Maximum Exposure

We build homes for the top 10th of 1 percent of the population, and having outdoor entertaining space is of primary importance to them.
Glenn Livelsberger, Heritage Builders

Perhaps it was the insight gained through more than 30 years of building homes for some of the most discriminating clients in Harrisburg, Pa. Maybe it was just his personal vision. But custom builder Glenn Livelsberger says he “recognized the promise of what could be” when he first saw the overgrown farmland that eventually became the grounds for this elegant English country manor.

I looked at this property and saw something that others didn’t,” Livelsberger says of the site, which is bordered on one side by Fishing Creek Stream and offers a wonderful view of nearby Blue Mountain. “We literally excavated part of the mountainside to set the house in and created a meadow out back for the pool and spa.” Skillful landscaping and the use of mature trees make the house appear as though it has been a part of this spot for years, he says.

Although many of his clients close their northern nests during the winter, retreating to more hospitable climes, “it is still important to make the outdoor living space functional for as long as possible,” Livelsberger says. For this home, he says, creating outdoor entertaining space was paramount to the clients.

They not only entertain family and business associates but are very active socially and host four to five charity events at their home every year,” Livelsberger says. The home features covered outdoor porches off the master suite and living room, a spacious outdoor kitchen and stepped terrace, and the pool and spa. Capitalizing on the home’s rear views, the outdoor spaces provide the perfect place to take in the picturesque setting.

A Warm Welcome

• Tucked behind the garage and taking full advantage of magnificent rear views, the outdoor kitchen is fully integrated with the main kitchen, indoor eating area and adjoining open-air garden. For large parties, the outdoor kitchen’s location enables this space to function as the service area for the main house or as the primary outdoor entertaining area.

Whether the homeowners are entertaining or not, the pizza oven in the outdoor kitchen is used frequently for baking bread as well as pizza. A fire preheats the oven, which was custom-built in California, the night before it is used. The coals are removed the next day, and the oven provides up to six hours of cooking time, says Glenn Livelsberger, the home’s builder.

To make it less susceptible to damage from the changing seasons, the cabinetry in the outdoor kitchen is masonry.

Cabinet doors are copper-plated stainless steel. The sink and faucets also feature a copper finish.

The ceiling might resemble authentic bead board but really is maintenance-free vinyl.

Crown molding contributes an “indoor” elegance to this outdoor space.

Custom-built Lexan inserts can be installed along the open walls of the north-facing (garage) side of the outdoor kitchen, allowing this space to be used well into the fall.

The stepped design of the terrace that extends off the outdoor kitchen is as functional as it is dramatic. The steps are spaced at larger-than- normal 2-foot intervals, allowing them to be used for seating during large parties.

Cast-in-place architectural concrete paving was used for the flooring in the cooking area, terraces and pool deck. Comparable in cost to tile, it provides a more durable and just as attractive surface for this climate.

Roof guards, installed along the base of the home’s steep slate roof, prevent a sudden release of heavy snow by keeping it on the roof and allowing it to melt slowly.

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