Custom Outdoor Living Spaces Designed and Built in Chester County, PA
Adding an outdoor living space is one of the most meaningful investments you can make in your home. It is not just about adding square footage—it is about creating a destination. A place where dinner stretches past sunset, where the kids gather around the fire pit on fall evenings, where mornings begin with coffee under a pergola rather than inside four walls.
At GreenRoots Design Firm, we have been designing and installing custom outdoor living spaces across Kennett Square, Chester County, and the surrounding communities since 2002. Every project we take on begins with a simple belief: your outdoor space should feel like a natural extension of your home, not an afterthought bolted onto the back of it.
That means every pergola, every patio stone, every planting bed, and every outdoor kitchen layout is considered in context—how the space connects to your home’s interior, how light moves across the property throughout the day, and how you and your family actually want to live outside.
What We Design and Build
Our outdoor living projects span everything from intimate courtyard retreats to full-scale backyard transformations with pools, pool houses, and multi-zone entertaining areas. The common thread across every project is intentionality. We do not install features for the sake of having them. Every element earns its place in the design.
Outdoor Kitchens and Dining Areas. A well-designed outdoor kitchen does more than hold a grill. Our team designs cooking and dining spaces with built-in counters, pizza ovens, wet bars, and custom cabinetry—all positioned to maintain conversation flow between whoever is cooking and whoever is relaxing. We consider utility access, drainage, prevailing winds, and the relationship to your indoor kitchen so the two spaces work together rather than competing.
Pergolas, Pavilions, and Covered Structures. Shade structures define outdoor rooms the way walls define indoor ones. Whether it is a cedar pergola that filters afternoon light or a fully roofed pavilion with integrated lighting and ceiling fans, we design structures that anchor the space and make it usable in rain, sun, or anything in between. Our Chadds Ford pool house project featured fully accordion doors that allow the entire structure to open up for a seamless indoor-outdoor experience—or close completely for four-season use.
Fire Features and Gathering Spaces. There is something timeless about gathering around a fire. We design custom fire pits and fireplaces as the natural center of gravity for an outdoor space—the place where people instinctively gravitate. Our designs consider seating geometry, wind patterns, sight lines to the rest of the property, and the materials that complement the surrounding hardscape. From our Kennett Square and Garnet Valley fire pit projects to our Wilmington fireside retreats, every fire feature is designed to feel like the heart of the space.
Outdoor Rooms and Lounge Areas. We think of outdoor spaces the same way an architect thinks about interiors: as a series of rooms, each with a distinct purpose and mood. A conversation area near the pool. A quiet reading nook tucked behind planted beds. A dining space positioned to catch evening light. Our Villanova outdoor room addition demonstrated how even a single, well-placed structure can transform how a family uses their entire backyard.
How We Approach Every Outdoor Living Project
We do not hand you a plan and wish you luck finding a contractor. GreenRoots is a full-service landscape design and installation firm, which means the same team that imagines your space is the same team that builds it. This matters because the design intent—the reason every stone was placed at that angle, the reason the pergola sits six inches to the left—carries all the way through to installation.
Personal Consultation. Every project starts with a conversation at your property. We walk the space with you, listen to how you want to use it, and start identifying opportunities and constraints that will shape the design. We are looking at sun exposure, grading, existing structures, mature trees, and the architecture of your home.
Custom Design and 3D Walkthroughs. Our designers create detailed plans and immersive 3D renderings that let you experience the space before a single stone is laid. These are not generic templates. They are built from the specific dimensions, topography, and character of your property. You will see your outdoor kitchen from the perspective of someone standing at the grill. You will see how the fire pit looks from the back door at dusk. This level of visualization ensures there are no surprises—only anticipation.
Expert Installation. Our installation crews work under the direct guidance of the designers who created the plan. When our team in Chadds Ford built a custom corten steel retaining wall to keep an entire pool area on one level, the designer was on-site ensuring the wall created exactly the modern transition intended. That is the difference between a plan that looks good on paper and a space that feels right when you stand in it.
Serving Chester County, Delaware County, and Northern Delaware
Our portfolio of outdoor living projects spans communities throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. We have designed and installed spaces in Kennett Square, West Chester, Chadds Ford, Chestnut Hill, Newtown Square, Villanova, Garnet Valley, and Glenmoore in Pennsylvania, as well as Wilmington, Greenville, and Newark in Delaware.
Each of these areas has its own character—lot sizes, architectural styles, HOA considerations, soil conditions, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor space all vary. We design for the specific property, not for a generic idea of what a backyard should look like.
Details That Make the Difference
If there is one phrase that defines GreenRoots, it is this: no detail is overlooked. In our Kennett Square “Modern Meets Nature” project, we tucked plants into juxtaposed stones at the driveway entrance to create a functional arrival experience softened by nature. In our Chadds Ford pool house, we designed concrete steps for basement entry that create the illusion of floating in mid-air—making thick concrete look light and airy while maintaining a clean modern aesthetic.
This is what separates a designed outdoor space from an assembled one. We consider how you will move through the space. Where your eye will land when you step outside. How the lighting shifts as the evening progresses. Whether the furniture arrangement invites conversation or parallel relaxation. Every decision is made with purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an outdoor living space project typically take?
Timeline varies based on scope. A focused patio and fire pit project might take four to six weeks from start date to completion. A full backyard transformation with a pool, pool house, and outdoor kitchen can span months to over a year depending on the permitting process in your area.
Do you handle both the design and the construction?
Yes. GreenRoots is a full-service firm. We design, install, and manage every project in-house. This means the creative vision is never lost in translation between the designer and the builder—because they are the same team.
What areas do you serve for outdoor living projects?
We serve Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, as well as northern Delaware including Wilmington, Greenville, and Newark. Our home base is in Kennett Square, PA.
Can you work with my existing landscape or do I need a full redesign?
Both. Some clients come to us with a blank slate and want a complete master plan. Others have existing features they love and want to build around. Our site analysis identifies what to keep, what to enhance, and what to reimagine.
What is the first step?
Contact us for a personal consultation or call 484-739-8314. We will visit your property, discuss your vision, and outline the process from there.
Ready to create your outdoor haven? Contact us for a consultation or call 484-739-1218.
