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![]() Landscape lighting is one of the most effective and perhaps one of the least invasive ways to upgrade and add a luxurious touch to your Hinsdale, IL, home. When the sun goes down, your beautiful flower beds, gardens, and the architecture of your home will continue to be on display with dramatic, expertly installed outdoor lighting. If you’ve been looking for some bright ideas on how to use exterior illumination to update your home, add curb appeal and create more usable spaces, read on for some of our top tips. Related: 4 Aesthetic Themes to Consider for Your Landscaping in Naperville, IL Lit Up Front Entrance Your front entrance is an excellent area to focus on when it comes to adding exterior illumination to your landscape. If you love the look of your front door, steps and the features of the entry to your home in the daytime, then don’t hide these features when the sun goes down. Not only will illumination add beauty to your entryway, but it can serve as a security/safety feature as well by deterring intruders and helping you to enter your home with ease. Illuminated Walkways Light the way when guests arrive after dark with artful, thoughtfully installed illuminated walkways. Soft LED lights can provide just the right amount of low-level lighting to offer safety and ambience that looks great up close and from a distance. Walkway lighting also offers a great way to highlight plantings and show off your walkway pavers when the sun goes down. Plus, this type of outdoor lighting can feature buried wiring and integrated lights for a safer way to see compared to some other types of walkway lighting. Landscape Highlights Do you have a prized plant, favorite flower bed or a dramatic tree that you would like to put a spotlight on? One of the easiest ways to add drama and curb appeal to your home is with exterior illumination. Highlight your favorite flowers and greenery with expertly placed outdoor lighting and make the most of your garden’s beauty even at night. Architectural Accents Balconies, columns, flower boxes, and sconces are just a few of the beautiful architectural accents that get lost after dark. Your landscape contractor can point out areas of interest on your home, such as detailed gables, fixtures, garage doors and more that could benefit from exterior illumination. Examine the front of your home and ask yourself which architectural features you love the most, and see if your landscaper can help to bring them out with the use of exterior lighting. Backyard Lighting Enjoy outdoor living any time of day when you have backyard illumination installed. Dining on your patio, cooking at your outdoor kitchen and spending time outdoors are activities that become all the more comfortable and secure when you can see after dark. Ask your landscaper about what kind of outdoor lighting would provide the perfect blend of ambience and utility. Exterior illumination can be an essential element of every homeowners landscape design plan. Whether you want to add curb appeal, safety features or simply beautify the look of your home, exterior illumination is sure to add a luxurious feel you will enjoy for years to come. Related: 5 Landscape Design Inspirations for Your Wheaton, IL, Outdoor Patio
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![]() One of the first things that people may notice when going by your Wheaton, IL, home is its curb appeal, or perhaps the lack thereof. An outdated or tired driveway can take away from the look of an otherwise beautiful home, robbing the facade of that “wow” factor we all crave for our investments and belongings. Sometimes a driveway can even hinder the overall beauty of a front yard simply from its shape, placement, and design alone. If you have been thinking of updating your driveway, read on, and we will share some excellent tips and ideas with you on what goes into installing a driveway that complements your home instead of taking away from it. Related: Why Choose Pavers over Asphalt for Your Naperville, IL, Driveway Materials Matter Brick pavers create a gorgeous driveway finish that is beyond compare. Depending on the style you’re looking for, each paver provides beauty and longevity benefits that can make their installation alone worthwhile. Choose among colors that complement your home, and textures that give you something to admire as you exit your vehicle every day. If you have masonry on the facade of your home, look for pavers to complement that stonework so you can create a cohesive aesthetic. When matching brick driveway pavers to the motif of your home, you will want to be sure to choose a shade that is slightly lighter than your home to avoid being too matchy. Also, do not forget to ask about adding contrasting borders and decorative designs to help visually break up large paved areas. Placement Is Important Does your current driveway feel like it is overwhelming the look of your front yard? Some changes to the front of your house could change that effect, or you could consider whether you need an entirely new treatment for where your car goes. Beautiful pavers could transform the look of your current poured concrete driveway, for instance, and a curved design could be the answer as it would create enhanced visual interest. Consider the Shape and Size Are there a lot of drivers in your home? Circular driveways can help solve your current parking limitations and can create a beautiful accent to the front of your home as well. This type of driveway is a great option for short or smaller front yards, and when installed in conjunction with creative landscaping and plantings, can actually be a beautiful upgrade. A curved driveway can help to visually soft and break up lines of home that otherwise seem boxy and straight, creating a much needed variation of style. Large homes and large yards typically call for a large driveway to match to help keep everything to scale. If you have a multi-car garage, or extended length driveway, then you will likely need to go big when it comes to updating your home. Turn to the portfolio pictures of your landscape contractor to look over driveway pictures and see which ones catch your eye. This exercise can lead to fruitful conversations about the type of driveway that will look best next to your house. Your driveway is an extension of the curb appeal of your home, so you do not want this major detail go unattended. Ask your landscape designers what ideas they have for creating a driveway that would best complement your Wheaton, IL, home. Related: Incorporating a Brick Patio in Your Modern Wheaton, IL, Backyard ![]() Perhaps you have the interior design of your Naperville, IL, home all figured out, and all the rooms and details perfectly reflect your unique style. But what about the exterior of your home? Your landscaping could similarly reflect your tastes and personality just as much as the inside does. If you have been wanting to find some ways to use your outdoor space in such a way that it better reflects your tastes, check out these four aesthetic themes that are sure to make your landscaping shine. Related: 4 Questions to Ask When Deciding If a Brick Patio Is Right for Your Naperville, IL Home Rustic Retreat Do you and your family fully enjoy the great outdoors and all that it has to offer? A rustic outdoor retreat may be just what you are seeking. Consider using materials like concrete pavers that look just like natural stone and a gorgeous large outdoor fireplace, to create a casual outdoor living setting. The look can be further achieved with the addition of lodge-style patio furniture, strategically placed evergreens, and integrated masonry seating alongside your fire feature. The priority with this aesthetic is comfort as well as casualness. Everyone is welcome, and everyone will want to hang out in this special area of your property. Vintage Estate If you lean toward an antique aesthetic in your home, you could carry that look to the exterior of your house as well. Your hardscape contractors can help you to achieve a vintage vibe with traditional materials like brick and landscape lighting installed with classic fixtures. Wrought-iron patio furniture can help to drive home the look, too. For example, you could ask your landscaper about the feasibility of creating a separate paved seating space with a bistro table near your favorite planted flowers and shrubs for the perfect place to take your tea. Modern Manor Clean lines, neutral colors, and functional comfort are at the heart of the modern style. Paved walkways and patios in crisp stone pavers can help to give your backyard the sophisticated, upscale look and feel befitting of a modern homeowner. Perfectly planted and well-maintained flower beds and gardens are also a must for the modern “manor” to help bring nature into the overall look and feel of your home. Ask your landscape professionals what upgrades they would suggest to help you visually bring your home into the 21st century. Urban Elite Slick, stylish, and ahead of the game, an urban elite aesthetic could focus on setting the trend of the neighborhood with cool visual effects. Minimalist landscaping and perfectly pruned greenery can help to set the scene for this exterior style, as will artistic and modern lighting, fixtures, and patio furniture. You can also create a big impact by adding a fire feature with an updated twist to your outdoor living space. Ask your landscape contractor what materials and silhouettes they would suggest to help you add an illuminated outdoor touch with a sleek and sophisticated feel. Every homeowner has a unique take on design, and your outdoor relaxation spaces should reflect your style to the fullest if that’s what you prefer. Whether you are looking for a landscape motif that is traditional, rustic, or modern, choosing the right materials and inspiration are the key elements of creating a look you will love and that those around you will admire. Related: 5 Landscape Design Inspirations for Your Wheaton, IL, Outdoor Patio |
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