Updating a landscape is something that can dramatically improve the property as well as the outdoor lifestyle of a family. Though many homes in your area often use some of the same choices in landscape design, there are some interesting options that only those with a waterfront can employ. To achieve the highest potential of your property, check out these six landscape design ideas for a waterfront home in the Newton, MA area.
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Focus on the Natural Beauty
The location of your home on the waterfront was surely one of the home’s most important selling points. It would be a shame to alter too much of this natural look. Let your landscape design focus on the raw beauty of the natural landscape. Emphasize the curves, irregularities, and slopes as well as the plants and other existing features. Let the natural setting guide choices in materials as well as the shapes, sizes, and locations of your outdoor living areas.
Emphasize Sight Lines
No matter the size of your property, it’s important to open the space to the view, especially from the home. Emphasize, or at least don’t block, sight lines between your back door and key features on your waterfront, such as a dock, a beacon, or the water itself. You could even emphasize sight lines out to various features in the distance such as shorelines or cliffs. Use these features as a guide to your landscape design, to make the landscape feel even more expansive and grand.
The Pergola
One of the most simple and useful landscape features is the pergola. First built in the sunny Mediterranean region, the pergola is designed to scatter sunlight to make sitting outdoors on a hot sunny day much more pleasant. A pergola is a wonderful addition to any space with a waterfront view and can even host some beautiful greenery along the beams. What can you put in the shade of a pergola? It depends on the size. You could use a small pergola to shelter a comfortable seating area that faces the water; or a large pergola that will shelter a seating area as well as an outdoor kitchen and dining space.
A Cozy Fire Nook
Sometimes the breeze coming off the water can be chilly, and a fire pit near the water’s edge will create a cozy and intimate space for gathering with friends and loved ones. Best of all, a fire pit won’t block the view if you want to enjoy a quiet evening watching the sunset.
Terraced Outdoor Living
Most waterfront properties are sloped; but even on a flat property, changes in elevation help keep sight lines open even from the spaces furthest from the water. For example, an outdoor kitchen and dining space could command the upper level closest to the home. On the level below that, you could place a lounge area with comfortable furniture. The space closest to the water could feature a fireside sitting area that brings to mind bonfires on the beach. On a sloped property, there could be several steps down to the next level; and on a flat property, the elevation changes could be as subtle as one or two steps.
Frame the View
Framing the majestic waterfront view emphasizes its prominence. You can do this with trees, pillars with fire bowls, or by using sight lines such as a straight hedge row to guide the eye. If you want a sheltered spot at the water’s edge (such as a pergola) make it a part of the view with beautiful design.
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