Opting for a rather varied material selection is one way to ensure that your finished landscape in Brookville, NY, will be unique and exciting. Combining various shades and textures can result in an eye-catching end product that bears a distinct professional touch. However, it is important to ensure that all the materials used are compatible and won’t clash with one another in unpleasant ways. Two compatible materials, for example, are wood and stone masonry. Read on for tasteful ways to pair masonry and wood.
A Perfect Match
Landscape Design & Masonry in Brookville, Southampton, Port Jefferson NY
It is important to understand why wood and stone work well together so that their compatible characteristics can be highlighted. First, both materials are excellent candidates for achieving a natural look and feel. However, both materials can also be processed and treated to take on more refined forms that are better suited to contemporary landscapes.
Another reason to opt for this look: Wood and stone masonry can be used to create contrast. Pairing rather textured stones in irregular shapes with smooth, refined wood will create visual contrast and merge different aesthetic themes. This might be what your landscape needs in order to look more interesting and reach new levels of sophistication. Further contrasts can be created, depending upon the type of stone and wood utilized. For example, many stone variations have cool gray undertones while wood is distinctly warm. Contrasts are exceptionally valuable in landscaping because they add interest and variation to a design that may otherwise appear boring or ordinary.
Imaginative Pergolas
Pergolas define outdoor rooms and add dimension to flat landscapes. The classic wooden pergola is still widely utilized and revered for its simple beauty. A wooden pergola is not only lightweight, making those underneath it feel free and unenclosed, but is also washes an entire outdoor room in the visual warmth of wood.
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To add the grandeur of masonry to the structure of your wooden pergola, consider having short stone pillars constructed into which the pergola’s wooden legs feed. This classic look can be tweaked for modern landscapes by opting for stacked flagstone, which has a slim linear appearance that pairs well with modern designs. Cool-colored stone would create a stunning contrast in conjunction with the warm wooden pillars and beams overhead.
Consider connecting the two stone pillars at the back of the outdoor room, creating a low wall that marks part of the pergola’s perimeter. Including just a single wall will ensure that there are still plenty of angles from which to enter the outdoor room. The low wall, if it’s constructed to bear enough weight, could function as a seat wall whenever the room meets more people than expected.
Decks and Fire Pits
A wooden deck can add a relaxed, zen-like look and feel to a landscape, especially when situated near a body of water. Should you be so lucky to have a pond in your backyard, consider having a deck constructed along its bank, surrounded by large boulders and beautiful reeds.
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Wooden decks also work well with stone fire pits and fireplaces as long as they are structurally sound. Real natural stone is a good candidate for fire pits and fireplaces because there are various heat-resistant varieties available. For example, limestone, slate, granite, and marble are all non-combustible and can be used to construct part, or all, of a fire pit.