Do you want a yard that makes you sigh in delight and not distress? If so, Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces would love to work with you to help create a landscape that meets your needs, as well as your wants. As Atlanta landscape designers with years of experience, we know there are some key elements to be included for the project to be a true success. These components of landscape design all work together to create a peaceful and harmonious landscape that makes you smile every time you walk into your yard.

No matter the type of design work you are considering, there is one thing that they all have in common: understanding the space with which you are working.  Whether it be a floorplan for your new home, a room makeover or an upgrade to your landscape, having a design plan is essential for a successful result. In order to create the plan, there are an assortment of landscape design components that need to be considered. For those who have never embarked on the excitement of landscape design makeovers, it can be a bit overwhelming. After all, just because your yard is the equivalent of a blank canvas, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are ready to start adding color. Before going to the nursery and selecting a plethora of plants and yard décor, it is important to have a well-crafted plan with the following components of landscape design.

Creating A Landscape Design Plan

So, now that you have decided to upgrade your current front yard or backyard landscape, you may be wondering what landscape design elements should be included. Fortunately, you don’t have to have all the answers, as that is where the Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces team shines. Our landscape renovation and design experts will listen to your front or backyard design ideas and then create a landscape renovation plan that incorporates each component below so you can enjoy your outdoor living space more than ever before. 

Lines - For a landscape design to be soothing to the eyes, it needs to have lines connecting various focal points of your yard. It might be a gazebo, a water feature, a large flowerbed or any other element, but having a focal point helps set the theme. Lines are often subtly incorporated to draw the eyes from each feature of your yard. Vertical lines draw one’s eyes upward, while horizontal ones are great for bringing attention to small alcoves, garden areas, or paths or other focal points. In addition, keep in mind that curved lines tend to be more natural and calming while straight lines are more formal and direct.

Mass - This is the space or area occupied by the elements of your landscape – whether those include a gazebo, flowerbeds, the plants within a flowerbed, a swing set or any other features in your yard, these items add to the mass of your landscape. And, while each component has its place, it is important that things are balanced proportionately else it will make the yard seem cluttered or cramped. 

Balance – Endeavor to keep the size of garden areas, shrubbery, trees and outdoor structures in proportion to the house and space you are working with. A good rule of thumb is that the height of an element (be it shrubbery, a fence, or a fountain) should be 1/3 the height of the width of a space – so a patio area that is 24 square feet is best paired with a vertical element that is 8 feet tall. Choose plants and design elements that suit the style of your home. It helps to determine the theme or feel of the finished product, then work to have the design be aesthetically and functionally placed.

Form - Everything in your lawn has a shape – from the walkways and driveway to garden areas and seating areas. They may be squares, triangles, circles or irregular shapes, but each of these shapes lend to the form of your landscape. Typically, rectangle forms are formal, circles are soft, triangle are strong and irregular shapes are seen as carefree. Since you will want your landscape design to express a certain personality, be sure you let our team know what message you want your lawn to reflect. 

Color - The best way to add life and energy to your landscape design is through color. Whether it is through pavers for a patio, a stone retaining wall, the flowers chosen, or decorative fountains, color helps unite your landscape, while making it even more inviting to you and those who visit. 

Texture - Nature is full of textures, so why not use them to make your landscape design shine? From the type of grass chosen, to whether you opt for a winding gravel path or pavers, choosing trees with smooth bark or those with a rough bark, there are many ways to incorporate texture. Having a good variety will make you landscape more appealing to the senses. Don’t be afraid to incorporate a wide range of plant types in the same space. It is totally acceptable to combine a variety of hostas with decorative grasses. Also, don’t forget to plant from big to small. Start by deciding on trees, water features, statuary, or any other structures to set the stage.  

Lighting - Just as color is important to your yard, so are outdoor lights. The addition of spotlights, path lights, twinkling white lights and other illuminating elements will take a basic landscape design to the next level. Better yet, when lights are placed properly, they also help add security to your yard, while still making it an inviting place to hang out with friends. There is a wide variety of lighting choices that can be used to set the atmosphere of your landscape, but also try to take advantage of natural lighting. For instance, planting trees and shrubs along an east-west line will often create a beautiful display at sunset/sunrise.

Simplicity – A busy landscape with numerous features is not only difficult to keep maintained, but it can be difficult to focus on or be able to relax in. By keeping the landscape design simple, it is easier to find pleasure and relaxation when enjoying your outdoor living space.

While each component of landscape design is important, creating a cohesive plan for your yard requires landscape design experts incorporating each element above. If you want to incorporate these components of landscape design into your home’s landscape, then don’t wait till spring to get started. Contact Outdoor Makeover & Living Spaces to schedule a landscape design consultation and you can have a new yard before summer even gets here!

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There are some landscapes in Georgia where you might feel as though walking outside is the equivalent to hiking a mountain trail. These yards have significant slopes that make the backyard a challenge to comfortably walk, not to mention a serious issue in the event of rain, or the occasional snowfall. So, for many homeowners, the sloping landscape becomes a space that is often bemoaned and met with uncertainty in what to do about the situation. However, there is a feasible approach that is both practical and great looking – the addition of landscape stairs.

And, because the stairs can be made from a wide range of materials, they can complement any architectural style -from the classics to the contemporary. Nearly any yard where unevenness is an issue can be improved with the addition of landscape stairs. They might be made using concrete slabs, by incorporating railroad ties or treated 4x4s, bricks, pavers, tiles, scrap metal or repurposed steel beams, stamped concrete, or even the addition of flat stones. The options are varied so it sure that landscape stairs can be incorporated to make your Atlanta area yard. Better yet, by adding the stairs you make your home more marketable because people can use the yard more fully.

Also making a stairway a practical part of the landscape is that they can be the ideal place to add extra lighting. Inside or outside, a well-lit stairway is important. But in adding more lights – especially those that are motion activated- to your landscape you are adding some extra security to your home. Of course, just because adding stairs to your yard is practical, it doesn’t have to be about function only. The steps can also be a perfect place to add planters, connect one part of your yard to another or even disguise a retaining wall. Depending on the design of your yard, you could even use the landscape stairs as a way to add a water feature to the yard, so that even if the slopes in your yard were man-made they now look cohesive and charming. Beyond simply making the yard easier to navigate, stairs also make more of your accessible, thus making your landscape larger.

Rather than feeling like part of your lawn is unusable, you now can design your lawn to maximize its functionality. That sloping yard doesn’t have to create a challenge – nor should it keep you from purchasing a home that is ideal for your needs. Rather, it means bringing in a team that understands your sloping landscape concerns. The Outdoor Makeover and Construction team has redesigned many Atlanta area yards that have significant sloping so that the yard is not just easier to navigate, but actually takes a feature that can be a negative and turned it into a delightful outdoor area with style and charm. Talk to an Outdoor Makeover and Construction specialist today about implementing landscape stair into your outdoor space.

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