A patio becomes so much more permanent and beautiful when you use creative masonry over poured concrete. Considering which features to add depends on your lifestyle and aesthetics, but one thing is certain: you will never go wrong in choosing artistic masonry options for your patio area in Oyster Bay and Glen Cove, NY.
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Patio Pavers or Natural Stone?
One of the biggest decisions to make is whether to use patio pavers (concrete pavers made to resemble natural stone, brick, and other materials) or natural stone. The right surface makes all the difference in visual presentation, so choosing carefully is the first step.
Both pavers and natural stones have their pros and cons. Choose pavers if you’re interested in a wider range of styles, finishes, textures, and colors. Choose natural stone for a 100% unique look in your outdoor living space. Both are durable, beautiful, and will give you a great result. Depending on your unique needs, your landscape contractor can help you make the best decision.
Once you’ve chosen your patio material, you can explore artistic laying patterns, mixing materials for dramatic effect, and finishing touches like decorative borders and accents.
Make sure to ask your contractor about permeable pavers, which can help keep your patio drier and present a more eco-friendly option to a solid surface due to allowing surface water to seep into the ground rather than running off.
Retaining Wall
One of the most useful and dramatic features you can add to your landscape is a masonry retaining wall. Mostly intended to be support for hillsides retaining walls also have many other functions ranging from functional to purely decorative. Walls can provide overflow seating while creating physical boundaries between spaces. They’re an opportunity to disguise landscape lighting fixtures inside the masonry structure of the wall. They can create gorgeous backdrops for outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, or water features.
Fire Features
Fire brings people together whether you prefer the primal feeling of a round fire pit; the majestic presence of a grand outdoor fireplace; or the chic luxury of a fire table. A fire feature is an absolute must if you plan on using your patio longer than just the warmest summer months. In fact, it’s one of the single best investments you can make in your outdoor living space. After all, paying for a space that doesn’t get used much except for a few brief months doesn’t make sense. A fire feature will ensure everyone is cozy and warm while enjoying time together in the great outdoors.
Raised Plant Beds
Plants make your outdoor living space much more appealing. Whether you’re a master gardener or just want to grow a few culinary herbs, raising your garden above the ground level will save your knees while creating a barrier between outdoor “rooms” or serving as a transition between the patio and the landscape. Aside from an edible garden, you could plant tall ornamental grasses or bamboo in raised masonry beds to create a living privacy screen.
Pergola Pillars
A pergola is one of the most widely loved patio features. Elevate it to a grander level by setting it atop NY Glen Cove masonry pillars that match the rest of the vertical elements within the space; and don’t forget, landscape lighting can be incorporated into the pillar to provide soft ambient light.
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