The McGills expand their outside entertainment space
By Wendy Cartwright // Photography by Angela Jackson
Originally from Georgia, Jay and Patricia McGill moved to Indiana several years ago where Jay completed his doctoral work at Indiana University in Bloomington. He now works for Eli Lilly in Indianapolis.
The McGills have lived in Center Grove since 1998 but upon moving to Johnson County, they quickly noticed its similarities to the Atlanta suburbs where they once lived. The size of the area and the focus on family and community are just a part of what they love. In fact, even though they originally planned to return to the south someday, they just haven’t felt inspired to make another move.
“This is where we were meant to be,” Patricia said.
Jay and Patricia built their current home eight years ago. Shortly thereafter, their dreams of having a larger outdoor entertaining space intensified. In fact, they found themselves revisiting that
topic frequently since 2020. When they finally decided to move forward with the idea, Duke Homes was their top choice. After all, they had known Mike Duke (owner), Jeff Cox (VP renovation operations), and Bob Collins (project manager) for many years.
In looking at their new outdoor living area, the exit from the sunroom, off the home’s primary suite, opens up to a spacious patio and pool where there is ample room to relax in loungers or entertain around the dining tables. Beside the pool, there is a covered pavilion and pool house. The pavilion has comfortable seating that faces a fireplace and television. The radiant heating from the ceiling of the pavilion makes the space especially inviting during cooler weather. It also has a seated bar for dining.
Inside the quad sliding doors of the pool house there is a large kitchen, half bath, and room for storage. The kitchen boasts abundant counterspace with a corner sink and stainless appliances. The half bath is beautifully decorated and has luxurious fixtures. Patricia said that Duke Homes was helpful with design tips to give the entire outside space the look and feel that the couple desired.
Representatives from Duke matched the stone, brick and paint of the patio and pool house to that of the McGill’s home. Patricia said that Duke’s goal was always to incorporate exactly what the homeowners wanted. The homebuilders were also intentional with the design to be conscious of the neighboring homes.
“This is a community and we didn’t want the neighbors to be forced to stare at the back of our pool house,” Patricia said.
Renovations were completed in the Fall of 2024. While fluctuating Indiana springtime temperatures haven’t yet provided an opportunity for the family to enjoy their swimming pool, they have already taken advantage of the new space. In fact, the covered pavilion heated by a fireplace has provided a perfectly cozy space from which to watch football.
Patricia and Jay have two sons, one who lives on the north side of Indianapolis and the other in Cincinnati. They also have a nine-month-old granddaughter. So, their new outdoor space has already proven to be perfect for entertaining and relaxing.
Renovations can be a disruption to any homeowner’s routine but according to the McGills, their recent experience was smooth and pleasant.
Indiana Grounds was chosen to handle landscaping responsibilities for the project and according to Patricia and Jay, their work was outstanding. The couple is also grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Jared Badger of Badger Concrete, and B & B Pools.
“I’ve built two homes and done other renovations and I can’t speak highly enough of Duke and their contractors,” Patricia said.
The McGills continue to periodically visit Georgia each year but they now happily call Indiana home and thanks to their new living space, they plan to enjoy their pool and pavilion for many years to come.
