If you’re looking out the kitchen window at your landscape and feeling like you’re looking at a scene from “Throwback Thursday,” then you’ll want to know how landscape contractors go about renovating dated outdoor living spaces in Northbrook, IL. After all, you want the view out the kitchen window to entice you to go outdoors, not head for Pinterest to look at ideas on how to change it.
Remember that your outdoor space is an investment, so it makes sense to squeeze as much use from it, and not just during the summer months!
Related: Landscape Design Ideas That Utilize Different Textures In Northbrook, IL
Making the Most of What You Have
If you have room to expand but aren’t optimizing the outdoor space you have, you can avoid just adding on. Think carefully about how you want to use your space, not just how you can use it in its current condition. Many suburban homes built in the 1980s didn’t give much thought to the aesthetics of a backyard, and front walkways and driveways were strictly utilitarian. In the backyard, homes had a deck or concrete slab patio, and a lawn. This cookie-cutter approach didn’t consider personal needs and aesthetics. It’s just what “everybody” seemed to be doing. These generic spaces didn’t address specialized needs like a quiet corner for meditation or a sophisticated entertaining experience.
So do you need a complete landscape overhaul to get the outdoor living experience you want? It may turn out that a few changes can make all the difference.
Could Your Walkways or Driveway Use Updating?
Starting with the front of the house, consider a new paver driveway and walkway and a few landscape modifications such as expanding the foundation plantings outward from the home to improve the home’s curb appeal.
A welcoming brick or cobblestone walkway through an otherwise neglected side yard becomes an opportunity to create an intimate seating area just big enough for two, without taking away usable space from the backyard.
Finding a Reason to Spend More Time Outside
In the backyard, embrace the trend of comfort in outdoor living spaces. You could begin with a stylish and practical paver patio. Before choosing materials, decide exactly how you want to use the space. This will determine the size, shape, and amenities you include such as a simple grill station or a full outdoor kitchen; a fireplace, fire pit, hot tub, pergola or pavilion; water features; retaining walls with built-in seating; integrated landscape lighting; a sound system; and even a TV.
The Right Materials Make a Difference
Once you’ve settled on the intended uses and therefore the size, shape, and layout of your outdoor space, choose the materials. Concrete pavers are likely to give you the most options. They are low maintenance and they are available in a huge range of styles, colors, finishes, shapes, and sizes so that you get exactly the updated look you want.
Short of a full patio remodel, consider having an outdoor fireplace or fire pit installed or you could simply focus on a new a water feature and a more stylish grill station (if you are currently using a roll-around grill) to make the space feel more modern and sophisticated.
Modern trends are toward neutral color palettes, simplicity, minimalism, and the integration of nature and outdoor living using natural or manufactured stone.
Changing up the softscape can give the backyard a fresh feel. Replacing all or part of the lawn with xeriscaping (native plants), pollinator gardens and expanded hardscapes lets you spend more time enjoying the great outdoors than working on maintaining it; and it can be a water-wise option, too!
Related: How Quality Patio Pavers Can Improve Your Outdoor Living Space In Glenview, IL
