As you consider your outdoor living space keep in mind that you can add tremendous appeal and value to your home. While working with a landscape designer to plan your dream you must take into consideration how the
landscape will enhance your curb appeal and compliment the architecture of your home.

Think of all the activities you would like to enjoy over time with family and friends or maybe a quiet patio that allows you to relax, take in the fresh air and enjoy the birds and wildlife that surround you.

The hardscape part of your landscape is the structure of your outdoor world. Patio structures such as covered patios, gazebos, arbors and pergolas can all provide shade as well as architectural elegance and entertainment space year around.

Your outdoor living spaces should be an extension of your home so consider the entire area that is available when working with your landscape designer. You want your design to feel like it has a purpose, whether it’s a dining area, a fire pit or an entertainment space with a flat-screen TV.

A good landscape design will utilize your space and flow from one outdoor living room to another through a landscape that utilizes focal points, beautiful plant life, contour and and texture. Curves are your friend when designing your hardscape.

The landscape is an outdoor living space, and Mother Nature doesn’t build in straight lines. You shouldn’t either. Keep the existing greenery if you can and compliment the hardscape design by populating it with plants or shrubs along the edges, so that it feels like a part of the environment.

Explore deck and patio design ideas. Outdoor kitchens and Barbecues, outdoor fireplaces or fire pits are all options to enhance your outdoor entertainment and living experience.

Gas grills have been the standard for cookouts for years, but why settle for that when you can have a full outdoor kitchen complete with a gas grill, fire pit, or fireplace for entertaining year around?

Water features such as waterfalls, fountains, ponds and even statues or birdbaths are all hardscape focal points to consider that will be bring wildlife. Birds and butterflies will inhabit your outdoor world.

If your hardscape design is complex due to the slope of the terrain you may need to tier the landscape by creating retainer walls to navigate the hills or natural rock formations on your land. You may need to create stairways using railroad ties, pavers, flagstone or even concrete. Connect each destination with naturally flowing paths, walkways and patio areas.

If you are using brick, pavers or flagstone for your paths and manufactured or natural stone products on your retaining walls choose colors that complement the home and any outdoor patio structures you build.

Hardscaping will greatly improve the appearance and overall appeal of all your outdoor living spaces by creating a transition between a home’s interior and exterior. It can serve many other functions such as creating privacy for your spa area with a stone wall or fencing to provide a barrier from your neighboring property.

Whether your hardscaping is intended for purely aesthetic purposes or also to
configure and organize your outdoor living space, you’re sure to find a more pleasing, proportional and easy-to-maintain space once it’s installed. The options for hardscaping are endless and can seem overwhelming but by focusing on a few key questions, you should be enjoying your new hardscape design in no time.