Professional landscape designers are able to see a blank space and envision what is possible for a brilliant backyard outdoor living design. That is why they a professionals after all. The problem is that the average homeowner here in Dutchess County doesn't usually have that same ability to see what is possible.
All of the most used and enjoyed backyards have one thing in common: they have a variety of outdoor seating areas. Think of it as you would for your indoors, you have different spaces to meet different needs. Your backyard should serve as your oasis for whatever the mood is. To help you get the most out of your outdoor living spaces, be sure to incorporate these 5 outdoor seating areas!
Living in NY means you've got a lot of options for adventures. Between NYC and Hudson Valley, there are endless places to visit - with families, friends, or by yourself. Living in NY also means that the four seasons enable homeowners endless adventures right in their own backyards! To get you started on exploring your own outdoors, we have some perfect ways to make your backyard full of activities.
Today, many outdoor living projects include many building products working together to achieve the homeowner’s goals. For instance, an upper level deck may wind down to meet a patio at ground level that includes a fire pit and outdoor kitchen. Just like with the many choices available for concrete pavers for patio installation, the options for decking materials can also be dizzying. Along with the expanded design possibilities that come as a result of these choices also comes hard decisions.
While Hudson Valley homeowners often like the natural beauty and look of traditional wood decking, research also shows that they are looking to reduce—if not eliminate—home maintenance requirements and their associated costs. Tropical hardwood choices such as Ipe offer a bit of relief in the area of increased durability, but they are expensive and far from maintenance free. The most economical choice is traditional pressure treated lumber. This tried and true option is still installed day in and day out here in Dutchess County and all across the country. The obvious consideration here is durability and required maintenance. Anyone who has spent hours and hours every few years power washing and staining or painting there wood deck or porch knows all to well the maintenance involved with traditional wood decking. In In fact, these cons of traditional wood decking are the very reasons companies like Trex exist and thrive.
Composite decking from manufacturers like Trex offer a maintenance free—with the exception of a good cleaning every now and again—option with many design possibilities. While Trex and other manufactured composites are certainly a much larger investment at the time of installation, the lifecycle cost is where the homeowner really wins. Without the need to stain or paint every year, or replace damaged boards due to rot or insect damage, Trex is a clear winner in terms of ROI.
So while your neighbors are busy working in their decks next year, consumers who choose composite can invite the kids and grandkids and enjoy sitting on—not working on—the deck. The best part? Have those kids kick off the sandals because there are no splinters to be found!
Life today is busy. In fact, may studies show it’s busier than ever. For many families, it's becoming harder and harder to maintain a close sense of family. It seems that the only answer to the problem is to take a family vacation each year in hopes of reconnecting everyone after a busy year. The problem is, though, vacations only come a few times a year at best. All the other nights are spent rushing home from work and school, making dinner in between homework, getting ready for the next crazy day, and then it’s off to bed. Each night is a whirlwind of activity and a decreasing amount of quality family time.
But what about summer time, right? Well, because the kids are bored with less to do, they want to go to waterparks and theme parks, out to dinner, or just anything to get out of the house. Or, as the kids grow older, they often venture over to friends houses more and more when school is out for the summer. And chances are pretty good that if they are going over to a friend’s house often, they probably have something there that is entertaining or fun. Solution?
Bring the vacation to your own backyard and bring the family closer together.
There are few home remodeling projects, if any, that offer more family-bonding-bang-for-the-buck than outdoor living spaces. A nice new family room certainly offers a cool spot for movie night, but through the projects we do for our clients, we’ve seen a new inground pool pack more punch than any interior space. There’s just something special about bringing a resort-like experience to your Dutchess County backyard landscape that makes all those needs for the family to separate just melt away.
Add in an outdoor kitchen to grill burgers while hanging poolside, a fire pit sitting area to warm up after a night time swim, and a playground with swings and slides and you will be that neighbor’s house that all the kids want to be at. And that means that your kids will always be right at home.
A pool is more than just a big bowl of water— it’s a reason for families to stay together. And as an added bonus, studies show that you’d be hard pressed to find a more financially sound home remodeling project. A true win-win situation for sure!
