About Us
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of Outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
– 1 Thessalonians 4: 11
Mary Lois and Truman Kemp
I have had a love for backyards all my life.
Both my wife and I have experienced the warmth and love for backyard gatherings. Mary Lois grew up in North, South Carolina where she remembers shucking and cooking corn, boiling vegetables in a cast iron pot, roasting chickens, steak, fish, and venison…laughing and playing with friends and relatives in her backyard who usually came over oN the weekend to visit and “cook out.”
I remember my back yard where I grew up in Morehead City, North Carolina having a 55 gallon steel barrel cut down to a third of its size that served as a fire pit for grilling steaks, chickens, fish and especially oysters the old fashion way – on a steel plate with a burlap bag soaked with salt water to steam them open. Many fond memories of our family and friends enjoying our backyard “cookin out.”
As a matter of fact, this was at the same time back in the fifties that I did my first hardscape project. I helped my dad put in a brick sidewalk in front of our home. I remember bringing the bricks to him as he would take his time and meticulously place the brick in perfect position – level it, and secure it vin place with the other bricks. Years later, when I visited my hometown, I went by our home and looked at the sidewalk. It was just as straight and level as it was the day it was installed some 70 plus years ago! (Picture)
After graduating from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in 1963, I was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. In 1966, I was assigned as Commander of Headquarters Squadron, 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam. My job was to not only keep and maintain discipline, but provide morale, welfare, and recreation among the 700 men supporting the flying mission on the base. Housing was provided for 10 men to a long wooden “hut.” One of the first things I did was to introduce a design for a “rest area” on the backend of each building providing space for a patio, cooking grill. Firepit, and pergola with seating. The idea was to give them a place to unwind from the long hard day of work for cooking out, relaxing and fellowshipping and not be tempted to go into downtown Bien Hoa where the many local bars served more than just food and alcohol. The idea took hold and soon these outdoor living areas spring up all over the cantonment area. Morale was high among the men and I actually received an award from the Air Force for this innovative backyard idea!
After retiring from the Air Force and a career in sales and marketing, I was introduced by a friend of mine to the concept of pavers and stone installed to provide a patio for outdoor living. I was fascinated with the possibilities this business had and in 2005, my wife and I formed Coastal Carolina Hardscapes , a design and install outdoor living environment company. I quickly joined the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) and took the basis installation course and became an ICPI Certified Installer to stay up to date on the fast changing innovative ideas and quality of installation plans and specifications to insure a well designed and long lasting backyard living environment. In 2015, our company introduced installation of artificial turf to our design plans to create a truly “maintenance free backyard” to the homeowner. Now they can enjoy the weekend relaxing, cooking out, and gathering with friends and neighbors instead of spending hours cutting, trimming, raking, weeding and water their grass in their yards,
It’s been 16 years now since we started this business and we are more excited and energetic serving in this industry than we have ever been. What a blessing to love the work God has given us to do. Outdoor Living Environments are among the top five home improvement areas in the remodeling and construction industry and we thank God for allowing us to help homeowners enjoy a well designed outdoor living environment.
We not only enhance your backyard, we enhance the quality of your life!