What to Consider When Planning Your Outdoor Living Space
So you know you want to build an outdoor living space. Now what??
We’ll review the top 5 things we think you should consider when planning your new landscape.
The Planning Process
As you work through ideas of what elements and features you want to include in your new outdoor space, we think it’s important to take a step back and look at your project from a slightly higher level.
Thinking about how you want your new space to feel and function can bring your project up a notch to become an engaging space that you never want to leave.
What is your garden style?
When you envision your new outdoor space, what are you picturing in your mind?
A symmetrical design with tidy hedges may indicate you’d like a more formal or traditional look.
Meandering paths filled with colorful pollinator attracting plants may tell you you’re drawn to a more wild or naturalistic look.
What style is your home? When designing a landscape we consider the architecture of your home to give us direction on how the landscape layout and features should look, but if you don’t totally feel that you home’s style reflects you, sometimes we can incorporate a blend of multiple styles into one unique landscape just for you.
Collect photos of landscapes and plants that catch your eye and share them with your designer when you’re ready to begin designing your project. Think about what draws you to these photos. Is it the plant selections or colors? The use of materials? The fact that there is a water feature in the background? Thinking these things through before you start your project can really help your designer dial in on what makes you tick. Once you have that, you’re well on your way to creating the landscape you’ve been envisioning.
Determining your style direction will also help you choose the right designer for you. Review their previous work and reach out to anyone who’s work resembles the photos you’ve been collecting.
How much do you plan to cook and entertain at home?
With a new outdoor living space, it’s all about increasing the functionality and versatility of your outdoor areas.
When designing these spaces, we think a lot about how you’ll use the different areas, how they may jump to center stage depending on what activity you’re doing in the space, and how you can get multiple uses out of the different features.
The two most important uses for an outdoor living space according to our previous clients are to increase the ease and comfort of cooking and entertaining outdoors.
Sometimes this is as straightforward as having a small countertop next to your grill so you don’t have to lug that table in and out of the house all the time, to building a full outdoor kitchen and dining area under an extended roof covering for restaurant level grill nights in any weather.
When thinking about entertaining, are you picturing having your weekly book club on the patio? Or do you dream of an extensive pool and patio space where your whole family and all of your friends can spend time together?
There are practical considerations for your designer to know how you’d like to use your outdoor areas so that they can make sure they are providing you with the right size space in your design, but also for you when you’re thinking about what your priorities are in completing your project, and what will bring you the best value and most happiness when it is completed.
What kinds of activities do you do now? Wish you could do more of at home?
It might seem weird to think about hobbies when designing your new landscape, but we’ve found over the years that when you suddenly have a versatile and inviting outdoor space, you’ll not only start doing more of your hobbies outside, but you’ll find new ones to add to the list.
Reading, cooking and entertaining are all easy connections to make. Would you start a veggie garden if you had an outdoor kitchen to cook them in? Would you start doing yoga out on the deck instead of going to the studio all the time? Might you teach or host a class yourself in your new space? How about a pickleball, tennis or basketball court? A home gym, sauna or cold plunge?
The possibilities are endless. What do you love doing? What do you wish you would do more of? And how could you imagine yourself expanding those activities into your new outdoor world? What features could you include in your design that would facilitate more of those activities?
How much do you like working outside?
Ugh yard work. We hear the MOST from our prospective clients about how they want a low maintenance landscape. This is understandable - we all lead busy lives and it’s hot here in Texas. The soil is hard and it’s difficult to keep things alive when it’s hot out, and then freezes.
But whether the number of hours per week you’re willing to work out in the yard is 0 or 100, knowing your number can help your designer know how to craft your landscape so it fits your needs and lifestyle.
That pretty cottage garden you love might very well require hours more maintenance and attention than your second favorite option. If you love to host wine tasting nights, we might suggest an indestructible porcelain tile porch floor vs a porous limestone one that might quickly get covered in hard to clean stains.
When we’re designing landscapes, we like to think of creative ways to create the effect of a high maintenance garden visually without causing all the work. We use different types of plants, different layouts, and different materials to provide you with a design that can look great no matter how much time you want to work on maintaining it.
What are your most joyful, most peaceful, most connected moments outdoors? What made you feel that way?
Your home is your sanctuary, and if your landscape is an extension of your home, we want to make sure you feel your outdoor space is just as much of one as the indoors. Your indoor space and outdoor space should work together to create a cohesive whole, an enriching and engaging space for you to feel at peace in.
So think about what makes you feel that way. Where have you felt the best, and what do you think contributed to you feeling that way? Was it an island getaway, a luxurious spa, a European city park? What if you could recreate some of that feeling in your new outdoor space?
How does your landscape make you feel now? Do you look out the window and sigh? Do you drive home after work and just see a list of chores you don’t want to tackle? If yes, your landscape is already making you feel something. What if it was energetic, joyful, connected, peaceful instead?
Let’s get started!
When you’re ready we would love to speak with you to turn your dreams into reality!
We understand the importance of getting value for your investment, and don’t want you to have the hassle of working through the complex process of designing and installing a custom outdoor living space on your own. We partner with you for the entire process:
Creating a custom design through our collaborative design process
Management of every detail of your installation: permitting, inspections, contractor scheduling, timeline management
Plant and material care and maintenance information, watering schedule and strategy, support and advice as needed
You’ll be surprised at how fun and easy it is to create the outdoor living space of your dreams!
