Landscape designer Todd Haiman created a 1,100-square-foot oasis on a private terrace in Noho.
Though its cooking appliance is just a basic grill, most clients prefer a full kitchen, and they have an array of outdoor-rated (that is, made of stainless steel) appliances to choose among.
Popular brands for outdoor built-in grills include Twin Eagles, whose 36-inch-wide model, which comes with a rotisserie and lid-operated night-light, retails for around $5,000, according to an online search. (Note: New York does not allow gas tanks, only piped-in fuel.)
But the Mercedes of cooking equipment, designers said, is from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, which supplied the kitchen belonging to high-end architect Lou Switzer, and serves as the focal point of a spacious 2,800-square-foot terrace on the Upper East Side.
That grill, which stretches to 38 inches and offers gas- and wood-burning functions, sits behind a black marble-topped bar against an ipe-wood backsplash, which conceals a tall water tank. A similar-sized Kalamazoo grill retails for about $15,000.
Switzer’s fridge, tucked under the counter like most rooftop models, is also from Kalamazoo; others prefer the brand True Residential. Its solid-door 24-inch-wide model retails for about $3,000, according to Gringer and Sons, a New York supplier.
Switzer designed his own terrace, which also features bluestone pavers, a hot tub and enough leg room for 100-person parties, he said. About all that’s missing is a TV, though he might add one this summer, he said. As long as those flat-screens are shaded and protected from the elements, they can be enjoyed outside, experts said.
For furniture choices, New Yorkers are flocking to Royal Botania. The Belgian brand’s Vigor line, which offers teak-framed sectionals and deep-dyed cushions, are well suited to rain and sun. A sprawling seven-module sectional with a matching table will run about $37,000, a Royal Botania rep said.
Smaller terraces, meanwhile, may be more suited to another trendy European manufacturer, Fermob of France, which produces colorful, petite metal furniture. A bistro table and pair of matching chairs cost about $600 at ABC Carpet & Home in the Flatiron District.
In general, as terrace design evolves, clients are also increasingly considering their impact on the environment. Ipe, which can be harvested from the Amazon jungle by clear-cutting, has fallen out of favor in some quarters. Instead, try black locust, “which is native, lasts a long time and is rot-resistant,” Haiman said.
What’s the total cost of all this decking and pine trees, planters and couches? Assume about $150 to $250 per square foot, or starting at about $200,000 for a spare-no-expenses high-end job, experts said.
That might be a small price to pay to get the best of both worlds, city and country, in one space. Switzer, a married father of three sons and owner of a dog, had been considering relocating from New York to the suburbs before creating his terrace. “I think,” he said, “we’ve gotten our money’s worth out of it.”
