What are some ideas for spring landscaping to update my home or cottage exterior?

As spring hopefully peeks around the corner soon in the Kawarthas, we start dreaming of gardening, lakeside seating areas that offer solitude in a shady spot, and outdoor BBQs with family and friends. There is so much potential for how we can use our exterior space, and often we walk right on by the exact spot that would be the perfect place for an additional way to enjoy the great outdoors!

Our designers have put together a few ideas for spring to help you rethink your outdoor areas.

Cabana Coast is one of our Home by Tim + Chris partners who offer both contemporary and classic style, with unexpected, trendy and eye-catching designs. It’s all about turning your outdoor space into an oasis!

Dock and Lakeside

If you live on one of our many majestic Kawartha lakes, you know the dock and lakeside areas are the most popular! From taking in sunsets to water sports, these areas are conducive to family time and high traffic. We tend to advise clients to use Sunbrella fabrics that can handle the outdoor elements and will last. You don’t need to invest in full cushion sets; just a few throw pillows can add that decorative touch that brings alignment to your greater home or cottage colour scheme. Blankets in the same theme can be stored near the door to easily access for evening sessions.

Home and garden stores have an array of fabric patterns and styles that can be customized to your outdoor needs. Our Home by Tim + Chris team can help you design and style any of your outdoor areas.

We like outdoor wood that can weather over time and doesn’t require painting or maintenance. Aluminum and wrought iron can stay out all year long as we recognize that not everyone has ample storage space. That’s why adding the Sunbrella cushion accessories are a great way to elevate the classic Adirondack chair. So many colours and styles exist now so you can easily match your style to your home or cottage. This is a great way to play up your accent colour whether it’s the trim on your cottage or the colour you have selected to add personality to your outdoor area.

Adirondacks are a classic choice for your dock. They weather well and are a comfortable option.

More options from Cabana Coast feature outdoor accent tables as well as daybeds and dining sets.

Consider heavier set furniture lakeside and allow for entertaining groups. The styles have come a long way and our Room Refresh team can help you source anything you require to create an idyllic lakeside zone.

Simple benches and planter containers can add interest to an area and can weather the elements.

Our own garden demonstrates our hand at container gardening! We used wood screens to delineate the area and to add a backdrop for the garden shape.

Deck Time

Power washing your deck is the ideal way to kick off spring. Keeping wood clean and maintained goes a long way toward welcoming guests and keeping your deck around for longer. We realize that staining and treating our decks is not a practical solution for everyone. You can use outdoor rugs, furniture sets and planted pots to add interest and show off your green thumb! If you don’t have a green thumb, there are many artificial options now that look real and are a viable solution for keeping up with the Jones’s!

Those Patio Lanterns!

Outdoor patios located off the back entrance or even the cottage front add an opportunity for stone work to define the area and help add curb appeal. 

Corn Cob on Sturgeon Lake has a large outdoor patio with oversized furniture for comfortable lounging and ample happy hours!

Our Sturgeon Lake project included a covered patio with an outdoor fireplace. This allows the cottage owners to use the space throughout the seasons.

Cooking and Entertaining

Outdoor kitchens have really taken off, and we help many clients create wonderful entertaining zones near their BBQ area. These kitchens can accommodate wine fridges, smokers, sinks, and a nearby firepit is an ideal way to optimize outdoor living. 

Many are opting for the propane fire bowl or pit, which doesn’t require wood storage and can easily be started spontaneously. These are a cleaner solution for entertaining close to your home for accessibility. It’s also an opportunity to further define your style with so many options on the market, from rustic to modern.

Our farmhouse project reused antique columns to define the patio seating area. Surrounding gardens were planted to offset the lawn and to add a garden pathway.

Parking is Not a Feature!

When designing, we try to plan for designated parking away from the home or cottage entertaining zones. If you have room to rethink this layout, move the parking somewhere out of the way. If space doesn’t allow, consider using landscaping to create zones like a green fence of shrubs, taller hedges and even screens or fence sections to help block views that are not necessarily the best foot forward. 

For more ideas and to kick start your spring exterior planning, check our website for blog posts and other related articles.

What kind of outdoor furniture would best suit my Kawartha lifestyle: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6512f555e4518812573583f8/t/6800f588f76e0c23f7b6bb4b/1744893322030/Ask+a+Designer+April25a.pdf

For a more comprehensive read on the power of exterior design, this blog post will help you reimagine your outdoor space.

If you have a design question you would like to submit for the next Town Crier issue, you can send it to the Home by Tim + Chris design team at: info@homebytc.ca

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Tim + Chris