Plan, Play, Relax: Crafting an Outdoor Space that Reflects your Lifestyle

Creating vignettes for entertaining around your yard draws people out and maximizes your space.

In an ideal world, how would you use your backyard? This is one of the first questions I ask clients when I walk their property with them for the first time. It helps break through the “space blindness” that typically occurs when you’ve lived in your home for a while. Space blindness keeps you stuck seeing what’s already there and not what the space could be.

These clients love dining al fresco with family and friends surrounded by their lush, tropical garden.

Plan

The design process, especially at the beginning, involves a lot of questions intended to get the creative juices flowing and get you thinking about possibilities that you might not have thought of otherwise. This can be lots of fun for everyone and one of the most common (and rewarding) phrases I hear clients say is “Oh, I never thought about that!”

Here are some other questions to consider: Are you entertainers? Do you need a space for your kids or dogs to play? Have you always dreamed of dining al fresco? Do you want a shady spot to nap in a hammock? A private retreat to journal, or maybe a space for morning yoga next to running water? This is brainstorming time, so let your imagination run wild! While we may not find a place for EVERYTHING on your wish list, you can be confident that your final design will be a space that’s personal and unique to your lifestyle.

Additionally, you’ll need to be realistic about how much time you are able to dedicate to maintaining your outdoor space. Answering honestly will help me design a space that you will love for years to come.

While we walk, I’ll also be noting any elements that will affect design element placement, such as sunny and shady spots, wet or dry areas, power lines, septic tanks, slopes, and existing trees.

Gathering all of this information during our initial consultation will help us craft a master plan that is functional, beautiful, and will ensure you don’t waste your time, effort, or money.

Working from a master plan ensures you don’t waste your time, effort, or money.

Play

You paid for your property and the taxes on it every year, so why not make every square foot live up to its full potential? Living in Florida, we are able to extend our living space into the outdoors almost year round. What are some ways you’d love to use your space?

Maybe you’re like this client, who has a beautiful pool but needed a little privacy to feel comfortable lounging in her backyard.

Tropical plants create colorful privacy whether you are lounging on the deck or cooling off in the pool.

Maybe you’re a golf enthusiast, and you’d love a private putting green to practice?

Work on your perfecting your putt in the comfort of your own backyard - literally!

Or maybe you’re like this client, who has lots of family in town and loves to sit around a fire catching up and roasting marshmallows with the grandkids?

Would you prefer a wood-burning or a gas firepit?

Relax

The whole reason for having a well-designed outdoor space is to use it! Sometimes it’s for activities like what were discussed above, but sometimes it’s nice to just have spots in your design for peace, calm, and pure relaxation.

For some people, it might look like pulling up to an uncluttered front entry, like this minimalist modern zen garden we installed.

Soothing shapes and textures create a serene and calming environment.

Someone else might find the sound of a water feature to be what relaxes them and brings a smile to their face at the end of a long day.

Water features can come in all different shapes, sizes and materials - what does your dream water feature look like?

Or maybe a spot to dig your toes into the sand while you sway in a hammock in the breeze.

This client wanted a spot for her kids to make sand castles in their custom-designed pool cabana!

Whatever your dream is, we can make it happen!

So, what does YOUR dream backyard look like? Share in the comments!

Ready to bring your backyard vision and dreams to life? Fill out the contact form – we can’t wait to hear what you have in mind and help you make it a reality!

Stay Dirty,

Ashley