Do you find yourself daydreaming about traveling to faraway places? Maybe you picture yourself surrounded by lush greenery or poolside at a luxury resort with a drink in hand. Whatever you envision, there’s a way to bring elements of it — the relaxation, ambiance and energy — to your own backyard. Here are some tips for transforming your landscape into your ideal outdoor living space.
Identify a Color Palette
Whether you’re looking to go bright and bold or prefer a more muted, minimal color palette, honing in on a cohesive color scheme will help set the tone for your space. We know how it goes — sometimes you collect items over time that reflect your style in the moment, ending up with mismatched fabrics or clashing patterns. Explore complementary colors — you can even use an online color palette generator like Coloors to test different combinations. Once you identify the right palette for your outdoor living space, you can use it as a guide for reupholstering your favorite pieces, finding new ones and adding accents.
Create a Warm Glow
Lighting is an essential part of setting a mood. Fairy lights, which are tiny LED string lights, are popular for creating a warm ambiance outdoors. Landscape lighting can also be used to highlight certain structures, plantings, ornamental accents and to illuminate walkways with a subtle glow.
Explore Creature Comforts
To fully embrace the resort look and feel, you’ll want to find the right furniture that offers the ideal mix of comfort and elegance. Pool-side lounge chairs, hammocks, swings and even rocking chairs can be selected to match the aesthetic direction of your landscape.
Expand Your Entertaining Areas
Let the good times roll with outdoor entertainment areas. From outdoor kitchens to covered gazebos, custom-designed outdoor structures provide the space to take your entertaining skills to the next level. Whether you’re looking for the full shebang — for example, an outdoor kitchen with built in A/V capabilities, grills, stove tops and mini fridge — or something simpler, like a covered patio or small built-in bar top, these spaces allow you to dine, dance and enjoy the outdoors in comfort.
Prioritize Privacy
Your backyard should be your sanctuary. Trees, trellises and other greenery can provide privacy while adding to the lush look of your landscape. Boxwood, holly and juniper bushes are popular choices as they offer dense vibrant greenery. Bamboo can also be used for privacy, as it typically grows easily in a variety of environments, but it also requires regular maintenance to keep it from overtaking your landscape.
Take a Dip
What better way to unwind after a long day than with a dip in your own private pool? Custom swimming pools and hot tubs can be designed to fit landscapes large and small. For example, lap and plunge pools are ideal for smaller backyards where space is limited, and ornamental features or even built-in waterfalls can add a touch of luxury to larger pools. If you’re not looking to dive into a full swimming pool design, smaller water features like fountains can help elevate your space.
At Prewett, Read and Associates we believe that your exteriors should be as expertly planned as your interiors. So, if you’re ready to transform your backyard, we’re here to help. Learn more about our design-build services. Our licensed landscape architects work closely with each client to understand their goals and help them realize their vision.