There’s a simple way to switch from feeling “stuck at home” to feeling a sense of delight when you have a private retreat in your own backyard to enjoy every day. To inspire you, here’s how landscaping companies create outdoor living spaces that encourage Troy, MI, homeowners to stay close to home.
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Optimized Outdoor Living
Old-school outdoor living once meant a deck or a patio just big enough for a grill station, a small table, and a couple of lounge chairs. Homeowners have since caught on that these few, simple additions to the landscape do not make the most of outdoor spaces or reflect how all the people in a household would like to spend their free time. Not everyone wants to do the same thing at the same time while enjoying their backyards. The kids may want to play a game while Mom wants to enjoy working in her “outdoor office” on the patio, and Dad is simply looking for a place to relax outside. To accommodate everyone’s needs, landscaping companies suggest creating different activity zones.
Distinct activity areas can be achieved by using physical definitions like seat walls, arbors, or living walls. On the patio itself, the distinction could be made clear by the strategic use of different pavers laying patterns, or accents that signal separate outdoor “rooms.”
Optimizing outdoor living means utilizing the entire yard. For example, side yards can be hidden gems! One side yard can be transformed into a mini-retreat complete with a comfortable lounge chair or two, a bubbling fountain, lush greenery, and a tall privacy fence. Who wouldn’t love a zen retreat right in their backyard? The other side yard can become a game area, a vegetable garden, or even a putting green.
Side yards are often neglected in terms of usability, but if you have the opportunity, it’s worth looking into optimizing your side yards and seeing how they can be made either more fun or more practical. Using side yards to house games or a meditation nook lets you keep the bulk of your backyard for larger-scale fun, or simply to enjoy beautiful landscaping. Everyone will have a space where they can do what they want to do, without interfering with anyone else’s fun.
Elements That Elevate Enjoyment
A few features may stand out as “must-haves” when it comes to creating the perfect outdoor space. First, you’ll want to consider fire and water. These polar opposites work exceptionally well together in helping to create an outdoor space that is both energizing and tranquil. A pool or waterfall, for example, can be the hub of daytime activity, and serve as a tranquil focal point when things wind down in the evening and everyone starts to relax. Fire, too, can be calming and meditative, or highly dramatic. Stare into the flames to relax your mind after a long day at work. Frame a view or the entry to your patio with some fire bowls set on top of masonry pillars for a touch of luxury and drama.
Shelter is a necessity that will encourage the whole family to spend more time outside. Whether you add a covered porch to your home or install a stand-alone pergola or pavilion, you’ll be glad to have a way to continue enjoying the great outdoors while being sheltered from the sun. A pergola is light and bright, but this stylish feature won’t keep you dry in a downpour. While a pavilion is a visually “heavier” structure, it can become a three-season getaway if you add an outdoor fireplace and some comfortable furnishings.
Related: What to Look for in Patio Pavers for Sterling Heights, MI, Outdoor Living Spaces
