6 Landscaper-Approved Techniques for Landscaping That Makes Small Yards Look Bigger in Amherst NH

If your yard is small, you might feel that you’re limited in terms of outdoor living options. But with a few clever design tricks, your space can feel just as usable and beautiful as much larger spaces. Here are 6 landscaper-approved techniques for landscaping that makes small yards look bigger in Amherst, NH.

Focus on Your Needs

What do you want out of a landscape? The design approach will be quite different if your priority is giving the kids and dog room to run, or if you want a chic space for entertaining. But then again… who says you can’t have both? Get clear on what you want to do in your outdoor space, and then you can focus on creating spaces that can accommodate most, if not all, of the activities on your checklist.

If it’s impossible to fit all of your desired activities into the backyard, consider using other areas of the landscape more: the front yard and the side yard(s). While many people use the front yard as strictly an ornamental space and the backyard for fun, you could buck the trend and place a pergola-covered patio out front - a wonderful alternative to the lack of a front porch, which most modern homes don’t have. With this approach, your backyard could be a more private space, for family only.

Side yards, too, can be utilized for much more than a garden shed. They can be transformed into game areas or private retreats.

Fewer, But Larger

Once you’ve decided where certain activities will occur, you want the available spaces to look larger than they are.

Pare down to the essentials and don’t feel like you need to fill the space. Avoid a cluttered look by using larger furniture and a few select permanent amenities that you will actually use. This “less is more” approach emphasizes each item and allows them to be generously sized, not miniature versions. You will never feel that you’re compromising on the one thing that will make you use the space more: comfort and each breathing room. The space will also feel larger!

The Right Location

Put taller and larger elements against the sides where they won’t chop up the space. Use corners for large items like outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, and hot tubs.

Less Lawn, More Living

Grass is beautiful, but if space is at a premium - and you don’t need so much grass - it also sacrifices living and entertaining. Instead, opt for a beautiful paver patio and surround it with a beautiful softscape design. but in a small backyard, it takes away space from outdoor living (where you actually spend your time when you are entertaining or relaxing). A paver patio surrounded by lush yet low-maintenance perennial gardens could be a better use of the space, as long as you don’t have kids or pets that need room to play.

Simplify

Avoid using more than two materials throughout your hardscapes to create a unified space and decrease visual clutter. For example, your main dining/relaxing space could be pavers, set beside a teak hot tub area. This clearly defines the spaces and gives them each a distinct personality.

Think Vertical and Curved

Embrace multi-level living. Elevating a hot tub area, or a lounge area with a view, creates the illusion of more space because your eye isn’t drawn along long lines. Curves accomplish the same: a curved patio doesn’t let your eye “race” along the sides only to come to a too-soon, abrupt halt.