Creating the Good Life
What’s your idea of the perfect backyard haven? Is it the greatest barbecue and pool party setting ever? Is it a tranquil garden designed for relaxation and the enjoyment of outdoor beauty? Maybe it’s something in between. Whatever your idea of the good life is in the outdoors, there are some universal ideas and design elements that apply to everyone who wants to create the perfect outdoor space.
Pools & Water Features
Swimming pools check a lot of boxes even for people with different tastes and preferences. They’re great for parties, exercise, and relaxation. Because of their versatility, they are one of the key upgrades when crafting the perfect backyard. There is so much variation in design and usage with swimming pools that there truly is something for everyone. Artificial waterfalls, spouts, and rock features add a charming, playful touch for both kids and adults, while grottoes and rock slides are some of the best ways to create a one-of-a-kind pool. Besides swimming pools, water features run the gamut. You’ve got splash pads for children; grotto rock slides, natural waterfalls, spill pots, and scuppers that are key elements of an Eastern, zen-style nature garden; and fountains, waterfalls, and pebbly streams for creating an English or Mediterranean landscape garden. Beyond their aesthetics and inspirational qualities, water features offer additional practical benefits for homeowners. They add humidity to dry environments, reduce noise pollution from nearby roads and houses, and increase the curb appeal (and the value of your home).
Landscaping
Well planned landscaping is a cornerstone of inspired outdoor living. Landscaping is not only pretty to look at, but it offers practical benefits as well. For example, well-placed shade trees not only enhance the look of your yard, they can also reduce home energy costs in hot regions, like Arizona. Not to mention, they contribute to the useable space available: picture a treehouse for children to play in or a spot to sling a hammock. Creative landscaping is one of the best ways to make your backyard space your own. You can work with an experienced landscape design contractor like California pools & Landscape, to create landscaping that is subdued to emphasize hardscape and built-ins like grilling stations and ramadas. If natural is more your preference, why not create your own backyard nature preserve with lush plant life and foliage and features that attract birds and other animals? Perhaps you want to step into a vacation setting simply by opening your back door. An experienced pool and landscape designer will know how to create the perfect palm-tree-studded backyard resort for you. Gardens too can be ornamental or practical or both. Stately rose bushes can be the perfect complement to a working vegetable, fruit, or herb garden. Don’t discount landscaping’s crucial role in creating your ideal backyard living space. It’s one of the most customizable, preference-driven elements of a finished design.
Hardscape
Hardscapes can be customized to suit a variety of preferences not only with creative paving patterns and unique footpath designs but also with walls and dividers to break up space and create gathering areas for parties. Expert pool and deck builders get input from their clients on their style preferences and what they intend to use their outdoor living environments for. They then create a particular flow in the hardscape to match that vision. For example, if the centerpiece of a space is to be a swimming pool and the emphasis is on entertaining, then the hardscape should flow from the pool to built-in sitting areas or benches to perhaps either the hot tub or fire pit gathering areas. From there, paths should naturally flow to a bar or dining area. Likewise, if a serene, contemplative setting is desired, the hardscape might be broken up with natural landscaping features to create privacy and solitude.
Unique Extras
Sometimes it’s the unique custom-created extras that are the key to fulfilling the vision of a homeowner’s perfect backyard retreat. High-tech features are all the rage these days. The whole “smart home” concept is being used in higher-end outdoor spaces with systems that allow you control everything from audio/video features, lighting, irrigation and water, and heating and cooling, not to mention the pool and hot tub controls. For some, no outdoor living environment would be complete without exercise or yoga space. For others, putting greens are par for the course when it comes to backyard leisure. Buyers who are serious about entertaining couldn’t live without a built-in bar. Perhaps your passion is birding or wildlife watching. A skilled contractor can create unique features to attract the native creatures of your environment and bring nature experiences to your outdoor space. Amateur astronomers and stargazers would undoubtedly love customized space for setting up telescopes and hosting star parties. Whatever sort of ideal outdoor living environment you dream of creating, be sure to partner with a full-service pool and landscape contractor with the experience and know-how to build all the right elements. A contractor that specializes in custom designs, such as California Pools & Landscape, will understand your needs and can help make your dreams a reality.
