For homeowners who want their outdoor spaces to reflect their personality and become extensions of indoor living, it’s not enough to have a small patio with a grill and a couple of lounge chairs. Today’s outdoor living spaces are sophisticated and functional, and perfectly suited for modern lifestyles. Here are some modern landscape design ideas to suit contemporary homes in the Macomb and Troy, MI, areas.
Related: 6 Best Materials to Incorporate Into an Outdoor Fireplace in Rochester Hills, MI
Eco-Friendly Design
A well-designed, eco-friendly landscape is a joy to view and requires minimal maintenance. Your hardscape features (patio, walkway, driveway, and pool deck) can achieve this status if you opt for permeable pavers. These are an especially wonderful alternative for creating attractive driveways that help the environment, rather than opting for more traditional asphalt or poured concrete. Permeable pavers encourage water to seep into the aquifer after rainfall, instead of running off and overwhelming waste water systems.
A Zen Retreat for Everyone
Everyone can benefit from a quiet place outdoors, away from the family activities. Take advantage of a part of your landscape you don’t normally use, such as the humble side yard. A zen retreat is simply a small, comforting place where you can read, nap, enjoy quiet conversation, or even work on your laptop. Side yards are hidden gems. Add a tall privacy fence and a water fountain to mask environmental noise and to give yourself a comfortable place to sit or lounge. You can add even more serenity with soft, billowing ornamental grasses, a pergola for shade, string lights, and a paver patio so that mowing efforts are minimal. These options are a bonus for parents of teens who will love having their own private outdoor spaces. When the kids move out, the retreat could be transformed into a private hot tub area or quiet breakfast nook.
Sophisticated Landscape Lighting
Today’s outdoor lighting designs blend artistry and engineering to create spaces that offer ambience and safety after dark. Low voltage fixtures are strategically placed to give just the right amount of light to each outdoor activity zone, as well as safety. Say goodbye forever to the harsh glare and strong shadows of old-school high-wattage, house-mounted lights, and enjoy a sophisticated nighttime scene reminiscent of your favorite resort.
Just the Right Ingredients
An outdoor cooking space becomes the place to gather during the summer. If your portable grill station isn’t big enough but you don’t need the complexity of a full outdoor kitchen with all the amenities, there’s a modern solution that could work. Create an L-shaped masonry grill station with a built-in grill and perhaps a pizza oven on one leg of the L, and an open seating bar on the other L. This makes for comfortable socializing and cooking, adds to your cooking workspace, and reduces clutter on the patio (you may even be able to do away with a dining table).
Fire Features
Many backyards have a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, but you can take it up a notch with a chic fire table. A fire table can be coffee-table height, dining height, or bar height. It uses natural gas or propane, and its generous ledges offer plenty of space for place settings. This lovely fire feature can make for memorable shared meals, or you can simply sit back and enjoy the dance of the flames.
Related: How Landscaping Companies Create Outdoor Living Spaces That Keep Homeowners at Home in Troy, MI
