Michigan Makeover: How Rosetta Reimagined a Classic Residence

The Challenge: Adding Form and Function to a Family Home

Outdoor living had become more frustrating than fun for the Carey family in northern Michigan. Their 25-year-old wood deck never fully dried beneath the thick tree canopy, leaving the surface consistently slick and unsafe. Rotting railings made matters worse, turning what was meant to be a place for grilling, gathering, and accessing the family’s winter spa into an accident waiting to happen.

Initially, the Careys considered a simple composite deck rebuild. But concerns about slipperiness – and the realization that they could do more than just “replace what was there” – led them to explore Rosetta Hardscapes wet cast concrete walls and pavers.

While the deck’s poor condition necessitated immediate attention, the Careys were also considering refreshing their home’s entry by replacing crumbling rock walls and tired landscaping with more attractive and durable Rosetta Hardscapes’ wet cast garden and retaining wall solutions.

Aware that Rosetta’s wet cast concrete pavers offered natural stone textured looks, extended durability, and slip resistance, the Careys opted to explore using Rosetta instead of composite for their deck replacement.

The Solution: Rosetta’s Durability and Deep Textures Make the Difference

The family partnered with Scott Boss of Boss Lawn & Landscape, a designer and installer known for his work with Rosetta products. After evaluating the property, Boss worked with the Careys to identify four clear priorities:

• Replace the failing wood deck with a safe, slip-resistant surface for grilling, relaxing, and spa access
• Expand, level, and define lawn areas for activities like croquet, bocce ball, and cornhole
• Create an intimate gathering space for friends and family
• Refresh the entryway to add lasting curb appeal

As design discussions unfolded, the homeowners quickly saw the potential in Rosetta’s wet cast concrete products. What began as a simple deck replacement grew into a complete outdoor living space overhaul that would touch nearly every side of the home. The expanded project scope included:

• Replacement of the driveway’s rock retaining wall
• Removal of trees and expansion of front lawns
• A new custom-cut front walkway
• Two redesigned front planting beds
• Replacement of the wood deck with a raised patio
• A lower patio with a fire pit and connecting walkway

For the garden and retaining walls, the team selected Belvedere walls topped with Belvedere Coping in Slate Gray, manufactured locally by HIGH FORMAT and supplied through Manthei Supply. Belvedere’s variety of block sizes and faces delivered a natural, hand-set appearance while maintaining a scale that complemented the home’s architecture. Dimensional Flagstone pavers in Limestone were selected for walkway and patio surfaces, adding a modern slate-like contrast, while the project’s centerpiece – a Dimensional Fire Pit – provided a striking new focal point.

The Outcome: An Outdoor Space Transformed, a Family Delighted

Construction began with the Boss Lawn & Landscape crew installing the Belvedere garden walls flanking the home’s entrance. Belvedere’s highly detailed texture paired beautifully with the home’s cedar shake lower siding, adding depth and dimension to a previously plain facade.

The crew also installed a flowing Dimensional Flagstone front walkway, replacing tired dry cast brick pavers that were sinking in places and falling away at the edges.

The driveway also received an upgrade from a Belvedere retaining wall, completing the transformation of the home’s street-side appearance. The 3-ft (0.91 m) tall wall featured geogrid for additional stability and would be one of two contoured walls in the project. Belvedere’s smaller format allows for the installation of tight curves, which was particularly helpful with the driveway wall.

Attention then turned to the rear of the Carey home with the installation of the Belvedere structural retaining and seat wall surrounding the sunken fire pit patio. Each wall was capped with Belvedere Coping to provide a finished look and serve as additional seating surfaces. Dimensional Flagstone was installed for the fire pit patio, and the natural gas Dimensional Fire Pit was constructed in its center. The fire pit patio featured walls on three sides, with the fourth intentionally left open to remove leaves and debris from the surface.

Geogrid was used to reinforce the Belvedere wall supporting the main patio where Rosetta’s Dimensional Flagstone pavers were installed, delivering the natural-looking, slip-resistant patio surface that fueled the overall project. The main patio boasted several thoughtful details suggested by Boss during his design process, including:

• A grilling nook plumbed with natural gas that allowed the grill to be tucked away when not in use.
• Multiple raised garden beds to break up the profile of the main wall and host larger plantings.
• A spa notch for the hot tub, allowing for easy zero-entry to the tub and additional privacy.

The back yard phase of the hardscape installation was concluded when steps and a contoured Dimensional Flagstone walkway were installed connecting the upper and lower patios.

The final aspect of the Carey’s project was the large curving Belvedere retaining wall at the edge of the front lawn, replacing a crumbling partial boulder wall that bordered the adjacent woods.

This area of the yard had no real boundary, rolling into the nearby woods and making lawn upkeep a challenge. The new geogrid-reinforced wall allowed the yard to be leveled and expanded, effectively adding 225 sq ft (20.9 sq m) of usable space to the lawn.

When the project’s hardscape phase concluded in October 2024, the home’s entire exterior had been transformed.

The home’s revitalized streetside featured:

• A 90 sq ft (8.4 sq m) Belvedere retaining wall with coping for the driveway.
• Two raised Belvedere garden beds with coping, each measuring approximately 20 ft x 7 ft x 2 ft (7 m x 2.1 m x 0.6 m).
• A custom-cut front walkway with 340 sq ft (31.6 sq m) of Dimensional Flagstone pavers.
• A 200 sq ft (18.6 sq m) Belvedere retaining wall with coping to level and expand a front lawn.

The rear of the residence now offered:

• A 700 sq ft (65 sq m) Dimensional Flagstone main patio supported with 135 sq ft (12.5 sq m) of Belvedere retaining and freestanding walls, coping, and accented with multiple garden beds.
• A 202 sq ft (18.8 sq m) lower Dimensional Flagstone patio with 63 sq ft (5.6 sq m) of Belvedere freestanding seat wall, coping, and a natural gas Dimensional Fire Pit.
• A contoured Dimensional Flagstone access path with steps to the lower patio.

Boss’s keen eye for design and Rosetta’s nearly limitless possibilities completely refreshed the residence’s appearance and added uses the homeowners hadn’t even imagined.

The Carey family’s vision of a simple deck replacement blossomed into a full-scale transformation that reshaped their home's look and functionality. With Rosetta Hardscapes and expert design from Boss Lawn & Landscape, they gained safer, more inviting outdoor living areas, enhanced curb appeal, and new spaces for gathering and play. What began as a necessity ultimately became an investment in beauty, durability, and lasting enjoyment for decades to come.