Enjoy Your “Stay at Home

Enjoy Your “Stay at Home” Time Given for Improvements

VIEW YOUR PROJECT AS AN ADDITION With all that has gone on lately there is a good reason to want to improve your stay at home. Remodeling your kitchen, a family room or other common areas have become popular home improvement projects. Adding a new patio or outdoor entertainment area has more appeal than ever before with more people working from home. Careful consideration of design and layout are paramount.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SITE AND HOME What are the best views that are the most advantageous? What views do you want to block? Will the outdoor area block a desired view from inside your home? How can the area be positioned best to be inviting from inside your home? If you are building a new home you may want to consider an opening glass wall system to be used to ease the transition between the inside and outside? Are there grades that need to be considered in the design?

USE A PROFESSIONAL At a glance, a well-designed outdoor entertainment area may look simple and easy to pull off, but there are so many different questions and issues involved in creating a great space. It is always best to hire a landscape architect or designer to create a plan and build the outdoor entertainment area of your dreams. Enjoy this spring and summer as we all Stay at Home more!

TIE IN BUILDING MATERIALS Are there any needs for terracing with retaining walls? If so, what do you want to use as materials for these walls? Is there a stone or brick on the home that can be used for the retaining walls? The use of brick or stone from the home’s exterior will help to extend the home’s space to the outside often resulting in free-flowing patio and garden areas. Do you want a pergola or any other covering from the sun over your new area? Will the color of the paving draw too much heat from the sun making the space uncomfortable in the summer? Do you want to be able to throw a party in this space? Is there an area to cook and serve food? Do you want to watch TV or work on a laptop? What about having a swimming pool, water or fire feature? These are all very important questions in the design of your home’s outdoor areas.

Mike Mlnarik has a passion for creating distinctive landscapes and has been bringing his award-winning designs to life since 1983. A former founding partner of Grand Rapids Landscape, Mike attended Michigan State University’s program in landscape horticulture and is a Certified Michigan Nurseryman, member of the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association, and a certified Natural Shoreline Professional. A member of the Home and Builders’ Association of Greater Grand Rapids, Mike has won several awards from the MNLA, HBAGGR, and Association of Grand Rapids Landscape Professionals for landscape design.