Strategy for the Seasons If it comes to creating an outdoor space, designer Heather Lashbrook Jones of a Blade of Grass Landscape Design says, "Style for all seasons, but always consist of something exciting for early spring, once you will likely be starved for colour." Heather and her team made this terrace a yearlong destination with lovely flowers that spill over the fieldstone walls in spring and summer, as well as a built-in fire pit to the warmer months.
Create an Outdoor Haven Use your outdoor area for a place to escape from everything. Designer Matt Partridge of Juergen Partridge Limited creates a stunning getaway with a pond surrounded by birch trees, which provide the ideal canvas for revealing off the aquatic lighting at night. A little waterfall keeps the water going to prevent mosquitoes and provide ambient sound. The cedar pergola creates a ceiling over the sitting space, joining the cooking, lounging and walkway out of the house together.
Prioritize Your Needs When planning an outside space, consider your lifestyle and how you are going to use it whether as a recreational place for a young, active family or as a private, serene spot for relaxing and studying. Designer Matt Partridge of Juergen Partridge Limited covered all the bases here with multiple structures which offer shady, gathering spots on even the hottest days. To enhance the woodwork, he applied several stain colours to the cedar decks and structure.
Use Structures to Restrict Spaces Before designer Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates Inc.. Worked her magic, this area was merely a place for parking automobiles. Mimicking walls around the perimeter of the house, she built a wall to separate the car park area from the now lush interior courtyard. Century-old salvaged doors direct guests directly to the home's entrance by means of a garden of easy-to-maintain succulents.
Use Locally Sourced Materials Whenever possible, use local materials so structures better fit to the natural environment. Designer Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates Inc.. Chose native fieldstone to create this 18-foot-long bench. To make the table, she used an eight-foot-long by three-foot-wide rock slab found on the property. Not only does this reflect the area, but locally sourced materials are also a real money saver.
Be True to the Home's Design To match the hacienda-style architecture of this home, designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene uses four runnels, commonly found in Spanish architecture, to feed water into the pool. The runnels also help visually tie the pergola into the pool area to get a more harmonious feel.
Bring on the Style Dining alfresco can be as elegant as indoor dinner parties. Designer Brian Thompson of Thompson Custom Homes creates a rustic outdoor kitchen and dining room complete with chandelier. Blue stone tile grounds the distance, while distressed Douglas fir beams on the ceiling and knotty cedar cabinets at the adjacent kitchen give the room a true Old World feel.
Introduce Ambiance Warm up your patio or deck with a stunning outdoor fireplace. Designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene produces a 12-foot-long fire trough featuring brilliant blue stones for a splash of color. A built-in seat made from concrete with a stucco veneer is the perfect place for relaxing poolside, while toss pillows in navy-and-white fabrics include relaxation and mimic the blue out of the flame trough.
Add Some Color A classic outdoor structure, the pergola, provides a shaded spot with this seating area. Woody vines are trained over the latticework to create an elegant atmosphere. Photo courtesy of Trex
Produce the Sudden With this barbeque counter, designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene had it hand-seeded with a variety of colored glass. The countertop comes alive at night when fiber-optic wires attached to glass bits throughout produce a glittering, glowing effect.
Cozy Conversations When building an outdoor area, include a conversation area in a "U" or "O" shape anchored by a fireplace, suggests designer Brian Thompson of Thompson Custom Homes. For this outdoor living space, he paired distressed wood beams with muted brick walls for a casual, weathered appearance.
Break It Up When designing a large outdoor area, designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene claims to split the region into distinct outdoor chambers. Employing a variety of structures, such as pergolas, an outside kitchen and even a built-in bench, allows Scott to create multiple gathering places for this family, that loves to entertain.
Design for Nature Keep the components in your mind when designing for the outside. A huge awning covers the deck to make the southern-exposed backyard more comfortable throughout the day, even though a tall patinated copper water feature gives a soothing noise to block any outside noises. Plantings are layered to combine in the slope, letting the home to feel bigger. Layout by Juergen Partridge Limited
It's All About Balance For a thriving outdoor design, it is important to strike a balance between the hardscape and softscape. "Flowers help to visually cool the area and make it even more comfortable," says designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene. Here, the custom piled stone fireplace is flanked with big flower-filled urns. Hedges and and a lush lawn also soften the space.
Rooms With a View Designer Heather Lashbrook Jones of a Blade of Grass Landscape Design suggests to prioritize the areas that will be viewed the most. In their rear windows, the homeowners overlook a lovely bluestone patio so Heather decided to bump up this area's wow factor with low piled stone walls that define the outside living and dining areas. To cosy the seating place, she added a custom outdoor fireplace built of Corinthian granite.
Find the Right Materials Constant exposure to the elements signifies outside structures have to be durable in addition to beautiful. Here, designer Scott Cohen of The Green Scene selected concrete, cast to resemble wood planks, for a sturdy bridge. "Concrete is a terrific material for outside design since it requires little maintenance and will look better with age," says Cohen.
Get Creative With Chairs Fantastic for entertaining large parties, a built-in seat curves around the whole lower section of the deck. Planter boxes are incorporated into the seat, bringing lushness into the deck. A group of composite decking at another colour visually separates the piled stone fire pit area. Photo courtesy of Trex
Work With the Strengths Maximize a property's most powerful strength, says designer Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates Inc.. Like the panoramic vista of the garden. Terracing allows for a low perimeter wall, making an uninterrupted view.
Imaginative Decking Leave the conventional deck behind, and generate a one-of-a-kind layout with two-toned boards and round inlays. Not only do they add visual interest, but they also produce defined spots for gathering. Photo courtesy of Trex
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