There is no better way to enhance the beauty of your Oyster Bay, NY, home’s natural surroundings than with a rustic landscape design. Rustic elements create a relaxed, country feel that celebrates the authenticity of country living. Here are some elements you can add to your landscape to achieve a timeless rustic effect:
A Fire Pit
There are many types of fire pit designs that will suit your landscape. The fire pit can resemble a campfire setting made from stacked stone, or incorporate a square design with a quarried stone look. Add some wooden chairs around it and you’ll be surprised by how much personality it will add to your backyard.
If you are surrounded by colorful greenery throughout the entire year, position your fire pit and seating as a focal point where you can best enjoy the beautiful vegetation. Natural stone or concrete units that reflect the look of tumbled rock and aged, rustic textures, are great ways to incorporate this look.
Waterfall
You can never go wrong with a waterfall feature in your front yard, surrounded by a bed of large stones or rocks. To keep the space bright and create contrast against the gray tones of the rock, nurture a rich vegetation. The mountainous look of waterfalls makes them outstanding features that will never become dated or boring.
Cobblestone
One of the most natural ways to create a rustic appearance is to install cobblestones for your walkways. For a less expensive alternative, consider using bricks or cobblestone-style concrete pavers. Bricks can be combined with flagstone or other natural stone features to add additional visual interest as accents or borders.
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Details
Repurposing old furniture and adding interesting objects is also a great way of achieving a rustic look. Alternatively, permanent natural stone seating can also be added to achieve this effect. To make the furniture or seating more beautiful and practical, consider adding some color with waterproof pillows.
Other ideas for adding rustic details to your landscape include using old steel buckets for plant containers and old farm equipment as focal points or ornaments for your plant beds. You could also consider adding a rock or boulder feature to your landscape to repeat the natural stone textures of your hardscape within your softscape.
Color
Many homeowners make the mistake of mixing too many colors and too many different elements in their rustic yard, resulting in a cluttered outdoor space. Instead, color coordinate your hardscapes by selecting a color scheme consisting of just two or three colors in order to achieve a calming effect. Choose one or two main colors that will stand out and tie the design together.
Plantings
Plantings such as ferns and woody shrubs that are high in texture and random detail are great for adding a rustic touch. Flowering plants and perennials are also great for adding visual interest. As with your hardscape, select a color scheme for your plantings that consists of two or three main colors that will be repeated throughout your softscape in order to keep the design unified with just the right amount of variation.
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