If you’re considering the design of your future custom home, at some point you’ll start to think about landscaping. And really, the exterior of your home is just as important as the interior: it’s what people first see when they look at your home, and it’s yours to personalize in a way that matches your own unique style. Whether your new home will be situated on the lake or in the woods, no custom home is complete without the perfect outdoor space for you to relax with the family, or invite a few friends over on a Friday night. The only hard part is figuring out exactly what you’re looking for when it comes to the exterior of your home. To help you get started, here are 5 of our favorite landscaping features that add the ideal finishing touch to any brand new custom home:
#1 BUILT-IN GRILL
If you’re a fan of outdoor entertaining, you can’t go wrong with a built-in grill. The major benefit of a built-in grill is that it’s covered, which means you get to comfortably maintain your position as grillmaster rain, snow, or shine! Your custom home builder can also help make sure there’s plenty of space for a bit of extra prep room, and additional seating for when you have guests over. And if you really want to go the extra mile, you might invest in a full outdoor kitchen, where you have a covered outdoor space for cooking, storage, and seating. Not only can this help free up a bit of space in your home, it also adds a touch of luxury to those outdoor dinner parties you plan on hosting.
#2 FIRE PIT
There’s nothing better than a bonfire on a Michigan summer night, so why not ensure your new home has a dedicated space for a bonfire any night of the week? If you love to cook out or sip a glass of wine around the fire, then installing a firepit in your backyard is an amazing landscaping feature for your new custom home. There are a number of ways to make this work with your personal design aesthetic too: you can choose an above-ground fire pit like a simple bowl-shaped pit, or you might opt for an elegant stone-ringed fire pit. No matter which option you choose, installing a fire pit is a great landscaping choice if you love spending quality time outside.
#3 A WATER FEATURE
If you’re looking to add a touch of peace and elegance to the landscaping around your new custom home, you can’t go wrong with a fountain in your backyard garden, or as an accent to the front of your home. Whether you choose a small or large fountain, your custom home builder can help you determine where best to place it, and how to landscape around it. Larger fountains can host elegant water plants, and even goldfish or koi fish. When placed in the garden near a small bench or chair, fountains help create the perfect environment to relax with a book on a warm afternoon.
#4 PERGOLA
Another element you might consider for your custom home exterior landscaping, pergolas can be a stunning visual addition to your garden or backyard. Supported on all four sides, they’re easily fitted with retractable canopies to offer a bit of protection from wind and rain, and their latticed tops provide the ideal environment for climbing vines and flowering plants like roses. They’re a great way to add a bit of resale value to your custom home, and dedicate a portion of your backyard for a set of chairs and a small table.
#5 PATIO
The classic outdoor element, you can’t go wrong with a patio. They provide a spot for that built-in grill, offer you a bit more space to entertain guests, and are great for watching the sun set in the evenings. When you design your custom home’s exterior features, you might consider a patio if you like to enjoy dinner outside. Best of all, you can choose from a variety of materials for your patio, from stone to brick to just about anything that’s weather-proof and matches the aesthetic for your home. To make your patio feel like home, add some furniture, that built-in grill you’ve been looking for, and maybe a rolling bar. It’s the perfect outdoor space to do a bit of entertaining, or just to enjoy your own backyard!
If all this talk about landscaping a new home has gotten you excited for a new home building project, then give Whitmore Custom Homes a call. A family-owned custom homebuilding company in West Michigan, we’re here to help build our clients exactly the homes they’re looking for. For more information about us, give our office a call at 616-446-3482 or contact us online today!
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