YOUR GREAT ESCAPE: Back to Nature

by Allie Moffett

Back To Nature

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that making your home a comfortable, relaxing space to disconnect is key for happiness and wellbeing. We have, in many ways, reverted to simpler forms of satisfaction: tending to plants, having a quiet space to take in the outdoors, and investing time and effort into making home just that – your home. Ensuring it checks all of the boxes for what your family needs, whether it be a pool to splash in, a cozy den to curl up in, or a patio to lounge in the sun. Here are a few ways to embrace nature in your home.

EVER HEARD THE PHRASE, “LET’S SHINE A LITTLE LIGHT ON THAT”?

By focusing on the item or topic at hand, we can better see it for what it is, details and all. Adding proper lighting not only highlights the beautiful details of your home and landscape, but also easily adds hours to the time you can spend in your outdoor space. The GreenImage team ensures that this small detail is not overlooked and encourages their clients to invest in lighting, whether it be the sole project or just one piece of the project.

THINK BIG PICTURE.

While clients can often get caught up in the nitty gritty of installing an outdoor feature like a pool, grill station or fire pit, a quality landscape and outdoor living contractor will focus on creating an entire layout that supports the vision for the feature. If you hope to host large gatherings, you will need more space for seating and if you want a more low-key space, perhaps you will invest in a luxurious pergola.

“Landscape architects are very similar to interior designers who ask about your living room, kitchen, dining room, etc., so they can pull it all together,” says Ryan Coyle, owner of Vive Exterior Design “We do the exact same thing with the exterior.”

The life of a pool or outdoor entertainment space does not come down to just how well it is constructed, it relies on functionality and ease of using the space. Not able to tackle all of your projects at once? Professionals like Vive and BPI Outdoor Living can help plan the space in phases.

“The BPI team coordinated every aspect of the project when we put in a pool, a new spa, and a new patio,” shared Wally Brant, BPI Outdoor Living client. “When we installed a lakeside retention wall to secure our lakefront, J.D. at BPI designed it so that we were able to expand our yard and garden. Each time, his designs made the landscape fit perfectly.” by taking an image of a natural stone’s veining pattern and printing them directly on the man-made material slab. You can’t get closer to the real thing than that!

LET YOUR WINDOWS DO THE HEAVY LIFTING.

At the end of the day, an easy way to add natural elements to your space is by simply giving yourself a view of the outdoors.

Joe Garcia of G&G Custom Homes shared that he has seen an uptick in homeowners seeking out large doors with windows for both the front door and patio spaces. “You used to just have a single door going to the outside porch,” says Garcia. “Now you have doors that are four-panels wide to let light flow in.”

MAN-MADE FINISHES, INSPIRED BY NATURE.

UTILIZE

While natural materials can get the job done, they may not always be the right choice for the modern-day family. With busy lives and precious free time, many families simply don’t have the time to tend to natural stones such as marble.

That’s why stain-and-scratch resistant options like quartz and porcelain are so popular with clients, as Kaelyn Van Camp of Stone Mart explains. “Quartz is known for being low maintenance, but that, combined with the ability to create depth that mimics natural stone, is definitely a game changer.”

Quartz, along with porcelain, have come so far in mimicking natural stone. This is often accomplished

Allowing more natural light into the home instantly connects the indoors to its exterior surroundings. Windows act as a frame to the natural “art” outside the home. Living in an area with all four seasons, we can watch our surroundings evolve throughout the year – interactive art, so to speak! No matter how you wish to incorporate nature into your space, there are local professionals ready to guide you through the process.