Tag Archives: outdoor design Kansas City

gardening tips

Stylish and Eco-Friendly Rain Barrel Ideas to Water Your Garden

gardening tips

Source: Pinterest

Harvesting rainwater is a practical and eco-friendly decision, but many homeowners shy away from it for aesthetic reasons. The typical rain barrel has long been thought of as an eyesore, but with the right approach you can turn your harvesting system into a fitting embellishment, or even a focal point, for the existing style of your home. Use any of the following ideas to turn your rain barrel into a statement of style.

Traditional wood-paneled cisterns may look out of place in a chic, contemporary home, but they fit right in with natural foliage, shrubbery or any earth-tone color schemes. Concrete or steel barrels might seem imposing for a stately southern farmhouse, but they match new-age, industrial architecture just fine. The idea is to conform your rain barrel’s style to the rest of your home’s decor.

Consider rain chains instead of gutters for concrete or natural stone exteriors, or use the same siding for your storage container that you used for your exterior to help blend it in. Even a standard wood barrel can be fitting decor, depending on the style of your deck and your home in general.

For more outdoor remodeling trends and advice, visit our blog today.

outdoor design

Bad View? Smart Landscaping Can Help!

outdoor design

Source: Pinterest

Your Kansas City house is perfect. Ideal amenities, layout and furnishings. Unfortunately, the view out your windows is anything but perfect. Exterior remodeling ideas featuring great landscaping and hardscaping create a view everyone can enjoy. Breathe some new life into your property with some imaginative view fixes.

To deal with small, unsightly things ruining your view, such as propane tanks, electrical boxes and central air units, you can use some clever landscaping tricks to hide them. A strategically placed trellis or a decorative retaining wall covered with climbing plants is enough to hide a propane tank or electrical box. Central air units need space around them so landscaping needs to draw attention away from them rather than covering them.

Dealing with an unsightly view of the neighborhood requires more inventive exterior remodeling ideas. Rather than putting up a tall fence, add in large hardscaping details. Constructing a large wall featuring a cutout creates a frame for the tall trees and sky-reaching plants behind it. A corner waterfall with full, flowering trees bring the eye down from utility poles and power lines. These combinations of hard and soft elements camouflage undesirable views.

Need more ideas to alter an undesirable exterior view? Contact our experienced landscaping experts for planning ideas and inspiration.

 

deck-style

Choosing the Style of Your Deck

A deck can accent your home and add value when done right. There’s a large variety of decks to select from and hiring a professional to assist with your ideas can help you achieve your goal. For Kansas City homeowners needing exterior remodeling services, consider Outdoor Environments where you will receive expert advice and assistance on the right deck for your backyard.

deck-styleDecks in Kansas City range from platform to multi-level decks. At Outdoor Environments we can help you decide which one is best. For the simplest style consider a low to the ground, platform deck.

It’s built on leveled ground and doesn’t require railings. Pressure treat the wood and give coats of protective sealer to preserve the deck for many years to come. A freestanding deck isn’t connected to the house, requires little expense or work.

A raised deck is higher off the ground, needing railings and stairs for added safety. You can hide exposed posts with vines and plants. A two story deck allows you to enter your backyard from the second floor. A multi-level deck is connected through stairways and walkways and is ideal for uneven lots. Become creative on how to hide exposed posts with decorative boards and skirting.

Consider these options when choosing the right deck for you. Contact us if you’re looking for professional help.

outdoor-hardscrape

Hate to Mow? Smart Hardscaping Can Make a Beautiful Yard With Less Grass

A beautiful grass lawn can be a great addition to any home but it also requires an enormous amount of time and effort to maintain. Homeowners not wishing to make the effort can get the same aesthetic and functional benefits from a variety of other landscape options. Here are just a few examples:

outdoor-hardscrapeHardscapes – The use of stone and other non-organic but natural materials in places where a lawn cannot thrive will still create a beautiful look but not require the excessive attention needed by grass or plants.

Terraces – The use of stone or brick to level an uneven landscape will allow you to create more usable spaces that will also not require as much maintenance.

Ground Cover – For large spaces where grass will just not thrive, add of the hardy perennial, ground covers available. You will still have plenty of green, the occasional flower and no need to ever mow.

In short, a grass lawn is not the only option for a dramatic, functional and affordable front or back yard. For more, great exterior remodeling ideas in particular or landscaping in general, please visit us online at the OutdoorEnvironments.com or call us directly at 913-897-2706.

outdoor design ideas

Create a Yard That Will Keep Kids Playing Outside This Summer

outdoor design ideas

Source: Pinterest

When everyone has phones, computers, and console gaming systems it can be a bit difficult to get your kids to go outside and play during the summer. If you can create adventurous landscapes in your own yard, however, they’ll jump at the opportunity to use their imagination outside. Here are some little exterior remodeling ideas that can can help.

  • Risky Business: Being able to assess risk and overcome challenges is a key part of childhood development. Usually this means choosing whether or not to climb a tree. So be sure to include some trees or small rock walls to give your kid a challenge to overcome without any serious risk.
  • Pathway to Play: Having multiple play areas in your yard is important, but you should also try to make sure the paths connecting them are entertaining as well.
  • Sticks and Stones: We try to keep our yards as neat and stick free as possible, but natural debris is what kids use to invent their own imaginative narratives. Try to construct a landscape that embraces nature and all it has to offer.

For more information about designing outdoor areas & living rooms, please visit our website or call us at 913-897-2706.

outdoor design ideas

Add a Pond for Reflection and Relaxation in Your Backyard

outdoor design ideas

Source: Pinterest

While backyard pools and barbecue spaces offer great ways to enjoy the summer with family and friends, your exterior spaces can also yield a soothing and calming sanctuary if you take a little time to create one. Foremost on this list is a water feature that combines the cooling effects of running water, its soft gurgling sounds and the view of it is simply tranquil. We mean, of course, the highly regarded backyard pond.

For the most part, backyard ponds are remarkably easy to install and require a minimum of infrastructure to run. In most cases, a professional landscaping company can do all the work in one day. Afterwards, you will have created an excellent focal point for your garden, a place for birds to congregate and a naturally soothing place for yourself.

Downtime is as important as activities for a healthy and stable family life. Do not overlook this simple fact when considering plans for your backyard. For more information about outside spaces in general or outdoor living rooms and kitchens in particular, please visit our website or call us at 913-897-2706.

home design improvement

Great Hardscaping Ideas for Improving the Curb Appeal of Your Kansas City Home

home design improvement

Image via Pinterest

If you’re looking to improve the curb appeal of your home and impress your friends and neighbors then you can’t go wrong with creating beautiful outdoor landscapes with hardscaping. Here are a few ways we can help you improve your house’s curb appeal.

  • Install a new walkway. The first thing visitors will see when they’re walking up to your house is the walkway. Rather than a slab of poured concrete, consider getting something with character, like a cobblestone or brick walkway.
  • Get a new fire pit. The fire pit can add a tasteful centerpiece to any patio, and it offers you another option for barbecues.
  • Add a courtyard. A courtyard acts as a beautiful frame for your garden or your patio.
  • Design terraces to create levels for the plants in your yard.  The terraces are a great architectural addition and they give you more space for beautiful flowers and greenery.

Inspired to improve your curb appeal? Contact Outdoor Environments by calling us at 913-897-2706!

outdoor spaces tips

Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Patio

outdoor spaces tips

`Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Now that the weather is warming up in Kansas City, you’re going to be making much more use out of your patio.  Get your patio ready for spring activities and guests by giving it a thorough spring cleaning and get rid of the layers of pollen that have gathered.

Use the following tips to clean your patio:

  • Ceiling – Clean the ceiling first so that you don’t end up cleaning the floor twice. Use a long duster and clean any fans that you have as well.
  • Floor – If your patio uses gravel, then rake it to straighten it out. Look for any debris and be sure to remove them. If you have a loose flagstone patio, then pull any weeds that have grown between the stones.
  • Plants – Water your potted plants and trim any hedges, trees or plants around the patio that are beginning to grow over.
  • Furniture – Clean your patio furniture by dusting it and wiping it down. Any patio furniture cushions should be washed or sent to the dry cleaner.

For more advice about patios in Kansas City, or to update or build a new patio, contact us at Outdoor Environments.

outdoor decks living spaces

All the Comforts of Home – Outside

outdoor decks living spaces

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

“Summertime… and the living is easy,” or so the song so aptly goes. The summer is indeed, a great time to get outside and enjoy the wonderful weather especially if you can bring all the comforts of inside with you. Here are a few suggestions for creating an outside room that has all the comforts of home and making this transition possible: 

  • Use Comfortable Furniture – Face it. Most outdoor furniture is uncomfortable. Break the mold and find some that keeps your backside at ease.
  • Add Colorful Rugs – Richly colored rugs create conversational spaces and add a splash of excitement.
  • Decorate with Aplomb – Anything goes; art, potted plants, lanterns and even gold fish ponds. Treat this outdoor space like a room and decorate it.
  • Create a Focal Point – Build the space around one singular item like a fire pit or objets d’art and you will naturally generate a meeting for family and guests.

If you need more information on outdoor living rooms and kitchens, contact the professionals at Outdoor Environments, Inc. Our designers and staff are experts at expanding the interior comforts of your home into your outdoor spaces.

outdoor design

Maximize the Use of Your Whole Yard With These Yard Corner Solutions

outdoor design

Image via Houzz

On the list of most wanted exterior remodeling ideas is what to do with that unused corner of the backyard. While many people will just throw up a storage shed and plant some bushes around it, a little creativity can turn that corner into a little slice of heaven for you, your family and your guests. Here are just three suggestions:

  • An Outdoor Fireplace – On cool autumn evenings, a fireplace is just the thing to keep the party going. You can even keep the kids occupied with toasted marshmallows and s’mores. 
  • An Intimate Seating Area – Center it on a vintage table, a water feature or an outdoor sculpture. In any event, you will have a conversation starter and great place for your friends to congregate on a warm summer evening, 
  • A Trellis and Garden – Plant lovers never seem to have enough garden space. A trellis solves this problem in three dimensions. Plus, there are a amazing variety of colorful, low maintenance plants that love to climb. 

Whether you choose one of these exterior remodeling ideas or one of your own, don’t let that backyard corner go to waste. For more information, contact the pros at Outdoor Environments.