Much like sitting out on the water in a boat, your backyard should be surrounded by all the things you enjoy most. Narrowing down your list of must haves and ranking your priorities always helps. Should I include a firepit or a sitting wall for extra seating? Do I want a claming fountain so I fell like I am sitting on a lake or by the ocean? The number one inspiration for me is looking a pictures whether it be in a magazine or a slideshow on the Internet. How can I make a space look larger or how can I block out the noise from the neighbors or nearby traffic? Take a look at some of these ideas.
In this project we were able to create a space with lots of areas of additional seating. The homeowner likes to cook and entertain at the same time so you can see how the two spaces are very close so that the cook is never too far from the party.
Adding a fountain creates a serene and calming atmosphere. In this picture we were able to make a bubbling fountain out of a basalt column where the water flows into a pondless gravel bed. By making the fountain pondless you eliminate the constant irritation of maintenance and the attraction of mosquitoes to the standing water.
This space was created in a courtyard of a downtown residence on Broad street. One of the man objectives was to make the small space seem bigger. To the left you can see storage containers that also work as additional seating. The mirrors in the background although not common in an outdoor space make the space seem larger when entertaining a large amount of guests. Please click here to see additional ideas.
The above project has Dakota flagstone all around the pool but they wanted additional stone to be built into the waterfall and "sunpod." Prior to this project I had never heard of such a thing, but in the upper right hand corner you can see behind the waterfall a small pool with shallow water in it. This is lined with stone and is meant to resemble more of a naturally occuring spring for sun bathing. It turned out very well.
Adding a small firepit can serve two functions. In the winter you can use it as a warm gathering place to sit around and enjoy some warm cocktails and in the summer time when you feel it is to warm to enjoy a cozy fire it serves as additional seating and a place to put down your food or set a drink. I built the firepit shown above out in front of our showroom to give me a place to sit and warm up when I have been kicked out of the office in the cold months. You are not allowed to critize my masonry skills it is hobby not a profession.
Creating different levels in a landscape area is important but sometimes hard to do in our low lying areas of Charleston. It is very common to build up and area and create a raised patio, or to do several large natural stone stairs down off a deck or spa. Take a look at these natural Sequatchie Variagted steps pictured above.
Not the best of pictures but to the right of the walkway you will see a beautiful dry creek bed made out of tan river rock. I have always enjoyed the look of a dry river bed and in areas where you have major drainage problems this can disguise some of those issues. It is also a good replacement for areas where there appears to be an excessive amount of pine straw or mulch or where you are sick of groundcover growing up all around your landscape beds.
Last but certainly not least the use of a small bench for relaxation is always a great added touch. Like the one pictured above utilizing a thick piece of flagstone out of our yard and fixing it to two small legs you now have a peace spot to take a load off. We have several premade benches as well for sale in our showroom.
