3 Masonry Features for Creating a More Modern, More Natural Looking Landscape Design in the Branchville, NJ, Area
This year, perhaps more than any other, has brought a new appreciation of outdoor spaces as places to unplug and heal from the stresses of life. Having the right landscape design in the Branchville, NJ, area can help to make social distancing more tolerable when necessary, and being outside with nature simply makes everything better. To inspire your next project, here are three features that incorporate masonry to create a more modern, more natural looking landscape design.
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A Patio That Connects with Nature
There’s a certain appeal to a rustic patio that merges with the natural surroundings—imagine a patio made of natural stone that has been crafted to feature irregular edges in order to provide a visually seamless transition with the rest of the landscape. Another option is a smooth-edged walkway leading to a patio with large stone elements, to create a wholly modern, clean appearance in your backyard. Choosing natural stone that complements the tones of your other landscape elements will help the patio blend in even more.
At the outer edges of your patio, the transition to the natural landscape could be achieved by deliberate placement of a few boulders that appear to nudge their way into the patio space.
A Modern Fire Pit
Add a fire pit or outdoor fireplace to your must-have list to bring creature comforts to your patio. To achieve a modern yet natural look with your new fire pit, you could opt for chunky cut stone that echoes the shapes and tones of the stone used for your patio. A square fire pit could add a more contemporary touch that introduces sophistication to the classic round “campfire” style of fire pit.
To establish modern flair in the area around the fire pit, you could opt for a style that keeps the focus on the best features of the landscape. Nearby, large irregularly shaped boulders could provide visual height while a dry stack fieldstone wall with a flagstone cap would bring attention to the inherent beauty and texture of the wall’s natural stone. The contrast between the smoothness of the neighboring patio and the varied textures of these stone structures adds to the fascinating space where you will want to constantly relax and warm up by the fire.
While some landscape use wall blocks to construct their fire features, the truth is, such monolithic fire features can feel stark, but using stone that fits into the landscape, especially because the edges of each individual stone are not perfectly straight, will soften the blunt look and make the fire pit seem more natural, as if it were a part of your landscape all along.
Grill Island or Outdoor Kitchen
Create a cook’s delight with a new grill island or full outdoor kitchen made with the same stone used in your other vertical features. A stacked flagstone facade is always in vogue, creating a beautiful contrast to the sleek stainless steel grill and other appliances. A stone planter could be the perfect place to grow herbs that will spice up your dishes.
The modern look comes from a careful selection of stone that focuses on the contrast between textures—the rugged walls of the grill station and the smooth surface of the stone.
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