Find out how to define outdoor living areas and discuss the many benefits of installing one alongside your home. Learn the variety of ways hardscaping can enhance your home or business, such as incorporating outdoor kitchens into your living space and more. At Aspen Landscapes, our team of professional landscapers knows how to design and build the perfect outdoor living spaces for any home, on your budget and with your needs at the center.
What Is An Outdoor Living Area?
Outdoor living areas can take a variety of different forms, depending on what you are most interested in as a home or business owner. These spaces can be as simple as a large stone patio or be more complex with details such as fireplaces and kitchens. They can feel like a space separated from the rest of your home as a sort of haven, or they can be made to feel like an extension of your home, another room, just without walls.
What is Hardscaping?
After discussing what an outdoor living area looks like, it is important to explain the broader term associated with it: hardscaping. Hardscaping is one of many services offered by expert landscaping companies like Aspen Landscapes.
There are two primary elements to landscaping: softscapes and hardscapes. Softscapes contain the more traditional elements of landscaping, such as shrubs, grass, and other natural elements. Hardscaping, on the other hand, is mostly manmade materials meant to help provide structure to your landscaping areas. It can take many forms, such as garden pathways, retaining walls, driveways, and even swimming pools. They are meant to be structured areas around which you can build your softscaping.
An outdoor living area is another excellent example of hardscaping, one that can be incredibly versatile and curated entirely to your desires as the homeowner. Some of these living areas can be home to couches and entertainment centers, while others can have full outdoor kitchens. Talk to your hardscaping designer at Aspen to create the outdoor living space of your dreams.
Benefits of Outdoor Living Spaces
Why are outdoor living areas so worthwhile and beneficial for your home? Here are just a few reasons why it might be in your best interest to invest in outdoor living design with Aspen:
More Entertainment Space
Even with a large home, it’s easy for a space to become overcrowded. Opening up the doors to your new stone patio and outdoor living area can be incredibly helpful in making your space feel bigger and easier to host. Especially with an outdoor kitchen, you don’t have to worry about everyone being stuck inside!
Health Benefits
There are many proven benefits to spending time outdoors. With an outdoor living area, you can spend plenty more time in the fresh air, whether it be hosting your friends, having dinner, or just enjoying your free time in the sun.
Increase Home Value
A beautifully crafted outdoor living space can significantly increase the value of your home, especially if it includes larger, more luxurious details like a fireplace or a full kitchen.
Outdoor Kitchens
An outdoor kitchen can be an incredible asset in terms of increasing your home’s value and hosting celebrations or simply enjoying the warm weather. But how does an indoor kitchen actually work, and what can these features look like?
An outdoor kitchen can include a number of different elements, but typically, you are likely to see a grill and pizza oven included in the mix. However, the grill included in an outdoor kitchen is not just any grill you can purchase from a home improvement store; instead, the grill is built into the hardscaping itself, so you don’t have to worry about finding extra space for a large appliance.
Depending on the amount of space you want for your kitchen, you could add countertops and perhaps even other electrical appliances. Depending on the weather in your area, especially in the midwest, it is important to anticipate what rougher weather, like rain and snow, might do in your area, so always chat with your hardscaping team to get the best care for your outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor Living Design Inspiration
Outdoor living areas can take on a wide variety of appearances. There are no limits to what you can achieve in a hardscaping area, especially when you collaborate with an expert designer like those on our team at Aspen Landscapes. You can always take a look at our gallery of previous projects to get inspired for your own outdoor living area, but if you need additional ideas, here are a few of our favorite design concepts:
Firepits
Consider adding a large stone firepit to your outdoor living area for an excellent source of heat in the evenings and to serve as a comfortable space for communal gatherings.
Roofs and Overhead Coverings
To even further enjoy your outdoor living space, you might consider adding an overhang or small gazebo-style canopy or rooftop. With an overhead covering, you can enjoy the shade in the summer months or even still enjoy the fresh air when it starts to rain.
Swimming Pools
Construct your outdoor living space around your swimming pool to create a cohesive and breath-taking back patio.
Work with Aspen Landscapes
At Aspen Landscapes, our team of expert landscapers has all the tools to help you design and build the perfect outdoor living spaces for any home. Ask our designers for advice on outdoor patios, kitchens, fireplaces, and more.
We also go beyond just outdoor living areas, specializing in softscaping, fertilization, and other landscaping techniques to help make your greenery flourish. No matter what type of landscaping help you need, we have the right tools for the job. Whether you are building your own patio or just need some maintenance or upkeep for your current build, contact our team at Aspen Landscapes today at info@aspenlandscapesinc.com or 847-201-1980.
