A PUBLICATION OF SURROUNDINGS BY NATUREWORKS

SPRING LANDSCAPE

DESIGN 2019

LET’S BE STYLISH!

THE PROCESS: GETTING STARTED Let’s get acquainted and imagine your landscape design

You’re probably thinking, “How does this process work?” Ideally, the launching spot comes from your hopes and ideas for your new outdoor living space. It’s wonderful to have a handful of Houzz or Pinterest pictures that you’ve tagged and love. A few pictures of things you would rather not have is handy too. Our initial consult is often here in our office at the Indiana Design Center looking at pictures. If you prefer, we can meet at your home and take a walk around your yard. We have a photo album and website that helps imagine various stages of your backyard. At some point, most efforts require some sort of design. Occasionally an on-site sketch can accomplish what’s necessary, but typically something more formal is required. A few weeks from the initial meeting, we gather again at our office to review the design and a proposal detailing all the hoped-for ideas. From there, we prioritize design elements and establish a project schedule once we receive a small deposit and a signed agreement. Not a complicated process but full of complexities that we manage and address from grade changes, and electrical needs to drainage issues and downspout extensions. Oh, then there is material selection … that is a blast! So, enjoy this eBook you’ve downloaded … hopefully you’ll get some ideas to start the process!

LET’S CREATE A BACKYARD OASIS Consider some of these features for incredible outdoor living

Dreaming of relaxing in warmth in your own backyard oasis? Us too. We feel like Indiana is teasing us a bit of late. One day it feels like spring is around corner and the next there is freezing rain, sleet and snow. While we all wait for spring to come and stay for good, let’s talk three simple ways to make spring 2019 the best in outdoor living. Speaking of warmth, let’s talk fire features! Why not add a fire feature to your outdoor living space this year? Fire features allow you to get cozy during the cool evenings of spring. They’re great for family s’more roasting as well. Check out our fire feature inspiration board on Pinterest. Why not give your pergola a fresh coat of stain or paint? One of the easiest ways to freshen up a space. Don’t have a pergola? We can help! See pergola examples on our Pinterest inspiration board. Let’s patio furniture shop! Head out to your local retailer and explore all the newest offerings from lounge pieces to conversation sets to alfresco dining sets. See what speaks to you and helps create a statement-making outdoor space that inspires and relaxes all at the same time. And COLOR really expresses STYLE! When exploring new additions to your family’s outdoor living space, think about how you will use the space and what outdoor activities your family most enjoys. By starting with those two things, you’ll be headed in the right direction. Is your backyard a blank slate? Want to take spring 2019 a step further and design and install your ideal outdoor living space from scratch? Let us help bring your vision to life.

GETTIN’ SHADY WITH PERGOLAS Pergolas add personality, style and shade!

Did you know that we build more pergolas for reasons other than shade, than we do for shade? Yep. So…what else does a pergola do? Shade is an obvious reason to bring a pergola into your outdoor living space. Here are 4 more: Sexy Privacy That’s right, privacy. Imagine a neighboring home placed awkwardly close against yours. Often we hope to somehow interrupt the site line and the obvious thought is to plant something big. A strategically placed pergola can be just as affective and more sexy. Particularly if a climbing vine is planted and allowed to grow and offer additional distraction. A beautiful distraction and insanely affective! Roof I know, it’s not really a roof and you will get wet when it rains. But it does offer that sense of one and helps create the outdoor room affect that can be very critical to comfortable outdoor living. Luxury Vibe Pergolas just look elegant don’t they? They contribute to the entire outdoor living setting and command a sense of luxury when built with that in mind. Painted or stained, with colorful exterior grade drapes and trim details contribute to the feel. Wind Imagine living in a breezy corridor where windy conditions toss napkins onto the lawn and half full cups on your partners lap. Now imagine a pergola with the luxury curtains pulled shut or a recessed blind pulled down. The wind factor has been substantially eliminated. Given a few creative prods, we could grow the list farther. Perhaps you’ve noticed, we love building pergolas. They solve a lot of issues for our clients and are a great element for luxury outdoor living!

LET’S GATHER ‘ROUND THE FIRE Affordable options exist for outdoor fire features

Homeowners love the idea of an outdoor fireplace, and can’t wait to have a custom designed fireplace installed in their luxury outdoor living space. That is, until they see the entry price of $15,000. Yes, $15,000— and the most recent creation was north of $25,000. It’s a complicated process, with outstanding results After walking through the process step-by-step, homeowners can appreciate the complexity, time and cost of installing one of these sought after crowd pleasers. Footers are dug and poured, a cinder block interior is constructed then faced with brick and mortar, the interior fire box is lined with fire brick and clay mortar, and a clay tile flue is constructed and topped with a “bird cage”. The process continues with a custom mantel, often a rescued slab of lumber or limestone— and the customized details from there are bounded only by our imaginations. An outdoor fireplace can consume three masons for two weeks of work … But there are AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVES to achieve the cozy outdoor fireplace effect. Fortunately, these creative alternatives are also completely customizable and abundant. Rustic boulder fire pits are my favorite and the most cost affective at around $1,200. Man-made stone materials like Belgard or Unilock make fantastic fire features too, particularly when accompanied by a natural stone cap or ribbon, but are at least double the price of the more basic fire features.

STYLISH PATIO DESIGNS Options to traditional paver patios

Not everyone needs a concrete paver patio in their backyard. In fact, we believe there are several alternatives, including: Who said decks were out of style?  Not us. If fact, built correctly with the right materials, it could be the best solution for you. Don’t get caught up with what your last deck looked like or your parent’s deck. We don’t build them like that anymore. Think edgy materials with clean lines, disappearing spindles / railing and built in benches that beg a book to be read. Crushed stone Isn’t that just a fancy word for gravel? Sorta. Next time you get your favorite outdoor living catalog from FRONTGATE or Southern Living, check out the incredibly cool outdoor vignettes and see how many are on crushed stone. Most of them. Of course it takes the right circumstances with the right home, etc. But for ridiculously cost affective and a crunchy texture, try crushed stone. ALL of our clients we have built them for salivate over them. And, your neighbor will be jealous of your courage to do it. The other materials We love concrete … Love may be a strong word, but in the right location it is absolutely the best choice. With a brick ribbon or slate accent around the exterior edge, fantastic! Other options: travertine, bluestone, clay pavers, and limestone.

Check out one of our most popular videos about “decomposed granite.”

ARE YOU READY TO BE STYLISH? Give us a call to talk about your

landscape design dreams!

This is the year for style … YOUR style … to rule! RANDY SORRELL SURROUNDINGS BY NATUREWORKS

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LET’S BE STYLISH!

We would love to help create your incredible outdoor living space.

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