10 Ways to Achieve a More Spacious Landscape Design in West Bloomfield Township, MI

You don’t want to feel cramped in your outdoor space. After all, enjoying time in the outdoors shouldn’t make you feel like you’re in a cubicle. Luckily, there are ways to make a space feel much larger than it really is. Here are 10 ways to achieve a more spacious landscape design in West Bloomfield Township, MI.

Keep It Open

For a spacious feeling, keep as much of your landscape open and airy. You don’t have to cut down trees, but balance tall, dense vertical elements like evergreen trees and shrubs that could make you feel closed in with visually light elements like ornamental grasses.

Create Layers

A layered landscape puts shorter, lighter plants at the front and darker, denser elements at the back; the middle features a combination of tall, short, dense, and open plants. This landscape design concept eases transitions and makes a small landscape feel fuller.

Opt for Minimal Furniture

Low furniture keeps sight lines open and contributes to a sense of spaciousness. Even a small space can accommodate a few large key pieces of furniture as long as you keep furniture to a minimum, but a couch that seats three is far cozier and takes up less space than three lounge chairs.

Use Curves

Curves can be an optical illusion that helps make your outdoor space feel bigger. A tiny patio, for example, will likely feel more spacious if its boundaries are not linear.

Minimize Clutter

Have seat walls installed to minimize clutter on the patio. Instead of patio umbrellas, install a pergola. Instead of stand-alone light fixtures, incorporate lights into garden walls, a pergola, an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor fireplace, or your home’s siding.

Use Large Format Patio Pavers

Large pavers can make a space feel larger. Fewer joint lines means a less busy appearance. Whether you choose natural stone or concrete pavers, seek out a color that blends into the landscape. Contrast shrinks spaces, so create an outdoor living space that eases naturally into the softscape without glaring boundaries.

Emphasize Details

Large focal points and small details keep the eyes occupied, and minimize visual wanderings to the perimeter. Draw the eye to details like a beautiful water feature, a tiny zen garden, a decorative fence, or a solitary tree with interesting bark.

Add Water

Water adds to a sense of spaciousness because it’s both translucent and reflective. A small pond, reflecting pool, or a simple fountain will bring movement and interest to your space.

Create Balance

A balanced landscape naturally feels more open. Create balance by adding light, wispy elements such as ornamental grasses to balance the dense weight of evergreens.

Go Monochromatic

A simple, monochromatic planting scheme visually opens up the space. Colors are cheerful, but they can be too busy for small spaces. Think about the difference in perceived size between a busy English garden and a Japanese zen garden. The minimalist approach of the Japanese garden makes the space feel open and airy. And monochromatic doesn’t mean boring—instead of having every color under the rainbow, you can choose one highlight color such as white, and then add various shades, textures, sizes, and densities of green to keep the landscape interesting.