When upgrading your summer Manhattan, IL, landscape with a new design project, don’t forget to add outdoor lighting. Illuminating the front and back yards can bring a whole new look to your dark landscape.
Related: HOW STRATEGIC OUTDOOR LIGHTING CAN IMPROVE A LANDSCAPE DESIGN IN THE MOKENA, IL, AREA
Outdoor Kitchen
Summer can be the perfect time to cook outdoors. There is just something about cooking and eating a meal outside that can’t be beat. From the delicious smells that float your way to the freshness of the foods, adding an outdoor kitchen to your landscape can be a wonderful way to gather friends and family together.
With so many choices for outdoor kitchen features and styles, starting with the expertise of your landscape designers can be a great way to narrow down what you genuinely want in an outdoor cooking area. Laying the foundation with a custom paver floor can set the style and color tone for your outdoor kitchen. Your landscaper can help you choose the appliances that suit your cooking needs, from a deluxe grill station to a full kitchen appliance installation. Countertops can be important because they will see high use and have to withstand the weather so choose a surface that is durable. Some excellent choices are granite, concrete, and stainless steel.
A skilled landscaper can design a kitchen that maximizes the flow and function for easy, fun outdoor cooking.
Fire Feature
While you might be thinking that a fire feature in the summer doesn’t make much sense, lighting the fire in the summertime can be exactly what you need to create a space for your family to enjoy an evening outdoors. Whether you choose a fire pit or a fireplace, a landscaper can plan a fire feature to complement your home and landscape style.
With custom stone choices and an unlimited number of designs, a fire pit or fireplace can be just as delightful in the summer evenings as it will be for the chilly afternoons. Plus, when you keep the supplies for Smores stored nearby, there will never be a time when your kids and guests will not want to roast a yummy, gooey marshmallow for an all-American dessert.
Landscape Lighting
While you will love your new landscape feature in the daytime, imagine how much more you can enjoy a new outdoor space when there is lighting to extend your time there. Fire features and outdoor kitchens can benefit from perimeter lighting that illuminates the floor for easy movement. While the fire will bring ambient light, too, having the trees nearby lighted can increase the way the entire space appears in the dark.
For the kitchen space, having undercounter lights can let you see to get the cooking utensils and pans you need. Overhead lights can make cutting and prepping food safer, plus you can easily see when food is cooked. Have your landscaper put the overhead lights on a dimmer so you can lower the light level after clean-up.
From spotlights that are placed at the base of the trees to illuminate the texture and shadows of the bark to downlights that filter light through the leaves to the ground, landscape lights can change the entire appearance of your yard. A landscaper can add soft wash lights to the foundation of your home.
Related: 5 CREATIVE OUTDOOR LIGHTING TECHNIQUES YOUR DECK BUILDER MIGHT USE IN FRANKFORT IL
