30 Year Anniversary
Serving the Naperville Community
Serving the Naperville Community
 For your visitors, the driveway is their first impression of your home. If your driveway is taking away from the aesthetic of your home, a few changes to an ordinary asphalt driveway can make dramatic improvements to your front yard and greatly improve your home’s curb appeal. Not only that, but your own experience coming home will improve as well. Here’s how to create a grander entrance with a new driveway in Naperville and Wheaton, IL.
Related: 4 Ways a Paver Driveway Can Greatly Enhance Your Landscape Design in Hinsdale, IL Choose Pavers A paver driveway is inherently more elegant than any other surface. You can choose from classic brick to natural stone-inspired pavers including those that mimic limestone, sandstone, or granite. Or, if your home is modern and you want an eye-catching driveway, there are driveway-rated paver options with unique characteristics such as brushed finishes or oversized plank-style shapes. Add an eco-friendly touch with permeable pavers which feature somewhat larger spaces between pavers to allow surface water to seep into the ground. Combined with a snowmelt system, a permeable paver driveway will be dry - and beautiful - year-round. Add Creative Accents When you’re designing the driveway, the main paver field is the focus but the edges of your paved surface present wonderful opportunities for creativity. Add paver borders to your driveway, an apron at its entrance, or even inlays that proudly display your family’s initials or a custom design. These pavers can have a different color, shape, size, and texture from the main driveway surface. Embrace Curves In both traditional and contemporary landscapes, the use of curves in long driveways can add an elegant feel to the space. The driveway is intended to be a bridge between the outside world and your home. It looks more interesting if it follows the natural curves of the landscape instead of shooting in a straight line to the garage. If your driveway is short, consider more undulating landscaping: instead of a row of hedges along the driveway, for example, a series of small “islands” of flowers; a rock garden; or even curved raised masonry plant beds will add interest as well as an exclusive well-designed look. Use Strategic Plantings To help the front yard feel even more expansive, create a tree-lined alley. This, along with sparse landscaping, creates an incredible sense of elegance. The fewer details you have along the length of your driveway, the more the driveway will emphasize the home. Add a Stone Entry Gate and Wall Nothing makes a driveway feel grand quite like a gate at its entrance. Depending on your home’s aesthetic, your gate can take design cues from stone and steel gates of an English estate or the wood and steel arches of a Texas ranch. A gate will give your visitors the impression of luxury and security when they first enter, letting them feel a sense of awe at the beauty and grandeur of your front yard landscape and home. A low wall that follows the driveway is a beautiful accent that can also serve an important purpose: lighting the way, since landscape lights can be embedded into the masonry. Elegant Lighting Strategies Elegant lighting can be achieved using walkway lights along the length of the driveway and subtle lighting integrated into the landscaping to create a sense of dimension. Just be sure to avoid the motion-activated flood light which will blind your visitors and cast a harsh glare. Related: 6 Modern Paver Options to Consider for a Naperville, IL, Driveway
0 Comments
 The driveway is an important feature of your landscape, but the standard asphalt driveway doesn’t do much for the aesthetics of your home. However, with the right materials it can certainly become a functional focal point. Modern pavers are the way to go, for many reasons. To help you make a decision, let’s take a look at these six modern paver options to consider for a Naperville, IL driveway.
Related: 4 Ways a Paver Driveway Can Greatly Enhance Your Landscape Design in Hinsdale, IL Timeless and Classical For creating a look in your driveway that’s timeless and classical, consider brick pavers. Traditionally, bricks are made of clay fired at high temperatures. This simple, yet effective approach has helped to build countless paved surfaces and structures throughout the world for centuries. Brick is incredibly strong and filled with character. Though clay bricks are typically earthy colors like reds and tans, modern concrete bricks can expand your color options to match any design theme. In fact, brick can be a very chic addition to an ultra modern or contemporary home - it’s not just for historical homes or bungalows. Whatever your design style, brick driveways can create the impression that your newly paved driveway has been around for a long time, giving a familiar and welcoming feel to your home. Elegant and Cozy The driveway is very likely the first part of your home that any of your guests are going to experience. When they see that you’ve paved the driveway with gorgeous cobblestones, they’re going to get a certain feeling that only certain places in the world can provide. Cobblestones have been used for centuries in building roads and paths all over the world and modern concrete versions are also durable, with the added benefit of easier installation (only the surface is irregular; the parts of the pavers that join together are precisely shaped to fit together snugly). You may be wondering if snow plowing is even possible with cobblestone pavers. You don’t have to plow or shovel: all modern pavers are compatible with snowmelt systems that will keep your driveway ice- and snow-free all winter. Rustic and Warm The rustic appeal of flagstone has made it one of the most sought after masonry materials in outdoor living spaces. Natural flagstone is not suitable for driveways because it’s a sedimentary stone that will quickly show signs of wear. However, plenty of concrete alternatives are available that are rated for driveway. Flagstone-inspired modern pavers evoke the same look and feel in a more practical version that you can carry throughout your hardscape. Suave and Modern For homeowners that want to keep a modern design element throughout the landscape, certain unique pavers could fit the bill. For example, hexagonal pavers give your driveway a fresh and fun look while honoring the classic shape of the honeycomb, a nod to hard-working bees. Pavers with a brushed texture - especially alongside pavers with other textures - and longer, linear plank shapes are becoming more common on driveways that are intended to stand out and make a statement. Permeable Pavers All of the above options are available in a permeable version. This eco-friendly option allows surface water to seep through the joints between the pavers without causing any heaving or movement. The look is the same, but you’ll enjoy a high-performing driveway designed to prevent ice buildup, pooling, and runoff. And yes, they can be installed over a driveway heating system for extra convenience. Related: 4 Ways a Paver Driveway Can Greatly Enhance Your Landscape Design in Hinsdale, IL  Great outdoor lighting techniques have the ability to transform even the most mundane landscapes. In fact, no matter what features and amenities your landscape has, it matters very little after dark, without decent outdoor lighting. There are a few key places around your property with which outdoor lighting is essential and others where it can make a huge difference in the overall feel of your landscape. Here are four places to include outdoor lighting to enhance your Naperville, IL property.
Related: Increase the Safety of Your Driveway With These Outdoor Lighting Tips in Naperville, IL The Driveway and Garage Area The old-school technique was to mount a floodlight on the garage, to illuminate part of the driveway and the area in front of the garage. However, a single bright light source above the garage provides strong illumination immediately below the garage, but it can also provide a significant amount of glare that can interrupt the driver’s vision. It’s an unattractive and unappealing way to light the area. Instead, opt for lights that are placed closer to the ground. Walkway lights are a great solution because they illuminate the ground for safety, without causing glare or stark shadows. Placing a sconce on either side of the garage door, with light emanating both directly up and down, will add ambient light but in a much more welcoming way than a floodlight. Walkways and the Entrance Ensuring that the walkways are adequately illuminated will greatly enhance safety. Once again, focus on using walkway lights. Remember that the higher the lights, the bigger chance that objects can interfere and create shadows. Choose walkway lights that are low to the ground to maximize their energy efficiency as well as their effectiveness in lighting your way. Some people choose solar powered walkway lights although keep in mind that snowfall and extended cloudy weather will quickly deplete their batteries, which could leave your walkway very dimly lit or entirely in the dark. We recommend hard-wired lights for the walkway, which won’t fail because of the weather. Outdoor lighting can also be integrated into masonry features such as a retaining wall, or even directly into the walkway surface. Your front entry should be well-lit and welcoming. Again, keep in mind the angle of the light: directly up and directly down is best for light fixtures mounted on either side of the front door. Outdoor Living Spaces On the patio, use a mix of lighting strategies to create ambient light as well as task lighting for your outdoor cooking area. For the perimeter of your patio, you can use walkway lights and overhead task lighting in places such as a covered outdoor kitchen and bar area or pergola. Use masonry surfaces to disguise light fixtures: a fire feature, water feature, outdoor kitchen, pillars, steps, and retaining walls are excellent spots to integrate lighting. Within the Landscape To give your landscape a more dimensional feel, consider placing a few “random” light fixtures such as spotlights or walkway lights in a few spots such as under a shrub or tree, to add dimension and reduce the contrast between the dark landscape and well-lit outdoor living spaces. Add silhouetting and moonlighting techniques to add interest. You’ll notice that most of these lighting strategies don’t use one bright fixture to try to illuminate a space: instead, a multitude of small, dimmer fixtures placed below eye level will create a much more pleasing atmosphere. Related: Creative Outdoor Lighting Solutions for an Active Patio in Hinsdale, IL  A driveway should be a safe place to park, and landscape lighting is essential not only for safety but for ambience and curb appeal as well. In fact, landscape lighting is the best way to increase beauty as well. You can increase the safety of your driveway with these outdoor lighting tips in Naperville, IL.
Related: Creative Outdoor Lighting Solutions for an Active Patio in Hinsdale, IL Avoiding Glare and Shadows With landscape lighting, putting lights overhead can actually do more harm than good. Using single light sources up high creates lots of negative opportunities for obstructions. Glaring lights up high can easily become annoying or dangerous if you’re moving toward them. The distance between the light and the intended target is long and there are plenty of ways where movement in between casts harsh shadows that obscure obstacles. Avoid this glare and shadow risk by placing safety lights low to the ground and angled away from potential eye contact. Low-Lying Lights The most important place to target lights is the ground surface. At night, a driver needs to have full vision of the driveway; and headlights shouldn’t compete with house-mounted lights. You can get amazing results by using low-lying lights that hug the perimeter of the driveway. Since they are much closer to the ground surface and cover a smaller area, they will direct light energy where you need it: on the ground. If you have a paver driveway, low-lying lights will also call attention to the textural details and color of your driveway, letting masonry beauty shine at night. Using Vertical Spaces Another great way to enhance safety on a driveway at night is by illuminating vertical surfaces. This allows for a much greater sense of depth perception around the space, especially when a driveway is confined between obstacles. Spotlights angled upwards along the vertical space of your retaining wall, trees, rock outcroppings, and other large landscape features will create interest, highlight these features, and add to the ambient light around your driveway. By the time your guests reach your house, they will have a good appreciation of the beauty and function of your front yard landscape and driveway. Upgrading to LEDs Modern lighting technology has been expanding rapidly through the evolution of light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. These tiny light fixtures, when grouped together, can create a stunning amount of light from a surprisingly small amount of energy. They can last more than 10 years without replacement and the newer generation is showing even greater promise. This is in contrast to traditional incandescent or halogen lights that can burn out every 6 months or so. Some LEDs can also be programmed to change color and switch on and off according to timers, giving you much better control of the appearance of your front yard landscape and driveway. Creating Ambience Through a Layered Effect When most of your lights are targeted to a specific space - namely, the driveway - they end up creating too much contrast between these well-lit areas and the landscape beyond. Adding some more low-lying lights in various “random” places in the landscape will reduce uncomfortable dark patches and make the area around your driveway feel much more safe and welcoming. Layering means putting most of your light energy where you need it, and then gradually diminishing the number and intensity of light fixtures as you move outward. This creates depth perception as well as a pleasing lighting theme. Related: Extend the Use of Your Patio With Any of These Outdoor Lighting Options in Naperville, IL  The best landscape design always takes the some of the least attractive parts of the landscape and elevates them to the highest standard. Driveways are often forgotten about in landscape design and can be seen as just a path for moving cars from the street to the house. Since the driveway takes up so much space in a landscape, it actually has an integral role in the beauty of the overall landscape. As you plan your landscape renovation, make sure to take this prominent landscape feature into account as a design element. Here are four ways a paver driveway can greatly enhance your landscape design in Hinsdale, IL.
Related: Be Inspired by These Landscaping Trends for an Updated Driveway in Wheaton IL First Impressions Does your home’s driveway reflect its value? Asphalt driveways don’t do anything for the aesthetics of a home; they don’t add to the aesthetics, and when patched, they look ugly and cheap. Concrete driveways can be even worse, evoking the stained look of an oil change shop or a kindergarten playground just waiting to be scribbled on with chalk. Concrete will inevitably crack and crumble, necessitating frequent repairs or replacement. With a driveway made from stained poured concrete or crumbling asphalt, it doesn’t matter what your home looks like or what else is in your front yard. A driveway made from specialized driveway pavers will immediately elevate the look of an entire landscape, sending the message that you have taste and your home is an elegant and well-cared for place. Be sure to use driveway-rated pavers, as they are designed specifically to handle vehicular loads. Pavers intended for pedestrian use are too thin and often too large to support the weight of cars and trucks. Durability A paver driveway will last far longer than asphalt or poured concrete driveways which - because they are solid surfaces - will only last a few years before succumbing to soil movement and the freeze-thaw cycle. Over the lifetime of the driveway, pavers are an incredibly economical choice. Paver driveways are not solid surfaces The individual pavers move slightly, yet are incredibly secure and stable and won’t heave or sink when properly installed. The spaces between them accommodate the movement of soil, preventing damage from the freeze-thaw cycle. While individual pavers may break on the rare occasion, they’re easily replaceable and won’t affect the surrounding pavers. Color Pairing Pavers take inspiration from a variety of materials and they can take on a large range of different shades and colors beyond those that can be found in natural stone. Warm earthy colors such as those present in sandstone-inspired pavers will add reds, browns, and warm tans to your landscape. These colors are particularly resonant with relaxed homes as well as rustic homes and landscapes. Cooler and steely colors such as those present in bluestones and granites will add blues and grays to your landscape. These colors will add a dramatic look to modern and contemporary homes and landscapes, but also offer an excellent pairing with classic brick-sided homes. Environmental Benefit One of the biggest issues of a solid surface driveway (asphalt or poured concrete) is tremendous amounts of water that run off the driveway after a heavy rain, potentially causing damage to the landscape or flooding. Permeable pavers will disperse surface water into the ground due to slightly larger joints between the pavers, the use of pea gravel or other coarse stone, and a special substrate that allows water to absorb slowly into the ground below. Related: 5 Landscape Design Ideas for a Modern Permeable Driveway in Wheaton, IL  Do you see your driveway as a utilitarian feature or a design statement that boots your home’s curb appeal? The good news is that it can be both. If you’re ready for a driveway renovation, let yourself be inspired by these landscaping trends for an updated driveway in Wheaton, IL.
Related: Brighten Up Your Driveway With These 5 Landscape Design Trends in Wheaton, IL Choose Permeable Pavers If you think of pavers as a luxury item, you’re not wrong; but, they are actually surprisingly affordable, especially when you consider the long term. First, permeable pavers are much more beautiful than poured concrete or asphalt. They can mimic the look of natural stone or have their own modern flair. But the real value of permeable pavers is in the superior durability of the driveway. Solid surface driveways will, over time, crack and heave due to natural soil movement. As well, any water that falls on the surface has nowhere to go except your landscaping or the municipal storm drain system (if there is one). By contrast, permeable pavers feature a special substrate and larger joints between the pavers to allow surface water to seep into the ground. This prevents standing water (and ice build-up) on the driveway, and it prevents flooding. The pavers themselves are extremely durable and designed to move very slightly, independent of each other, which means that your driveway will never develop ugly cracks or frost heaves due to the freeze-thaw cycle. If you’re worried about snow plows damaging your pavers, now is the perfect time to install a driveway heating system that will virtually eliminate the hassle of plowing and deicing. This system can also be used under your walkway (and in the backyard, on your paver patio) to make your landscape much safer and more usable any time of year. Pavers really shine when it comes to creativity. They give you so many design choices that will complement your home and landscaping. Choose from a variety of styles, textures, colors, and finishes and make your driveway a key focal point. You could also add decorative borders, a driveway apron, inlays, and built-in LED lighting. Landscape Your Driveway If you decide to go with a driveway heating system, you can move plantings closer to the driveway without fear of damage from snow plows. This lets you turn a featureless space (a swath of driveway cutting through a lawn) into a gorgeous botanical garden-style landscape. And if you utilize native plants, this landscaping strategy will be about as low-maintenance as it gets. Native plants are water-wise, hardy, and take far less maintenance than lawns. More dimensional plantings along the driveway also give you the opportunity for creative landscape lighting that’s set in the greenery for a layered effect. While pavers are a bigger upfront investment than many other driveway surfaces, ultimately the rewards both in terms of beauty, utility, and durability are also greater. Over the long term, when an asphalt or poured concrete driveway has been patched, resurfaced, or completely redone, is when the savings will really add up. If your driveway is long, part of this landscaping strategy could involve a low wall, to add interest. This wall could be along one or both sides of the driveway. It could be a rustic stacked fieldstone wall, or a more substantial mortared wall where you could incorporate landscape lighting to bring soft illumination to the entire length of the driveway. A wall gives your home an estate feel. If your driveway is shorter and you want to add a unique touch, consider a series of large, colorful planters along the driveway that you could fill with seasonal color and holiday decorations. Related: 5 Landscape Design Ideas for a Modern Permeable Driveway in Wheaton, IL  Most homeowners consider the driveway to be purely utilitarian, but it’s actually an opportunity for creative expression. Day or night, you can brighten up your driveway with these 5 landscape design trends in Wheaton, IL and make it not only a functional place to park your vehicles, but an eye-catching focal point that will boost your home’s curb appeal.
Related: Options for Outdoor Lighting to Improve Safety and Beauty Along Your Wheaton, IL, Driveway Pavers Asphalt and poured concrete just don’t have the curb appeal or the durability of pavers. With pavers, you have many design choices that complement your home and landscaping. Your driveway could become an important focal point. With so many style, color, texture, and finish choices you’re sure to find a paver that’s just perfect for your design theme. As well, the driveway surface could be made permeable to allow surface water to seep into the ground instead of running off onto the landscaping after a heavy rain. While pavers are a bigger upfront investment, you’ll get a much more satisfactory return on your investment over the years: when poured concrete and asphalt have begun crumbling and are showing their age, pavers still look great and perform just like they did on the day they were installed. You can express your personality with a paver driveway. Borders, inlays, and decorative features such as contrasting aprons at the end of the driveway ensure that your driveway is completely unique. Worried about snowplows or deicing salts ruining your pavers and landscaping? Pavers are compatible with driveway heating systems, which can almost completely eliminate the need to plow, shovel, or use deicers. Layers Many suburban homes feature a large expanse of lawn and some foundation plantings. As the driveway typically goes through the lawn area, it’s a relatively featureless space. Make it more interesting with a layered effect. Instead of landscaping the entire length of the driveway, you could create a series of “planting pockets” that contain a variety of trees, shrubs, and other plants. Be sure to consider the mature size of the plants you choose along your driveway, so plants don’t impede traffic once they’re fully grown. This adds dimension and interest to your driveway. A few landscape lights could be “randomly” positioned throughout these planting pockets to add dimension and depth to the landscape at night. A Retaining Wall Even on a perfectly flat property, a low wall along the driveway adds a touch of elegance. It’s also an opportunity to house solar-powered or hard-wired LED light fixtures to bring soft illumination to the entire driveway, not just the space at the garage. A Series of Pots Place large containers that are easy to see along the length of the driveway. Fill them with colorful seasonal flowers in summer and a variety of holiday decorations later in the year. You can even place solar light fixtures into each container to add ambient light and interest. Consider Overflow Parking If you entertain frequently and don’t want your guests to park on the street, consider overflow parking along the driveway on one side. This area could range from a section of lawn, a gravel area, or you could opt for a wider paver driveway large enough to house several additional vehicles. Add Symmetry If your home and landscape are formal, you could consider and elegant symmetrical landscape design along the driveway such as a matching pair of entry pillars with welcoming lights. Related: Light Up Your Driveway with These Outdoor Lighting Ideas in Naperville, IL  The driveway is rarely seen as a key design element in the landscape. Often, the driveway is treated as just a place to park your car. However, it can potentially be so much more dynamic with the addition of some intelligent lighting strategies. First and foremost, your driveway needs to be safe. From there, you want to take a layered approach that will help showcase the true beauty of the surrounding landscape at night. During your landscape renovation, make sure to light up your driveway with these outdoor lighting ideas in Naperville, IL.
Related: Options for Outdoor Lighting to Improve Safety and Beauty Along Your Wheaton, IL, Driveway Choose LEDs Whichever lighting strategy you adopt, be sure to choose light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are at the forefront of lighting technology and will have some wonderful benefits for your driveway and overall landscape. These powerful lights use far less energy than their traditional light bulb counterparts. They’ll also require significantly fewer replacements over time and fit in tight spaces. Choose Layered Lighting Instead of an old-school single light source (such as a garage-mounted flood light), choosing multiple lighting strategies will yield the most attractive and practical result. Avoid flood lights because they deliver a bright, garish light that can be blinding; and by contrast, the surrounding landscape will appear pitch black and unwelcoming. While the immediate area will be extremely well lit, a single light source will inevitably create harsh shadows that can block tripping hazards. Instead of focusing on the driveway, you can place a few solar powered path lights randomly throughout the landscape. These lights will help create a visual texture that will give dimension to the landscape. It will also improve the safety and security of your landscape by eliminating dark spots. An Array of Path Lights Path lights are well loved by landscapers and homeowners alike as excellent sources of attractive and welcoming driveway illumination. These lights are situated low to the ground, which focuses their energy much more efficiently. This approach can reduce the need for bright high-wattage light bulbs. It also eliminates the possibility of blinding someone as they walk or drive. Path lights can be either hooked up to the electrical grid using underground wires, or you can opt for solar-powered path lights which will charge during the daytime and stay on all night. This fantastic lighting arrangement will take some of your driveway lighting needs off the grid, reducing both impact on the environment and your electric bills. Integrated Lighting Now used in many streets and highways across the world, integrated lighting is a great way to make your driveway a safer place to drive without disturbing your surrounding landscape. With this strategy, small light fixtures are installed within the driveway surface, protecting the light fixtures from snow plows. Integrated lighting will eliminate these challenges in different seasons. When combined with a driveway heating system, your driveway will always be snow- and ice-free, and well-lit for safety. Using Trees Lighting your driveway from above - from a single tree or multiple trees that line the driveway - can give the illusion of moonlight filtering through the canopy. Embedded Lighting If your driveway features a retaining wall or masonry garden wall along its length (or even at the parking area) this is a great opportunity to install landscape lights right into the masonry itself, for a luxe and a clutter-free look. Related: Why Adequate Outdoor Lighting for Your Naperville IL Driveway and Front Yard Is So Important Options for Outdoor Lighting to Improve Safety and Beauty Along Your Wheaton, IL, Driveway8/13/2021  Keeping your landscape illuminated is one of the many ways of keeping your home safe. Driveway lighting is one of the best ways to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere. However, this doesn’t mean that you need glaring floodlights. Your driveway can also be illuminated at night to showcase the beauty of the home, the front yard, as well as the driveway itself. Here are some options for outdoor lighting to improve safety and beauty along your Wheaton, IL driveway.
Related: Why Adequate Outdoor Lighting for Your Naperville IL Driveway and Front Yard Is So Important Abandon the Floodlight One of the most common styles of landscape lighting actually does more harm than good. Floodlighting using a single bright light source will do a poor job of covering an area while using a high amount of energy to do it. It will produce a harsh glare - the last thing you want to be looking at when navigating an unfamiliar driveway. Flood lights also produce contrasting shadows that can obscure obstacles in the driveway. Here are some great alternatives. Solar-Powered LED Path Lights Placing solar-powered LED path lights along the driveway provides safety as well as a clear delineation of the driveway. Low-lying lights won’t produce glare since their light is aimed at the ground. The downside to path lights is that very low lights could be obscured by snow; so knee-high lights will be more practical in all but the deepest snows. When choosing the right path lights, you can go off the grid. Choose light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as your main light source in standalone light fixtures that are powered by the sun during the day, and activate as night falls. This will eliminate energy costs for keeping your driveway illuminated while also adding an elegant touch. Masonry-embedded Lights If you have any existing structures such as a retaining wall along the driveway edge, this will provide a wonderful housing for your solar-powered LED light fixtures. You can place a series of lights just under the lip of the cap stone on an existing wall - or if you’re thinking about a new wall, you could build them anywhere into the wall itself during construction. Another option is to install lights embedded into masonry pillars that run the length of the driveway; the pillars could also serve as posts for a decorative fence. Spotlighting Landscape Features Part of creating a sense of depth perception for safe driving up and down your driveway at night is by illuminating various landscape features. You can achieve this with the technique of spotlighting, which uses bright lights near the ground that are angled upwards to show something in its full glory. This may be a gorgeous tree that dominates your front yard, a series of shrubs, a beautiful rock outcropping, or maybe even a statue or a retaining wall. Giving these features proper illumination at night will help create a much safer and interesting experience for visitors. Leading With String Lights String lights are typically used to create a festive atmosphere for backyard gatherings, but they may find another excellent use for your driveway. String lights can be placed above the driveway along the edge, both giving excellent, soft ambient light for the surrounding features as well as helping a driver or pedestrians find their way. It’s an excellent welcoming tactic that’s simple to install though you’ll want professionals to install string lights from your home or in tree canopies. Best of all, there is a wide variety of string light designs and styles to use in your landscape that conform with all parts of your aesthetic. Once your guests arrive at night, they’ll already be in awe by the time they reach your doorstep. Related: Outdoor Lighting Trends to Consider for a Naperville, IL, Brick Patio  Your landscape is the outdoor expression of you and your family and it should be celebrated in its natural and augmented states. Letting the nature of your landscape flourish is important as well as making a place that’s your private oasis in the world. To both add some life and color to your landscape while making it entirely yours, there are some concepts to consider. You can brighten up your landscaping with these five landscape design ideas in Wheaton, IL. Related: Take a Fresh Look at Your Patio Options With These 4 Landscaping Ideas in Wheaton, IL Adding Native Shrubs and Flowers Keeping plants alive and healthy doesn’t need to be tedious and expensive. There is a wide variety of plants native to Illinois that will bring vivacious color to your landscape along with the undeniable delights of low maintenance and minimal watering. Native plants have evolved over millennia to live perfectly in your landscape. Whether you enjoy a riot of color or a serene monochromatic planting theme, there are native plants ideally suited to the task of ensuring year-round bright colors in your landscape. Diversified Lighting Strategies Without proper night lighting, even the most gorgeous landscape turns to a dark and dangerous nightmare after night falls. Using one or two spot lights to illuminate your landscape won’t do the job. A mix of different strategies is the most effective. Use light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures close to the ground along walkways and patios to make sure the ground surfaces are safe. Use spotlights and moonlighting to add texture to trees and other landscape features. Use the refractory properties of water to your advantage by lighting your pool and any other water features. Add string lighting above your patio to make things feel a little bit more exciting. Soon, your landscape will have nighttime depth and will attract friends and family whenever they visit. Xeriscape Unused Sections Lawns are a treasured part of the American home, but they don’t need to cover every square inch of a landscape. Lawns use a considerable amount of water and unless your lawn is host to daily play by kids and the family dog, you could consider replacing some portion of your lawn with xeriscaping, which is an environmentally-friendly decision that adds multiple benefits to your landscape. Xeriscaping means using water-wise plants (not cacti!) surrounded by a bed of decorative stone (not mulch) to decrease your landscape’s water usage, help return snow and rain runoff to the soil, and create a visually stunning landscape. Switch to Light-Colored Pavers Using pavers on your patio, pool deck, walkways, and driveway will create a visually interesting landscape. Pavers can complement any design aesthetic, whether you prefer the clean lines and minimalist approach of modern design, or the warm tones, irregular textures and relaxed look of rustic spaces. Light-colored pavers will reflect more sunlight, making for a brighter space. This could be a good option if your landscape is heavily treed and shady. Encourage Outdoor Living Part of spending time outdoors in your landscape is being comfortable. A bright, cheerful space starts with a patio that comfortably houses all of the activities you want to enjoy outside. Bringing some of the trappings of modern life outside may simply be the key to helping you enjoy your landscape. Consider an outdoor kitchen to cook and enjoy delicious feasts al fresco, making great memories with family and friends. Related: Inviting Landscape Design Elements to Add to Your Front Yard Landscaping in Hinsdale, IL |
Categories
All
Archives
June 2022
|
RSS Feed
