Outdoor Design Build

When driving down a residential street, have you ever noticed how some houses just seem to have it all together? That first impression, often referred to as curb appeal, is very important when it comes to the exterior appearance of your property. It not only implies a sense of your personal pride but can also add value to your home if you are thinking of selling.

There are numerous ways to enhance your home’s unique blend of charm. It can be as simple as a spruce up or as complicated as a complete transformation with the incorporation of some hot trends. We are now in the Fall Season and it is a great opportunity to show off your home’s architecture and enhance the appearance. Here are just a few suggestions…

Clean Up, Prune & Plant – Clean out beds (i.e. pull out weeds and old flowers) and make a distinct border between beds and yard. Prune trees and shrubs to enhance not hide your house. Shrubs should be lowered to a height near the bottom of windows. Flowers add color and beauty to your home. Invest in a few flats of flowers that will last the entire growing season.

Green-Up Your Lawn – Because a front lawn often carpets most of the front yard, its condition is critical to how a house looks from the street. Regular mowing, fertilizing and watering can significantly improve the curb appeal.

Create Visual Interest – Fences, arbors, water features and walkways are just few elements that can add style, character and visual interest to your front yard. The walkway and/or steps that lead to your front door can do more than just be a means of access – they can set the tone for your home’s style, from simple to stately, casual to formal.

Lighting the Way – Night lighting is extremely effective at highlighting your home and yard’s features after daylight hours. Dramatic effects can be created by accent and/or path lighting and, most important, front porch lighting.

Details – Small things can make a difference – mailbox, house numbers, flower boxes, potted plants on the porch, a nice front door. Focusing on these details will present a relatively inexpensive but highly influential opportunity to project style.

At ODB we believe that it is not about overdoing the landscape but simply having your yard compliment your home. So, before you sink your dollars into upgrading that patio or deck, consider making changes to your front yard to maximize the value of your home and enhance the appearance of your property.

Leave a Response »

Color without the commitment. For those clients who like their landscapes to change with the seasons, annual plants are the way to go. Annuals offer contrast against a backdrop of perennial plants – and when used in comination with perennials, you can diversify the landscape at will without having to completely replace beds. Plus, annuals are less expensive than perennials, so you can give your clients a big color show for very little money.
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to find annual plants in colors beyond blue and purple for shady areas, don’t be. There are annuals that offer a variety of other colors, including bright reds, vibrant oranges and sunny yellows. Use the list below to get you started, and see how many options you have for lighting up the landscape.

Pansies are an excellent option for cooler weather. While they can’t take the heat, I’ve had them weather an ice storm and come back strong. Partial shade is best for these flowers, which need an hour or two of morning or evening sun. In ideal conditions, these plants will grow up to 8 inches tall, and bloom in rich colors ranging from dark, saturated purples to brighter hues. They prefer well – drained soils.

Begonias are best known for their pinkish-red flowers that stand out against green leaves, but they also come in varieties that feature flowers of white, pink, salmon and bi-color. There is also a bronzed-leaf variety that is more sun-tolerant if you have a location that is part sun, part shade. These popular annual plants will grow to be 10 – 12 inches, or you can choose a dwarf version that will grown no larger than 8″ tall.

Salvia is just too good to not include in this short list. Yes, it’s a very traditional plant that has been criticized for being overused in flowerbeds – but for good reason. Its’s simply an interesting plant with its tall, spiked shape and flowers in red, purple, orange and cream colors. To help offset the fact that you’re using such a “common” plant, blend in other annuals with your salvia so that is is not your main focal point but more of an accent. A member of the mint family, make sure this flowering annual gets a few hours of sun a day.

Coleus, also known as painted nettle, doesn’t flower, but it can still add a lot of color and interest to a shady area. Its leaves feature colors ranging from deep purple to a barely-there pink, and the light- and dark-green leaves typically offer more than one color, with a lot of variegation. The textured foliage on this plant is a bonus. It performs well in the heat, but needs moist soil.

Wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri) is an often overlooked shady annual. With a long flowering season that extends from early summer to late fall, this plant offers snapdragon-like blooms of white, yellow, purple, and blue that are contrasted by bright green foliage. The wishbone flower is low-maintenance and even attracts hummingbirds.

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritime) works especially well in dry, shady areas, which can be a real challenge for most landscapers. They are a good groundcover, as they stay low to the ground (3 – 5 inches tall), and feature clusters of white or purple flowers. In several regions of the US, these flowers are used as perennial plants because they are exceptionally hardy for an annual, withstanding some light frosts.

By Cindy Ratcliff From The Total Landscape Care Magazine

Leave a Response »

Sophisticated Spaces
10 Guidelines for outdoor kitchen design

It is a home feature that continues to grow in demand. Acquiring the skills needed to design and install it opens up new business possibilities for firms and designers involved in the landscape industry.

A recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study found that demand for outdoor kitchens in upscale homes is predicted to rise steadily over the next 10 years. Of those surveyed, 71 percent believe the outdoor kitchen will be a critical feature of high-end homes.

“More people are turning to their backyards as retreats — creating spaces that are gathering points for family and friends,” said Russ Faulk, vice president of marketing and product development at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.

He said he sees the trend continuing, especially as the outlook for the economy improves.

Outdoor kitchens extend a home’s living area, making the space more functional. “What began as little more than a built-in grill has quickly become more sophisticated,” said Faulk. “Fully functional outdoor kitchens are now the norm, featuring refrigeration, sinks, prep areas and pizza ovens — in addition to the grill.”

Faulk has developed a list of 10 guidelines that help jump start a better understanding of outdoor kitchen design:

1. Working in harmony

A functional zone is an area of the kitchen where a specific activity takes place. There are four zones: cold (refrigeration), hot (cooking), wet (washing, food prep), and dry (food prep, storage of serving dishes/utensils). They must all work together in proper proximity, each with an appropriate amount of space. Lack of proper space for each zone makes the outdoor kitchen inefficient and hard to enjoy. Follow National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) guidelines for kitchen design.

2. Satellite or independent

Ask the client how much they want the indoor kitchen to support the outdoors.

A satellite kitchen relies on the indoor kitchen for most of the pre-work and refrigeration. A major consideration ensure traffic patterns and doors allow for easy movement between the two kitchens.

An independent outdoor kitchen features all functional zones, necessary equipment and supporting utilities making it completely independent of its indoor cousin.

3. Living together

Dining, lounging, cooking, and pool areas often coexist. Create opportunities for interaction and conversation within the outdoor kitchen and between other areas.

4. Make it low maintenance

An outdoor kitchen has to be easy to live with, which means easy to care for and clean. Choose materials that are grease- and stain-resistant and suited for the elements. Stainless steel is ideal for appliances.

5. Complement the home

Use finishes and materials that complement the home. If the kitchen is against the house, create an architectural transition such as a pergola, which adds height to the kitchen. If the kitchen is located away from the house, think about the home’s sight lines, and design the kitchen as a visible destination.

6. Plan for utilities

Make sure the plumber accounts for the total BTUs of all equipment and the length of the gas line to determine the diameter of the pipe needed. If the line is too small, the effectiveness of gas appliances is reduced. Insufficient gas pressure limits the cooking power of the kitchen.

Plan electrical service in a way that makes it easy to use. A tripped GFI outlet behind a refrigerator is virtually impossible to reset. Install one or more GFI breakers in the home’s electrical panel for the entire outdoor kitchen. If a circuit is tripped, the kitchen can be reset from the panel.

7. Extend the outdoor entertaining season

Shelter is one of the fastest growing trends in outdoor kitchen design. It protects from sun and rain and helps the homeowner get the most from their outdoor kitchen investment. Sheltering structures include large umbrellas, pergolas and screened-in areas with shingled roofs.

Radiant heaters provide comfort deep into fall and allow homeowners to open kitchens earlier in the spring.

8. Provide ample lighting

Make lighting a primary consideration. The appropriate amount of task lighting is an absolute necessity for cooking after dark. Pay particular attention to properly illuminating the grill. Ensure the grill hood does not block light from shining on the cooking area.

Ambient lighting helps illuminate the kitchen, dining and living spaces. It also creates drama throughout the entire area.

Include safety lighting on paths and steps leading to the kitchen.

9. Incorporate music and other entertainment

Audio and video entertainment is an important consideration for many outdoor kitchens. Some people will want a TV, MP3 dock and speakers in the outdoor kitchen at all times. Make sure you are planning appropriately for the location of power supply and other cables since you want to effectively hide as many of these as possible. Others want to use their TVs only on a temporary basis, using them outdoors on special occasions. Plan cabling, power supply, and installation hardware as if these items were going to be installed permanently.

10. Nature has a say

Take account of the movement of the sun and prevailing wind direction. A smoky grill upwind of a dining area causes guests discomfort. And trying to watch TV with the setting sun at one’s back is virtually impossible.

Prevent rainwater from pooling by slightly sloping countertops away from a backsplash.

Some countertop materials get quite hot through prolonged exposure to the sun — and a hot counter makes for an unhappy cook. Choose the right material by leaving test samples in direct sunlight for several hours.

Leave a Response »

The outdoor living trend is continuing to make homes more appealing to potential buyers, and it also provides them with a lot of satisfaction in the meantime. As we head into the beaufiful fall season, it’s important to get ready for outdoor living now.

Outdoor living spaces contain a wide variety of possibilities. They can be almost any size and can satisfy one or more purposes. They include covered front or rear porches, wrap-around decks, screened porches, covered or open decks, patios, balconies and more. Furthermore, special features such as outdoor fireplaces, grills, outdoor kitchens, pools, hot tubs, spas, gazebos, cabanas, putting greens, bar tops, built in seating, function and enjoyment of outdoor living spaces. Some of the many benefits of outdoor living spaces include the joy of relaxing with your family, entertaining friends and family, exercizing, or just simply enjoying the peace and quiet of the great outdoors.

How could your family use an outdoor living space? Think about the activities and quality time you could take pleasure in with your family and friends.

When it comes to designing your outdoor living space you can be as creative as you want. We design your space to fit your needs and your budget.

Leave a Response »

Why do you think they call it landscape architecture? It’s no different than any other home construction or improvement project. It begins with an idea and a budget. Then you consult the experts- architects, contractors and designers to develop the plan and design. And, of course, there’s always a set of permits and approvals to be obtained.

In addition to the architectural and design aspects, landscaping also requires a working knowledge of soils, mulches, lawns, woodworking, stone work, mortar use, concrete and asphalt, water, drainage, night lighting, irrigation, not to mention the mathematics required to calculate any of the preceding. The plans required for your landscaping project must be every bit as detailed and accurate as any other construction project. Do you know the height of the pergola and the thickness of its beams? Pressure-treated or Cedar? Color? Do you know the size of the patio? What about your paver style and color? Got a permit for those walls? You need a well thought out set of plans approved by all, before beginning any landscape project.

Generally, all landscape projects require some sort of drawings. Once you find a firm with which you are comfortable, their staff will come up with scaled drawings based on your budget, the houses feel or aesthetics, and your wishes/dreams. The design offers a bird’s eye view of the placement of features and plantings. A work crew will read and interpret these scaled plans as they discover placement. Firms that don’t charge you for this will likely hide this cost somewhere in the estimating process, but the best landscape firms charge you for this creative effort and are aware of just how important the design is in the process. As an example, Outdoor Design Build will credit 100% of the design fees should the client contract with them. They view the design phase as a work of creative art, a creativity that not everyone possesses. The plan is much more than a work of art however, in that the mathematical and geometrical precision is crucial to the implementation of the plan.

Pointers:

•Determine your budget keeping in mind that what seems like the best price isn’t necessarily the best quality. In order to afford top quality, you may want to consider doing things in phases.
•From the initial call through design phase to installation, the process can take months. Keep this in mind when you plan your next project
•Find a reputable designer/architect. Ask around. Pick two or three.
•Meet. First meetings cost nothing but give you a chance to size up the representative and look over their portfolio. Take your time here, as you don’t want to work with someone whom you don’t feel at ease with.
•Commit to the design phase, for mentioned costs.
•Review and adjust finished plans. Once adjustments and final renderings are available, the numbers for the project are exposed to all.
•Become as familiar as you can with pieces of the project, go online or the library; or purchase books to help you understand what is being constructed.

Leave a Response »