Here Is How Landscaping Companies Make Multiple Outdoor Spaces Complement Each Other in Barrington, RI

The design of your landscape is an important reflection on the tastes and lifestyle of you and your family. Are your outdoor living spaces a jumble of disconnected areas that don’t feel like they belong to the same home? To unify the spaces and make them as cohesive as the great indoors, here is how landscaping companies make multiple outdoor spaces complement each other in Barrington, RI.

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Consistency of Materials

Consistency of materials is the first step to a more uniform landscape design. This doesn’t mean that you have to stick with just one material throughout - you could, for example, have a bluestone patio and a brick front entry walkway. But, you could integrate these two very different spaces by adding brick to the patio in the form of accents or borders. And if you can’t add brick to the horizontal surfaces, you could add it to a vertical surface such as an outdoor fireplace or retaining wall.

Creative Contrasts

You can use different materials that complement each other. Like we’ve mentioned, bluestone and brick are a winning combination. Think about materials you want in your landscape. Perhaps you have a wood (or wood-look composite) deck. What materials go well with wood? Natural stone and stone-inspired pavers are a top choice. Or, you may have a perfectly smooth, poured concrete patio. What materials could give the space a warmer, less industrial look? How about natural stone and pavers! Here again, you can use various materials in different areas and tie the look together with one material that complements both.

Knowing Unifying Materials

The main parts of an outdoor space can sometimes be an easier decision for landscaping designers and homeowners to make, but it’s the smaller details that are the mark of true expertise and artistry. These borders and accents will be the subtle, yet highly effective avenues for visually unifying a space. When in doubt, think about brick: the “little black dress” of landscape materials. And if you already have brick in your space, try cobblestone as a unifying accent.

Adding Masonry Features

One of the best ways to bring any few sections of an outdoor living space together is by adding a retaining wall or expanding the reach of a masonry patio or walkway. The simple masonry themes using color, texture, size, and shape will not only dramatically improve each space on its own, but lead to an integrated outdoor living space. Outdoor fireplaces, retaining walls, water features, and pillars are ideal opportunities for incorporating unifying materials. Even fire pit kits can be customized with a few accents that tie the fire feature in with other elements.

Focused Lighting Techniques

Landscape lighting is a crucial element in making a space feel safe and welcoming. How can you use lighting to tie spaces together? First, join them with well-lit walkways. And by “well-lit” we don’t mean overly bright. Use low-lying walkway light fixtures to lead you and your visitors from one space to another; and within each space, have enough light for the activity - and no more. Less is truly more in landscape lighting. Consistency in light fixtures is helpful too in creating a unified space. For example, if one space features fixtures embedded in masonry, you’ll want to avoid post-mounted lights in the rest of the landscape.

Rule of Threes

As a general rule, try to avoid using more than three of anything: materials, sizes, colors, and textures. This way, even if your outdoor spaces are completely different in feel, it won’t feel like a hodgepodge.

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