Are you planning to redesign your landscape this summer? Mickey’s LawnScapes offers some helpful tips below to achieve a cohesive look sure to boost your curb appeal and outdoor enjoyment as the weather warms up.
How Do Brick & Stone Go Together?
Do brick and stone combinations really need to match? Firstly, stone is natural and organic whereas brick is synthetic. Some combos work, like a brick house with stone entries and pillars. Contrast works better with combinations, but you should seriously consider pale grey, white or cream stone on brick. Use stone to enhance entries, emphasize bay windows and other similar features. It is a good idea to choose a brick that matches with the stone undertones. To look right, it is difficult to truly blend brick and stone. In addition, certain stone shapes need to coordinate with your home style. Tudors lend themselves to mixed stone and brick, while a ranch style would look out of place. You must match the façade to the building style. Simple and classic, like a red brick house and white stone entry and garage. Used brick would work with this combo as well.
Should Pavers Match House & Roof Colors?
Remember to coordinate both the roofing material and any pavers used in driveways. The overall combination of roofing and building need to contrast and lend a pleasing overall flavor to the view. Clashing pavement stones could or would destroy the look. A bright roof needs a neutral theme for the house walls. More subdued roof colors allow more variety in wall and trim colors.
Overall, color is dictated by the architectural style of the building. It’s good to be individualistic, but the overall finish of your home must blend in with the other themes in your neighborhood. With brick or stone exteriors there is a need for the blending of trim, doors and other features. Again certain contrasts usually work better than an attempt to match.
Windows; are they vinyl, painted or metal? Vinyl becomes a fixed element that cannot be easily changed as few paints stick well to vinyl. But vinyl windows run about a third cheaper than wood framed windows. Probably the best would be white, as it can work with a multitude of colors, textures and features like shutters. However, it is true that stone has a natural organic look and feel. There are many products, less expensive than true stone that mimic the natural stone for the less expensive but natural stone look. Many products are made from concrete but cast to simulate real stone. Paver sidewalks and driveways offer a unique, but near opulent look. The is something bland about smooth grey concrete. Patterns can be impressed into the concrete and color added to the cement mixture for some truly unique designs.
Landscape Design & Construction, Lawn Maintenance & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End of Long Island, New York
In the world of concrete, stone, brick and simulated products, designs are endless but must be given thought for certain combinations to work. These can be included with living landscape elements like trees, bushes, flowers and other ground covering landscaping motifs. But the bottom line is what ever your choices, it must work for the eye. Discordant themes diminish the curb appeal of your home and yard. Texture, color and landscaping must mesh. Call the experts at Mickey’s LawnScapes to design and build your dreamscape today!
