outdoor living trends Archives - Creekstone Outdoors

27 Jul

Relaxing Backyard Ideas For a Tranquil Space

Whether you have a small backyard or a spacious sprawling one, your backyard is meant to be a retreat from the hustle and bustle of every day. It is easy to make your backyard the perfect place to unwind, relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. Choosing the right outdoor elements can provide ambiance and privacy to transform your backyard into a tranquil oasis. Share on X

Relaxing Backyard Ideas

Start spending more time relaxing in your own private paradise with these six proven ways of creating a peaceful backyard:

1) Comfortable Seating

Getting comfortable seating is the first step in creating a relaxing backyard space. Couches, loungers, and oversized chairs set up under your covered patio or deck gives you a place to let you stretch out, relax and enjoy the fresh air. The more comfortable the seating, the more likely you are to spend time relaxing in your outdoor room.

2) Add a Spark for Tranquility

Fire always adds a relaxing ambiance to anyone’s yard. Having an outdoor fireplace or fire pit is sure to add warmth to your yard, making it a perfect place to sit and get comfy with your loved ones.

3) Just Add Water

A water feature in your yard instantly adds enjoyment to your outdoor living space. The sound of water has been found to have a soothing and calming effect on people. Consider adding a waterfall, bubblers, koi pond, or water fountain to your backyard to help shield your yard from the sounds of cars driving by or those noisy neighbors.

4) A landscape for an Escape

The right backyard landscaping will help set a mood in your backyard and help transport you to a relaxing oasis. Choose plants natural to your area that will thrive and grow with ease. Make sure to have a mix of trees, shrubs, and flowers that are adapted to your climate.

5) Secret Spaces

An integral part of creating a relaxing backyard is to have areas of privacy. A path to a secluded part of the yard with carefully placed plants or an arbor can prove the perfect place to relax with a book or a glass of wine on the weekends.

6) Mood Lighting

Outdoor lighting can set the mood and keep you relaxing in your backyard through the night hours. Lighting can be added through candles, floating pool globes, landscape lighting, or overhead lighting in your pergola or arbor.

Setting the Mood

With the above relaxing backyard ideas, you don’t have to travel far to find the perfect place to relax–just go outside. Create your own sanctuary by adding a few features like water, fire, and comfortable seating, to create the perfect place to sit, relax, and unwind.
To learn more ideas for creating a relaxing backyard, Contact Us.

13 Jul

Covered Patio Designs For An Impressive Backyard

Your backyard is a large part of your home and it should be enjoyed just as much as your indoor space. Enhance your backyard living space with style and functionality with a custom covered patio design. A covered patio provides shade, beauty, and function to your backyard design. Share on X

Covered Patio Designs

There are so many options for creating a backyard with a covered patio. Whether you use your patio for entertaining, relaxing, or cooking dinner, you can create the ideal ambiance with these top tips for getting your covered patio design to help create an impressive backyard.

All About Style

When it comes to creating a stylish and impressive backyard with a covered patio, it’s all about style! Consider the following various styles and choose one depending on your covered patio needs and the character you are hoping to achieve in your outdoor living space.

Tuscan–with warm colors, natural stones, and bold flowers and vines.
Old World–Cast iron, stones, and rustic furniture create the perfect Old World look.
Zen–Create the perfect place of solace and relaxation with simple lines and designs, and elements of earth, fire, and water.
Modern–Use bright colors, bold prints, and simple lines to create a modern covered patio space.

Covered Patio with Fireplace

A covered patio with an outdoor fireplace is a quick way to make your backyard more impressive. Adding a fireplace to your covered patio area is the perfect way to make your patio feel more private and inviting, and creates the perfect place to sit, relax, and converse with friends and loved ones.

The Perfect Pergola

If you are looking to keep your patio more open and airy, a pergola is a perfect option. A pergola will offer the shade and privacy you are looking for, and also add charm and character to your backyard. A pergola costs less than a patio cover and there are many different styles, colors, and materials to choose from.

Covered Patio with Kitchen

If you love entertaining or grilling outside, a covered patio with an outdoor kitchen will certainly make for an impressive backyard! A covered patio with an outdoor kitchen is certain to become the center point of your outside space. A customized outdoor kitchen allows you to make a one-of-a-kind place for entertaining and spending quality time with your family and friends.

A Sunny Room for Sitting

Go a step further and make your patio into a sunroom! A sunroom is typically fully enclosed, protecting you from the elements, but allowing natural sunlight into your home. A sunroom is functional and can be used as a family living room, reading lounge, an extra dining area, or even a sunny office space.

Create an Impressive Backyard with Covered Patio Designs

A well-designed patio cover can turn your outdoor living space into an impressive space that will be the envy of all your friends. Not only does a covered patio design help provide more living space, it lets you use your outside space during any type of weather, and it also boosts home value, too!

To learn more about how to create an impressive backyard with covered patio designs, Contact Us.

15 Jun

The Advantages of Indoor – Outdoor Living

Your home isn’t only what is within the walls of your house–it also includes your yard, too. According to a 2017 consumer survey, homebuyers are craving outdoor, green spaces. Over 56% people surveyed said they would forgo a larger home if it did not have the outdoor living area they desired. #OutdoorLiving is more popular than ever, adding usable space to your own backyard. Share on X

Blend Your Indoor – Outdoor Living Spaces

There are numerous reasons to create a blended outdoor and indoor living space. Here are just a few of the advantages of merging your indoor and outdoor living space.

Seamless Transition

A home with a seamless transition between the indoor and outside living area is the hottest trend, and it won’t be going anywhere soon. Open spaces with glimpses of nature appeal to all ages and makes a home feel comfortable and relaxed. It allows natural light to spill in and can be accomplished through sliding glass doors, the continuation of flooring, and also of the color scheme.

Easier Entertaining

One of the top reasons to combine your inside and outdoor living spaces is for ease and accessibility. Things like an outdoor kitchen, dining area with tables and chairs, and a comfortable lounge area make entertaining simple and enjoyable. Friends and family won’t be running in and out of the house because everything is right where you need it.

Expand Your Living Space

By bringing indoor functions outside, your outdoor space feels like an extension of your home. This can easily be done by adding a patio cover or pergola to give you a shaded spot to sit and relax. Adding to your outdoor space gives you more places to do work, entertain, or just relax after a long day.

Nature’s Health Benefits

There has been a plethora of research to prove that spending time in and around nature has benefits. Views of plants, water, and greenery have been found to boost positive feelings, reduce stress, and actually reduce healing times for people who are ill. These benefits are just one of the many reasons to create an indoor/outdoor oasis at your home.

Higher Home Value

As mentioned above, everyone is looking for a home that brings the indoors out and seamlessly transitions between the two. With that new outdoor kitchen, an outdoor living room and the ability to expand your living space by combining the two, your home value is certain to go up.

Benefits of Indoor/Outdoor Living

By taking your indoor rooms outside and opening up the inside with touches and glimpses from your backyard, you can take advantage of all the benefits indoor/outdoor living offers.

To learn more about the advantages of creating a seamless transition between your indoor and outdoor living spaces, Contact Us.

11 May

7 Outdoor Entertaining Areas to Maximize Your Space

Springtime means beautiful weather and opportunities to spend time outside. More and more people are utilizing their outdoor space for entertaining family and friends. No matter what the size of your outdoor living space, there are plenty of ways to maximize your space to create entertaining areas that you and your guests will never want to leave.The purpose of outdoor entertaining is to provide a memorable experience for your guests, in a beautiful setting. Share on X

Outdoor Entertainment Areas

No matter what size your backyard, there are plenty of ways to maximize your space so you can entertain and enjoy al fresco dinners, nights around a fire pit, or relaxing on a comfy lounge chair. Here are seven ways to use the space you have to create the backyard oasis and entertainment-friendly space you’ve always dreamed of.

1) Clean it Up

Before planning and creating your outdoor entertainment areas, you must clean up the existing area. This lets you assess what you have to work with and figure out your next steps. Scour the patio, trim trees and clean your landscaping, and give your yard a good, overall clean-up. This alone will improve the look of your yard and possibly give you inspiration of how you can better use the space you have.

2) Evaluate Your Patio

A patio can be a good foundation for your outdoor entertainment area. Adding a patio cover offers shade on hot sunny days and is the perfect place to set up a comfortable sitting or dining area. There is plenty of patio furniture available–at all price points, and you can pick something out that fits with your size and style patio. And, don’t forget to look at your patio flooring. Consider concrete repair if your patio is cracked from years of neglect, or even replacing the concrete with paver stones, which instantly give your patio an updated and improved look.

3) Create an Outdoor Living Room

Bring those cozy chairs and couches out of the house and into your outdoor space. Your newly covered patio or a cabana is the perfect place to relax after a long day at work, or for everyone to lounge after an amazing al fresco dinner. Make sure to add cushions and pillows to your outdoor furniture for instant style and a more inviting look. If you are short on space, make sure to stay away from oversized furniture.

4) Get Cooking in an Outdoor Kitchen

An outdoor dining area or outdoor kitchen can create a charming spot for dining al fresco and entertaining loved ones. An outdoor kitchen helps cut back on endless trips inside with its ample storage solutions. WIth a custom outdoor kitchen, you can include a credenza or seating area available for people to sit on and converse while the cooking is happening.

5) Sit Around the Fire

A fire pit or outdoor fireplace doesn’t take up much space and adds charm, character, and a perfect space for entertaining to any space. Placing seats around the fire allows guests to have a place to relax and unwind, and enjoy your backyard all year round. There are free-standing and built-in options to choose from, depending on the size of your outdoor space.

6) Relax Under the Pergola

If you don’t have a patio, or if you want an additional entertaining area, consider a pergola or arbor. These simple structures keep you safe from the weather, offer shade from the heat and sun, and are a perfect way to add an outdoor room and maximize your outside space. Pergolas and arbors are also the perfect way to add greenery to your landscaping. Flowering vines love to grow up along the beams, adding a lovely splash of color to your entertainment area.

7) Secret Pathways and Gardens

Follow the path to your secret garden getaway. Everyone loves hidden treasures, and that is exactly what this secret little space will provide you and your guests. It doesn’t have to be a large area at all! Just two small chairs and a little coffee or side table will be enough to create a nice relaxation space for quiet conversation or afternoon book reading.

Maximize Your Outdoor Space for Entertaining

No matter what size yard you have, there are ways to maximize your space so you, too, can enjoy entertaining friends and family throughout the year. By evaluating your space, then adding in a few key components like an outdoor living room, kitchen, or fire pit, you will be enjoying your outside space and planning your next outdoor dinner party!

To learn more about how you can maximize your yard for outdoor entertainment areas, Contact Us.

04 May

Design Ideas for a Gorgeous Al Fresco Dining Experience

One of the biggest trends this year is outdoor dining or dining al fresco. Italians have long practiced al fresco dining, and you can recreate the experience by hosting an enchanting evening with friends and loved ones. Whether dining with your family or throwing a summer get-together, dining outside in the open air is the best place to be.
Al fresco is an Italian term which means: In the cool air. Share on X

Al Fresco Dining Done Right

Creating the perfect al fresco dining experience is simple to do. Here are some design ideas that will ensure everyone at your dinner leaves happy and full and looking forward to your next al fresco dining occasion.

Just Add Shade

No one wants to dine outside with the sun blaring into their eyes. Make sure to provide shade for your guests! Pergolas and arbors are an ideal way to add shade to your outdoor dining experience. Custom pergolas and arbors add character to your al fresco experience, and they offer the perfect place to grow some eye-catching vines.

Outdoor Kitchen

Having an outdoor kitchen makes dining alfresco easy, saving time and effort. When you eat outside, you don’t want to continuously run inside to get items and supplies, a custom outdoor kitchen has ample storage, allowing you to have everything at hand!

Add a Spark

Create the perfect mood after the sun goes down with an outdoor fireplace or a wood burning fire pit for your al fresco dining experience. Everyone loves sitting around an outdoor fire, in fact, senior editor of Southern Living stated fires are “natural gathering spots that pull people in and extend the amount of time you can be outside.”

Turn on the Lights

Outdoor patio lights can instantly transform your backyard and alfresco dining experience. There are many light choices available these days, including string lights, solar lights, as well as other outdoor lighting fixture options. Not only can you add lighting to your patio area, but landscape lighting is another way to add ambiance to your al fresco dinner party.

Comfortable Seating

It is important to have plenty of outdoor seating for your guests. Not only will they need a place to sit while enjoying the delicious meal, but also a more comfortable place to lounge afterward (like around the fire pit). Make sure to add cushions or pillows to make your dining experience more stylish.

Edible Landscaping

What is better than picking and cooking fresh herbs and veggies from your very own backyard? Raised beds or containers can be used to grow fresh edibles and add color and greenery to your backyard oasis. By doing this, you can recreate the farm to table experience in your own backyard!

An Unforgettable Al Fresco Experience

By recreating some of these design ideas, your next al fresco dining experience is sure to be unforgettable. With a fire pit, comfortable seating, an outdoor kitchen and some lighting for ambiance, you will be ready to dine outside all year round!

To learn how you can add these designs to your backyard and have amazing al fresco dining experiences at your own home, Contact Us.

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