While some artists work better in a group, it’s always impressive to see someone strike out on their own with grace and success. The greatest solo artists come into their own by following their creative vision and holding themselves to the highest standards. He may not have platinum records, but Ricky Simmons has his fair share of accolades as a solo artist in the hardscaping industry. “Because I work alone, if something’s wrong I only have one person to blame,” Simmons says chuckling, “and it’s me!” The adage “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” tends to have a negative connotation. For Ricky Simmons of Simmons Lawn & Landscape, doing it all himself is more about his slow methodical approach and detail-oriented personality than anything else. That attention to detail solidified Simmons’ HARDSCAPE HERO win in May and his second time in the winner’s circle.

Simmons has been a licensed contractor since 1997 and has been his own sole employee for the past eight years. He draws a lot of inspiration from other contractors, especially those in the western United States. “Some of the things they’re doing out there are amazing,” Simmons says, “I’m always trying to learn and improve.” Never complacent with “good enough,” he is always expanding his vision to take hardscaping to the next level. The project that won him May’s HARDSCAPE HERO is a perfect example of taking a simple space and elevating it into a work of art.

This particular project involved adding a patio to a distinctive home in an otherwise unassuming suburban neighborhood. The black exterior and high-pitched roof of the house set the bar high for creating a bold, eye-catching patio, and Simmons wanted to make sure he not only matched that style but created balance with the color palette. Originally the idea for the space was a small patio and firepit, but Simmons encouraged them to expand the design. “They wanted two spaces: a firepit area and a grilling station,” he says, recalling the early design stages with the homeowner, “but there are no trees in the yard and I was worried they were going to get cooked in the sun, so I convinced them to let me put a pavilion in and it really took that space up a notch.” 

Part of the reason the pavilion is so effective is that it looks like it was built in tandem with the house. “I tried to mirror the home so when you’re looking at it from the backyard it just blends in seamlessly. That’s why I wanted to do that twelve-tilt pitch on the pavilion roof along with matching the colors.” While that aspect of the space needed to match the house, Simmons wanted the pavers to stand in contrast to the dark paint and create balance with lighter, cooler colors. Because he was adding pavers to a very light, pre-existing concrete pad, he wanted the Cheswick Dimensions pavers to blend the full spectrum of colors in the space, the added benefit being that lighter colors would soak up less heat. 

While balancing with lighter colors, Simmons used the design of the Melville Wall to continue to mirror the home. “I used the offset cap in the wall to mimic the plank panels on the house,” says Simmon proudly, “because the house has those strips that offset the panels, I wanted to echo that in the wall to create a cohesive look.” All of those details came together to create a perfectly cohesive space where the home flows effortlessly into the outdoor space, and the homeowners couldn’t be happier. “They were extremely pleased with the end result,” Simmons recounts, “but I was arguably more blown away than them. I have very high standards for myself, and I exceeded all of my expectations on this job. I was tickled pink with how well it turned out.”

When asked what he’s learned during his decades in the industry Simmons pointed to his willingness to continually learn and adapt as his key to success. “Belgard is constantly coming out with new products, colors and sizes, and part of being a good contractor is staying up to date on new stuff,” he explains, “that allows you to continually innovate and try new things.” Being open to new methods, products and tools has allowed Simmons to flourish for so many years. “For me, it’s more than just laying pavers. Like when people say, you know, ‘anybody can cut grass, anybody can throw some block down,’ that’s not true. There’s an art to it, and to knowing what products will help you achieve the finished look that you want. And that just comes with experience and a desire to always get better, to refine your craft.” From saving time on consultations and design with Belgard’s Design Studio to its fullest potential, to studying cutting-edge hardscape innovations, the sky seems to be the limit for the one-man hardscaping machine that is Ricky Simmons. 

 

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The Crew:

Ricky Simmons

The following Belgard products were used in this project:

Dimensions 6×9 Midnight
Dimensions 3×12 Scandina Gray
Dimensions 12 Cheswick
Origins 12 Sable Blend
Marina Coping Midnight
Melville 4x20x10 & 2x20x13 Cheswick