space was not a must, so he proposed a pergola, but with a modern twist. The home has a more modern profile and he wanted to match that style.

“I knew we were also adding a more modern front entry to the house and wanted the pergola to look like it belonged with the home’s style,” says Cameron. He goes on to say, “when I first proposed a modern style pergola, the clients really weren’t quite sure what I meant. Explaining with no visuality will only go so far.” That’s where the software used by the Planning & Design Team comes into play. Cameron was able to draw the design of the pergola with very realistic 3D renderings making it easy for the clients to envision what the finished product would look like. Cameron’s design also included a special intricate detail. Because the house sits right on the Vermillion River, the homeowners installed an AquaDam which acts as a flood barrier. The design required both camouflaging the AquaDam, while still allowing for the system to get serviced. The answer? A back wall that can be easily removed as needed by the homeowners and their service providers.

When speaking of the software he uses, Cameron says, “I love it because it does both the architectural drawings and the interior finishing design.” “The software has a catalog of vendor products like wallcoverings, paint swatches, countertops, and tile, etc. And if it’s not already there, you can add whatever manufacturer brands you need to the software to finish your design,”he says.

On a side note, Cameron is also a very talented graphic artist. He uses various mediums, but a favorite is doing wood burning or pyrography. It’s a process where a heated metal pen is used to burn wood leaving behind a decorative pattern or drawing. We’ve provided examples of his work in the photos below.

In the end, the clients were very pleased with their outcome. In fact, they were so pleased by Cameron’s design skills, they commissioned him to build an outdoor coffee table that will mimic the pergola. Know Your Home will be sure to include updated photos of the pergola with his table in a future newsletter, so stay tuned. Find out more about Cameron and the Planning & Design team at www.homeprojectcenter.com.