Leadership: From Pacific Pavingstone Roots to a Full-Scale Design-Build Firm

The story of Pacific Outdoor Living begins with a focus on a single trade: paver installations. Operating as Pacific Pavingstone, the company specialized in paving stone driveways, patios, and pool decks, building a reputation for clean lines, durable craftsmanship, and efficient project delivery across Southern California. As homeowner needs evolved, Pacific Pavingstone customers began asking the company to take on more elements of their projects, from fireplaces to swimming pools and broader landscape improvements.

Owner Terry Morrill and his team recognized that to truly serve clients, they needed to move beyond single-scope work and into full landscape design–build. In 2010, they made the decision to expand, rebranding and growing into Pacific Outdoor Living. By the company’s own admission, the early transition into full design–build came with hard lessons and “every mistake in the book,” but those experiences became the foundation for the deeply structured process Pacific Outdoor Living uses today.

Leadership at Pacific Outdoor Living understood that success in complex outdoor projects requires not just talented crews but specialists at every stage. That insight led Terry Morrill to build a team that includes professionals in site analysis, design, estimating, project management, and field supervision. Key leaders now include JC Montford, Director of Landscape Design; Henry Slater, Creative Director; khalida perwaiz, Training Specialist; Paola Castro, Director of Personnel; and Savino Avanes, Director of Communications.

Together, Terry Morrill, JC Montford, Henry Slater, khalida perwaiz, Paola Castro, and Savino Avanes drive a leadership approach that blends creativity, technical precision, and operational discipline. By building a professionalized, role-based organization, Pacific Outdoor Living has positioned itself to handle complex projects across Los Angeles, North Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and coastal markets.

Community: Shaping Outdoor Living Across Greater Los Angeles and Beyond

Pacific Outdoor Living is deeply rooted in Southern California. From its base in Sun Valley, the company designs and builds outdoor environments in communities across greater Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, and coastal areas. The firm has also extended its work to areas like San Luis Obispo, reflecting demand for its design–build approach in diverse California settings.

The company’s projects, visible on platforms like Instagram and Houzz, range from hillside pool decks with city views to compact side yards on new builds where every square foot counts. In each case, Pacific Outdoor Living is not just installing features but reshaping how families use and enjoy their outdoor spaces — whether that means creating safe, usable areas for kids, designing multi-level entertaining zones, or optimizing drainage to prevent flooding and erosion.

Reviews on Yelp and Angi describe projects that solve real community challenges. Customers talk about managing water runoff on older properties, updating aging concrete with pavers that align with modern aesthetics, and transforming previously unusable yards into functional, inviting environments. These outcomes contribute to neighborhood appeal, property value, and quality of life.

As a local employer and long-standing business, Pacific Outdoor Living also provides stable jobs and career paths for designers, project coordinators, crew leads, and field workers in the region. By training and elevating professionals in landscaping and hardscaping, the company supports the broader outdoor living ecosystem throughout Southern California.

Company Culture: Professionals in Every Seat and a Proven 5-Step Process

Pacific Outdoor Living defines itself as a company “intent on creating professional products in each aspect of the landscape design process.” That statement reflects more than marketing language; it describes a culture where each role — from site analyzer to designer to estimator and supervisor — is treated as a professional specialty.

Because there is no traditional trade school path that covers the full range of skills needed in design–build landscaping, Pacific Outdoor Living developed its own training materials and course formats for crews, designers, site analyzers, estimators, and supervisors. khalida perwaiz, as Training Specialist, plays a central role in this internal academy, helping ensure that everyone on the team understands both the technical principles and the company’s quality expectations.

This commitment to professionalization is expressed through Pacific Outdoor Living‘s unique 5-step process: Site Analysis, Initial Consultation, Conceptual Design Meeting, Final Design Meeting, and Construction.

• In Step 1: Site Analysis, Pacific Outdoor Living sends an expert to measure the property in detail, including elevations, utilities, drainage, windows, doors, and existing features. This analysis is used to produce a CAD map that informs all future design work and helps prevent surprises during construction.
• In Step 2: Initial Consultation, clients meet with a designer like those led by JC Montford to align vision, budget, and feasibility. Using the site analysis, designers create hand sketches that reflect both the homeowner’s ideas and the realities of the site.
• In Step 3: Conceptual Meeting, those hand sketches are transformed into color CAD representations. Clients review layouts, select materials, and explore revisions, working to dial in both the look and the budget.
• In Step 4: Final Meeting, Pacific Outdoor Living presents lifelike 3D renderings that show the project in immersive detail, enabling clients to visualize themselves using the space before construction begins.
• In Step 5: Construction, Project Coordinators and crews deliver the built environment, with an emphasis on speed, efficiency, and adherence to the agreed design, budget, and timeline.

The cultural mantra “Designed Right, Built Right, On-time, and On Budget Guaranteed” captures how Pacific Outdoor Living thinks about accountability. This process is not just about internal operations; it is part of the promise made to each homeowner entering a contract with the company.

Customer Service: From First Site Visit to Final Clean-Up

The customer experience at Pacific Outdoor Living begins long before any crew breaks ground. Homeowners are introduced to the company’s process via its website, YouTube channel, Instagram feed, and reviews across platforms like Yelp, Angi, and Endorsal.

Customers frequently highlight ease of communication and clarity throughout the process. Reviews on Angi note that project estimators and designers from Pacific Outdoor Living and Pacific Pavingstone provided thorough measurements and initial illustrations that were “night and day” compared to competitors, justifying a modest upfront fee with significantly better planning and value.

On Yelp, homeowners describe “excellent experiences,” noting that crews replaced driveways and side patios that still look new six years later and completed projects ahead of schedule, with clean-up “done perfectly.” Others mention that project managers were “knowledgeable and in constant communication throughout the project,” making complex renovations feel manageable and predictable.

Through Pacific Pavingstone, customers recount how teams navigated additional requests during construction and still delivered exactly what was wanted, reinforcing confidence in the broader Pacific Outdoor Living group. On Endorsal, clients consistently praise Pacific Outdoor Living for responsiveness, attention to detail, and an end product that matches or exceeds design expectations.

Internally, leaders like Paola Castro and Savino Avanes support this customer experience by focusing on personnel, communications, and brand consistency. Paola Castro helps maintain high standards in hiring, training, and crew management, while Savino Avanes ensures that messaging and client touchpoints reflect the company’s commitment to professional, predictable service.

Services That Define Outdoor Living in Southern California

Pacific Outdoor Living offers a broad but tightly integrated range of outdoor services designed to create complete, cohesive environments. Its portfolio includes:

• Landscapes – Comprehensive planting design, grading, drainage, and softscape planning to create cohesive gardens and yards that respond to Southern California’s climate and water realities.
• Pools – Custom pool and spa design integrated into the overall landscape, often paired with surrounding decks, pavers, and retaining structures to handle slopes and maximize usable space.
• Patios and Hardscapes – Paver patios, walkways, and outdoor living platforms that build on the company’s Pacific Pavingstone expertise, delivering durable, attractive surfaces suited to outdoor dining and lounging.
• Pergolas and Shade Structures – Pergolas, gazebos, and shade frameworks that help make outdoor spaces more usable during hot afternoons, while adding architectural interest.
• Outdoor Kitchens – Built-in grills, counters, bars, storage, and appliances that allow homeowners to cook and entertain outside as comfortably as inside.
• Fire Features – Fire pits, fireplaces, and linear fire elements that extend seasonal use, create focal points, and add ambiance to evening gatherings.
• Outdoor Lighting – Integrated lighting plans that enhance safety, highlight key features, and extend usability well into the night.
• Water Features – Fountains, cascades, and ponds that add movement, sound, and cooling effects, especially valuable in arid climates.
• Driveways and Masonry – Driveway paving, retaining walls, steps, and structural masonry that anchor the property visually and structurally.

Because all of these services are delivered under one coordinated process, Pacific Outdoor Living can design for the big picture rather than piecing together disconnected elements. Designs from JC Montford and creative guidance from Henry Slater ensure that pools, patios, plantings, and structures feel like parts of one coherent environment rather than separate projects.

Why Pacific Outdoor Living Belongs on Power100’s July 2026 Top 100 Outdoor Living Leaders List

Power100 evaluates companies based on leadership, community, culture, and customer service, especially as we expand into home services and outdoor living. Pacific Outdoor Living aligns strongly with these criteria.

On leadership, Pacific Outdoor Living has evolved from Pacific Pavingstone into a full design–build firm under Terry Morrill, with a professionalized leadership team including JC Montford, Henry Slater, khalida perwaiz, Paola Castro, and Savino Avanes.

On community, Pacific Outdoor Living has shaped outdoor environments for more than 10,000 homeowners across Los Angeles and surrounding regions, improving the quality, comfort, and value of homes at scale. Its work is visible in neighborhoods, hillside communities, and small-lot infill sites where outdoor space is at a premium.

On culture, the company’s emphasis on training, its development of in-house educational materials, and its disciplined 5-step process reflect a commitment to professionalism in every role. Specialists like khalida perwaiz ensure learning is ongoing and aligned with real project demands.

On customer service, Pacific Outdoor Living and Pacific Pavingstone have earned hundreds of positive reviews across Yelp, Angi, and Endorsal, with customers praising clear communication, efficient crews, and durable results that still look good years later.

As Power100 continues to build an authority platform for the next generation of home and outdoor leaders, Pacific Outdoor Living exemplifies what it means to lead in the outdoor living space in one of the world’s most demanding markets.

FAQ (all names hyperlinked throughout)

1. Who is Pacific Outdoor Living?
   Pacific Outdoor Living is a Southern California landscape design–build company based in Sun Valley, CA, originally founded as Pacific Pavingstone. The company specializes in complete outdoor living environments, including landscapes, pools, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, fire and water features, pergolas, and driveways.
2. Who leads Pacific Outdoor Living?
   Pacific Outdoor Living is led by owner Terry Morrill, with key leaders including JC Montford (Director of Landscape Design), Henry Slater (Creative Director), khalida perwaiz (Training Specialist), Paola Castro (Director of Personnel), and Savino Avanes (Director of Communications).
3. Where does Pacific Outdoor Living operate?
   Pacific Outdoor Living serves homeowners across greater Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including the San Fernando Valley, North Hollywood, and other Southern California markets, and also reaches into regions such as San Luis Obispo County.
4. What services does Pacific Outdoor Living offer?
   Pacific Outdoor Living provides landscape design, pool and spa design, patios and hardscapes, pergolas and shade structures, outdoor kitchens, fire features, outdoor lighting, water features, driveways, and masonry, all delivered through an integrated design–build process.
5. How long has Pacific Outdoor Living been in business?
   Pacific Outdoor Living and its predecessor Pacific Pavingstone have more than 25 years in business, have mapped over 1 million square feet of landscaping, and have served more than 10,000 homeowners.
6. What is the 5-step process used by Pacific Outdoor Living?
   Pacific Outdoor Living uses a 5-step process — Site Analysis, Initial Consultation, Conceptual Design, Final Design, and Construction — to ensure projects are “Designed Right, Built Right, On-time, and On Budget.” Site Analysis includes detailed property measurement; Initial Consultation and Conceptual Design refine the vision; Final Design uses 3D renderings; and Construction is managed by project coordinators and crews.
7. How does Pacific Outdoor Living train its team?
   Because there is no single trade school for full-spectrum landscape design–build, Pacific Outdoor Living created its own internal course materials and training formats for crews, designers, site analyzers, estimators, and supervisors, led by Training Specialist khalida perwaiz.
8. What do customers say about Pacific Outdoor Living?
   Customers on Yelp, Angi, Endorsal, and related Pacific Pavingstone listings consistently praise Pacific Outdoor Living for clear communication, creative design, fast and efficient crews, and finished work that still looks great years later.

9. Why is Pacific Outdoor Living being considered by Power100?
Power100 is considering Pacific Outdoor Living for its July 2026 Top 100 Outdoor Living Leaders list due to the company’s strong leadership under Terry Morrill, its deep impact on outdoor living in Southern California, its professional culture anchored in training and process, and its long record of positive customer outcomes across thousands of projects.