The Best Design Ideas For Small Spaces
A common misconception about small yards is that they leave little room for designing a beautiful space. No matter the size of the plot you have, there are plenty of design ideas for small spaces that can turn your seemingly uninspiring patch of grass into an oasis. Our team at Felice Landscaping in Westchester County loves a challenge and can help you design a small space that makes you feel excited to go outside and enjoy your yard. Here are a few of our favorite tips to make a small space look bigger.
Make a Sketch
The landscape architects at Felice landscaping company have years of experience and can work with you efficiently to help design the unique landscape and garden you envision. It’s helpful for us to see images of gardens you love so that we can get to know your style preferences. Pinterest is a terrific way to create a collection of design ideas for small spaces.
Once we understand what you’re looking for, we can put together a few sketches of gardens that will make the best use of the space you have. Then, all you have to do is choose one and we’ll get right to work.
Create Rooms
Just as a house is divided into rooms, doing so in outdoor spaces helps create definition and prevents a cluttered look. While it may not be possible to incorporate all of your garden hopes and dreams like a swing set, hot tub, and a trellis, you may find that dividing the space into dedicated zones with functions that you’ll be able to fit more than you think.
Further, dividing lines like borders, walls, or different textures will break up the line of vision to make the garden appear larger.
This could look like a path toward a patio that doubles as the kitchen and dining space, lined with potted herbs or tomato plants. Perhaps off to one side of the patio is a lounge area for sunning by day and a firepit to shoot the breeze in the evening.
Take Advantage of Vertical Space
While your horizontal space may be limited, you can always go higher. If all of the plants in a space grow no taller than knee height, then that’s where the eye will stay. Draw the eye upward by planting tall plants and trellis decorated with climbers like honeysuckle, passionflower, and jasmine to make the space feel much bigger than it is.
Grow Vegetables in Containers
Just because you don’t have large floor space to dedicate a plot for vegetables, doesn’t mean you have to completely give up on the decor idea. Herbs like basil and rosemary do great in pots, as do cherry tomato plants. Stick with easy-to-grow vegetables, such as lettuces, kale, and strawberries that can easily grow in bench planters or small spaces.
Give Everything a Dual Purpose
In small spaces, it’s essential that everything have a purpose. If you can incorporate furniture that serves more than one purpose, even better. For example, this might mean that seating doubles as storage space, a fire pit could also double as a table or a seating bench that also works as a planter.
Work in Layers
Layering creates depth, which is especially important in small spaces. Not only does creating layers take advantage of the changes plants go through over the seasons, it provides a variety of different colors, textures, and contrasts that are pleasing to the eye.
Including different layers allows you to plant more in the same space without causing the garden to look cramped.
Go Big and Bold
Often, people assume that small plants should go into a small space. Not so! It only makes the space seem as small as it is. Instead, consider plants with vibrant blooms and big leaves to add character and depth to your space. Flowers like Dahlias, Foxglove, or large-leafed succulents make lovely additions to small gardens.
Annuals last the whole year, they bloom with colorful flowers for the entire season and are relatively inexpensive.
Perennials are typically more interesting plants, but with a life span of about 5 years. The downside is that they only have a short window bloom time that ranges from 2 weeks to a month and a half for flowers unless you’re going for an interesting leaf perennial. After that, the flowers die out and become a piece of greenery in the landscape.
Westchester Landscaping For Small And Large Spaces
If you live in the New York Metro area or Hudson Valley, our talented designers would be thrilled to work with you.
Contact Us at Felice Landscaping in Mamaroneck, NY
Give Felice Landscaping in Mamaroneck, NY a call today at 914.557.1151 to landscape design for your backyard. We’ll keep your yard looking beautiful all summer long.