Five Steps to a Stunning Landscaping Project
While the dream of creating a beautiful outdoor space is exciting, the reality can seem overwhelming, especially if you’ve never designed one before. We’ve put together FIVE steps to help you design an inviting and practical outdoor space that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
1. List functions
Start by making a list of your wants and needs. Who uses your outdoor space and why? What do you want to create that you don’t currently have? Maybe you want to add a vegetable garden. Consider the needs of children and pets. Think about areas to play and eat. Then create a rough sketch. Make sure your design has different areas for different functions. You can use different textures, materials, and colours to define these functions, while ensuring there are safe and practical transitions between them.
2. Include practical considerations
Don’t forget the miscellaneous items like garbage/recycling, gardening equipment, pool equipment and access to utilities. You can create a screen to hide things like garbage cans. Match the blocks on the wall with the pavers and slabs on the ground for a cohesive look. Remember to plan for drainage too. You’ll need a 1 – 2% gradient on areas with pavers or slabs.
Browns
3. Consider your location
Consider the wind, sun, and shade at different times of day in your design. Place your eating or BBQ area closer to the house for ease of access to the kitchen. Make the most of your property’s natural topography. For example, if you have naturally sloping terrain, you can use pavers or stones to create steps. Think about how you will transition between different areas, especially if you have different levels and make sure these transitions are smooth and safe. You can use the shape and colours of pavers as a guide, for example at top or bottom of stairs.
Permacon
4. Match the look and feel of your house
Take inspiration from the existing architectural elements of your house. Choose outdoor elements which match or complement the shape, colour, or texture of your home. This harmony and cohesion will create an attractive link between your environment and your home. Create an inviting entrance, door step, porch or path, which encourages people to enjoy the outdoors. Consider the size of the walkway, whether you need steps, or install a low flower border for aesthetic purposes. You’ll need to balance the practical with the look and feel, for example by ensuring your entrance is wide enough for strollers, guests etc.
Techo-Bloc
5. Create distinction and transitions
Just like you blend the look and feel of your house and the outside, make the same links between the different areas outside. Consider the flow. You want the aesthetics to work together, but you also want to divide different functions. You can do this by introducing boundaries, curbs, steps, walls, or flower beds. Alternatively, you can arrange pavers in a different direction or choose different colours, patterns or textures. When two areas are very different, borrow elements from both to soften the transition.
Designing your outdoor space can be an exciting and rewarding experience. There are lots of options out there for materials, texture and colours, so it’s worth taking some time to plan your project before you begin. These steps will help you create an impressive outdoor space which works well for you, your family, and guests.
Contact us today to learn how we can help with your project – let’s get started.