When making home improvements, a home’s interior and exterior of your home often gets the most focus, but don’t forget the potential living space in your yard. Here are some suggestions for making your yard a seamless extension of your home.
Patios and Walkways
Expand or replace a drab, square patio slab with a rounded or flowing contoured design. There are many options and materials to choose from. A meandering walkway through a landscaped space and beyond can pull your yard and patio area together into an inviting, cohesive living space.
Water Features
Few projects can bring the same kind of life and natural elegance to your landscape as a professionally designed and installed water feature. Outdoor water features, such as a waterfall or pond can add sophistication, unique ambiance and function to any landscape.
Pergolas and Outdoor Lighting
Breaking up, instead of blocking out, the daylight sun with wooden structures like pergolas add welcome shade without creating a barrier between you and the outdoors you are enjoying. At night, these same structures can feature lighting elements designed specifically for outdoor use to add a soft glow in the evening. Lighting can also be put to great use along your patio and walkways, providing safety and appeal.
Artificial Turf
This is a versatile trend gaining in popularity due to less upkeep required for maintaining a green lawn year-round. Turf also expands your usable outdoor living spaces – you don’t have to worry about the yard being too wet. People with pets love the built-in drainage and ease of clean-up. It can also be used to create a personal putting green or recreation area.
Outdoor Living and Kitchens
A properly installed and graded patio of stone or concrete will provide a solid, lasing foundation on which to enjoy meals or just have a comfortable place to relax with friends and family. An outdoor kitchen complete with a grill, sink, refrigerator, and countertop and storage space, can also be built right into a patio’s stonework.
Fire Pits and Fireplaces
Another popular trend is having a freestanding brick or stone fireplace near a seating area in your backyard. This can create a sense of privacy, as well as providing a welcome glow and warmth colder weather. On a smaller scale, firepits can also be permanently installed as part of your backyard landscape.