Creating an elegant East Hampton and Riverhead, NY Areas landscape for refreshing your mind and body at the end of a long week has become a frequent request for many homeowners. Whether it is a swimming pool and spa or an outdoor kitchen, there are specific landscape features that can fulfill your desire for an outdoor retreat. Take a look at some of the options.

Water Can Form the Foundation

When you start with an inground gunite pool that reflects your choice of coping edges, pool deck pavers, and an enticing interior. You want surfaces that remain cool to the touch so your guests can move around in comfort.

Even when friends and family are not swimming, a pool can offer a soothing and restful feature in your backyard. If you desire, you can opt for a low retaining wall along one side where multiple water spouts spill into the pool.

This wall can offer extra seating for tired swimmers as they take a break and the spilling water can add a sensory element that is pleasing when the pool is quiet.

Artistic Masonry

Artistic masonry can comprise all the stonework like pavers, walls, and natural stone. A skilled landscape company has stone masons that can create dynamic hardscape spaces in patios, retaining walls, driveways, and more.

For a high-end retreat, it can be important to create divisions among various spaces with durable, attractive retaining walls. These walls can differentiate areas to make more usable spaces and when combined with concrete pavers that add a repetitive pattern for visual interest, each area of your elegant retreat can be unique.

Artistic masonry shows uniform stone choices connected by smooth mortar. The attention to detail can be apparent in every corner, pool coping edge, and crisp step edge. Here are some ways expert stone masons set your outdoor space apart from the rest.

Sweeping Staircases: Whether your house is traditional, modern, or transitional, the staircases that form an entry should be noteworthy. One way masons can do this is to build wide staircases that accommodate five or six people moving up or down together. The steps are deep and designed to be used as seating to host a large party.

The sides of the staircase can curve like open arms and narrow as friends get closer to the doorway for entrance. A modern outdoor stone staircase can encompass geometric precision for the steps and accompanying walls on each side. The monochromatic color of the steps contributes to the elegant simplicity.

Patios: A patio can be a crucial foundational element that serves a variety of purposes. You could use the stone or paver patio for several seating areas that invite quiet conversations. You might also love the idea of a media area where the gentlemen can watch the big game together on the patio. Here, too, retaining walls and contrasting pavers can signify a shift of function to your guests.

Include Ample Seating

Many large resort-style spaces have deep pool decks to offer ample seating for sunbathers and swimmers. While your pool space might not need that on all sides, planning to have two expanded deck areas can offer more room for loungers and tables with chairs and umbrellas for those who want to be close to the pool but out of the direct sun.

Another option for more seating can be to add a cabana to your pool space. This covered area can be built with the same pavers as the pool deck or have a mix of other pavers for a similar look. The full roof offers complete shade with the option to add ceiling fans above for constant breezes.

Beneath the cabana covering, you can have more loungers and tables with chairs to eat outside in comfort. This area can be a perfect spot to play board games or cards later in the evening.

An Outdoor Kitchen for Barbeques

Whether feeding your crew is what you love or you prefer to have meals catered, having the convenience of an outdoor kitchen can let you offer your guests cold drinks, snow cones, and burgers. Having a full refrigerator can supply lunch foods and snacks along with cold water bottles.

If you decide to add a bar area, you can include a kegerator and a wine fridge. This can also be the place to have a full coffee bar installed for guests who like hot and iced coffee beverages.

These features can let you spend more time with your friends and family since everything you need is right at hand and there is no more going in and out of the house.

Outdoor Dining is a Must

When hosting your extended family in your home is a tradition, having a designated outdoor dining area can add more seating options for large family meals. If you wish, you can have the outdoor dining as part of the paver patio.

To distinguish this outdoor eating space from the main patio, a stone retaining wall can separate the dining from the main area. To reinforce your landscape design, adding pillars to the outdoor dining space entry can signal a formal way into and out of this area.

Changing the laying pattern of the outdoor dining floor pavers can signal a new function. Consider adding a triple band of contrasting pavers forms a visual carpet-like look where your outdoor table can sit.

Add Some Fire

The addition of fire to your elegant outdoor space can bring warmth and ambiance for later in the day. This can be perfect for a late summer evening when you don’t want to go indoors and for cooler days when the weather is just delightful.

In an expansive outdoor retreat, planning for a fire pit and an outdoor fireplace can be an excellent design. When hosting large parties in the pool area, some guests might like to linger beside the outdoor fireplace that you have positioned to adjoin the cabana while others might like the chance to sit by a fire pit out in the open air.

An outdoor fireplace can be constructed of the same stone as the cabana bases that hold the posts to merge the two areas with similar appearances. If you like, your outdoor fireplace can have a deep hearth that extends past the fireplace edges to create a unique look and more seating.

Choosing a different stone for the outdoor fire pit might appeal to you since it sits beneath the stars as its own area. A stone mason could recommend using some stone from the cabana and fireplace design as accents on the fire pit. Be sure to request a wide top surface of stone since your guests are sure to love the fire pit atmosphere and want to perch near the fire.

Include Some Shade on the Patio

As you enjoy pool time and family barbecues, one of the most important features can be having some shade to give your guests a place to escape from the sun. If you love to garden and enjoy a phenomenal floral display, a wood pergola could be the right choice.

The hefty wood posts and decorative wood beams over the top can bring dappled shade to an elegant retreat. You might opt to position the pergola over the paver patio where you can see the climbing vines and bold roses that trail up the posts and over the top of the structure. Imagine a wonderful afternoon with a light breeze beneath this shady spot.

Don’t Forget Some Grassy Space

Many studies show that pampering yourself by standing barefoot in a grassy space can lower your stress levels and improve your mood. If you want to create a secret spot targeted toward relaxation, choose a space where you can include a comfortable garden bench and table.

Another feature that never fails to elevate a space is a water fountain or waterfall that spills into a pond. Think of having your retreat with the soothing sounds of spilling water anytime you wish to visit. Watching the water and enjoying the birds and butterflies can quiet your mind and be a balm to your spirit.

Adding some butterfly bushes, black-eyed Susan flowers, and lilac bushes can encourage the wildlife to visit your spot. Flowering ornamental trees can also attract pollinators that can make the blooms prolific.

As you sit quietly on the garden bench with your feet propped on the table, the bees, butterflies, and birds will visit the water and delight you with their antics.

Complete Your Elegant Retreat with Landscape Lighting

The addition of targeted landscape lighting can take your backyard retreat which is breathtaking in the daytime to a transformed space after dark. Landscape lighting is crucial to setting a mood and increasing visibility after the sun sets.

Outdoor illumination can add layers to the landscape that increase the visual dimension and highlight specific features like the pool landscape design. Some outdoor lighting can be brighter to increase visibility but most lighting plans are intended to make your landscape look magical after dark.

Backlighting: Backlighting can be perfect for foundational and structural features like retaining walls, fencing, boulders in a landscape bed, and other places where you want gentle light. It is ideal to highlight dark crannies and the texture of stone.

Task Lighting: Task lights are brighter and can be part of the patio, cabana, and other areas where you want to play cards or board games outdoors.

Outdoor Light Fixtures: Nestling outdoor light fixtures in landscape beds and at tree bases can illuminate your plantings to bring them to the forefront. Illuminating your water fountain or waterfall and pond is another way to transform the dark landscape into a delightful vision.

Since landscape lighting can be managed from your smartphone, you can adjust the programming and lighting colors whenever you wish with a touch of your finger.

A Quick Guide to Creating an Elegant Landscape to Retreat to in the East Hampton and Riverhead, NY Areas