Backyard Trends

Do you look out your kitchen patio door to a landscape of… grass? Is it a little less than inspiring? Do you climb on your mower every week (the only time you use your backyard) and wonder why?

The biggest landscape trend is toward creating beautiful, useful outdoor spaces.

Are you ready to take on a project? Here are some ideas:

Create living areas out of that square footage—

• Just like your living room, your yard will look better and feel more livable if there are separate spaces for different uses: a kitchen area around the grill, a sitting area under a large tree (maybe with lighting up in the branches), a play area for the kids, a garden…the list is endless.

Revamp the outdoor kitchen—

• Not the huge, more-expensive-than-my-real-kitchen kind, but a reasonable, well designed space that takes into account how you actually work.

Build an open patio rather than enclosed deck—

• Design can make all the difference with a patio. Here is where a professional can help with stone selection and features. Interesting shapes and designated spaces for plantings can add visual appeal while increasing functionality.

Dig a fire pit—

• As long as you are considering a patio, why not?

Plant a garden—

• Not everyone has the space for a traditional garden. Consider built-in raised beds, or container gardening on the patio. If you have an ugly privacy fence you would like to cover, why not create a living wall with a vertical garden?

Remember, the natural look is in, but...

• Ironic as it is, this look takes some effort. It’s not just throwing a handful of wildflower seeds at that patch of grass that won’t grow and calling it good. Careful plant selection and placement can create a beautiful landscape that will sustain itself and your family for years to come. Pockets of herbs or flowers perfect for cuttings can all be a part of the plan.

Are you considering expanding your living area to include that wasted yard space? Give us a call, and let us design some unique, inspiring features for the patch of grass you call home.

Degnan Design Builders, Inc

Degnan Deisgn Builders, Inc.

2012 Conservancy Place Parade Home

This distinctive ranch home, with its arch-vaulted ceilings and expansive windows, is designed to showcase its most extraordinary feature--unobstructed views of the Conservancy.

We know when you walk into the arched foyer you might experience the sense of being drawn through the open living areas, out the sixteen-foot patio door, and onto the huge screen porch and deck--but please resist the draw. Pause to take in some of the more practical features, like the first floor laundry and mud room, or the multiple closets, or the amazing master suite, or the other two bedrooms with their own vaulted ceilings. Will you take time to ponder the energy efficient upgrades? Will you notice the skylight if the views from the windows garner all of your attention?

We certainly wouldn’t want you to miss the gorgeous kitchen full of custom cabinetry, or the warm, modern fireplace, that’s tucked into a curved wall, and is visible from the kitchen, living and dining areas.

There’s also a great finished basement, with a fourth bedroom and full bath, as well as a huge finished storage area. We’re worried you might not notice though, because of the view through the two twelve-foot patio doors. And if you step outside, we might be in real trouble--the bike and walking path that winds through the Conservancy practically starts at the back door.

We thought a lot about this house, so we hope you take the time to notice the details inside, not just the splendid early summer view.

Are you ready to build on your lot? Give us a call and let us demonstrate how a thoughtful design can turn any lot into a stunning setting.