Prevent These Mistakes in Your Tulsa Outdoor Living Space Design

Planning to build an outdoor living space at your Tulsa home? These outdoor additions are a great way to create more “livable” space for your home, increase your property value, and provide an ideal spot for entertaining friends and family or just relaxing on the weekends. But before you get started on the project, here are some mistakes toavoid. 

Forgetting to plan. A well-thought-out design plan is a must for any outdoor living project, large or small. Decide what style or theme you want for your Tulsa outdoor space. 

Determine how you and your family will use your outdoor environment. Choose where various shrubs, plants, and trees will go. Decide on a budget for your project. Even if you’re going to build your project one piece at a time, it’s good to have a design plan for the whole project so that in the end, the entire outdoor living space has one complete look. Often, it’s best to hire a Tulsa landscape designer who understands all the nuisances of the various outdoor living elements and can bring all of your ideas and goals together into one design.

“  . . . A beautiful, well-designed landscape costs the same as a poorly designed one. This difference is with the designer. Well-trained landscape designers who work with a large palette of plants and materials as well as a wide range of styles are geared to give you a fine project,” The Landscaping Network noted.

Choosing the wrong plants.  Without a plan, you may be tempted to go to the nursery and buy whatever catches your eye, but you should give much forethought to your choice. How tall will the plant be when it reaches maturity? Will it overcrowd other plants? Although at first you may want to cover every bare spot you have in your garden, you need to give your plants enough room to grow and not overcrowd each other when they’re mature. Also, will the tree you plant block a view or overtake your sidewalk or patio?

What will the plants you choose look like in winter? It may be good to plant some shrubs or trees that have winter interest and that will look good all year like evergreens. It’s also good to choose a color pallet when planning your outdoor living space in Tulsa so flower colors don’t get overwhelming to the viewer or look mismatched.

Also, plant foliage with similar watering and sunlight needs together. This will make watering and maintenance much faster and easier.  

Not thinking about erosion, drainage, and irrigation. Erosion can be devastating to your landscape. Plan ahead by building a retaining wall into the overall design of your outdoor space. Retaining walls are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing if designed correctly. Proper drainage and irrigation can also do much to prevent erosion as well as flooding and other landscaping issues. Make sure you carefully plan out the drainage and irrigation system for your outdoor space before you begin.

Not planning with your home in mind. This might sound strange, but the elements of your outdoor living space – hardscapes in particular – should complement the style and architecture of your home so that the interior flows seamlessly into the exterior. When you look at your Tulsa outdoor living space from inside your home, does the outdoor space seem to be an extension of your home or does it look out of place? Although you may like how the outdoor living space looks when you’re outside, make sure it also looks great from inside your home and that it creates a cohesive theme for your property.

Forgetting the front yard. Although you’re excited about your building your backyard outdoor living space, you can’t overlook your front yard. Curb appeal is priceless. Whether you want to sell your home right now or not, you’ll want to create a welcoming home and landscape for your guests and your family. So in your busy planning and planting, don’tforget to give your front yard some planning too.

Not building big enough. While you don’t want to go overboard and build outdoor elements that are so big that they overpower the space, you also need to plan for their many uses. Patios, for instance, are one area that can be built too small for functionality. It must be big enough, not only for a patio table and chairs, but also for people to walk around the table and chairs comfortably.

This might seem overwhelming, but the Tulsa outdoor living experts at Oklahoma Landscape can help. Our landscape architects are experienced in designing and building outdoor living spaces of all types and sizes. We can create the perfect outdoor space for your family. Whether you want a pool, outdoor kitchen, outdoor fireplace, patio, deck, or just help with your lawn maintenance and planting, we can take care of all your landscaping and landscape design needs.

Keep Your Tulsa Outdoor Enviroment Inspired!

 Perhaps your looking for ideas for your perfect summer entertaining spot? Wondering about are  the luxury outdoor living trends for Tulsa? Well, here is some help that is sure to inspire!

Outdoor entertaining. What better place to cook for a dinner party than in your outdoor kitchen? Cook in style with a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen, complete with built-in pizza oven and wine refrigerator.

Make the premier outdoor entertaining spot for your kids or a romantic night underneath the starts with an outdoor entertainment center complete with a giant movie screen! Watch the game with friends while you grill or have an awesome pool party with these giant backyard theaters with surround sound.

Have an elegant evening of entertaining by adding an al fresco dining area under a pergola with dangling vines and surrounded by sparkling lights.  Try a long European-style table for an even more opulent look.

Beautiful pool design. Every Tulsa outdoor living space needs a custom-designed swimming pool. Especially if your home overlooks a beautiful landscape or cityscape, an infinity pool might be the perfect addition to your outdoor space. And a custom spa or hot tub would be the perfect complement to your pool. An outdoor shower with a built-in bench can provide great functionality for your outdoor pool area.

Every luxury pool area pairs nicely with a great lounge space. Why not opt for a luxury cabana by the pool? Create the ultimate napping area with a canopy cabana bed outside by your infinity pool.

Keep warm on a cool night. Whether underneath the stars or built in connection with a covered patio area, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits provide practical warmth and add a consistent elegance to your Tulsa outdoor living space. They can become the focal point of your outdoor environment. A place for people to gather, mingle, and reminisce. Add luxurious lounge seating and you have a complete backyard getaway area.

Outdoor fireplaces are a great place to chat with friends and family. Fire pits create the warm atmosphere we all love to gather around on a cool summer or fall night.

Do you want to transform your backyard into a luxury outdoor living space? The Tulsa landscape contractors at Oklahoma Landscape can help you create the outdoor environment of your dreams.

Fire Pits in Tulsa - Creating Relaxing Outdoor Entertaining Areas

A fire pit is just what Tulsa homeowners need to create an inviting and cozy spot for entertaining in your outdoor environment.

Tulsa fire pits can become a charming focal point for an outdoor area – bringing the whole area to life, so to speak, with their warm glow. You will need to check with your neighborhood and city officials for any codes or rules regarding building a fire pit or outdoor fireplace in your backyard.

These hardscapes can be custom-made using a wide selection of materials to add a distinctive character to the outdoor space while complementing the architecture and finish of the home and surrounding landscape.

What material you use, may be contingent on a variety of factors such as if you want a permanent or mobile fire pit, or if you want to use it for outdoor cooking. If you want a permanent fire pit for your Tulsa home, you’ll need to use a more durable material like stone, brick, or concrete.

Often, you can use a variety of materials to add more personality and create a more vibrant fire pit. Some types of fire pits, such as some gas ones, HGTVGardens noted, are not designated for cooking or will not support a grill. Sometimes an attached table or extra space that can be used as a table can be built with the fire pit allowing a place for easy dining. Many brick, stone, or cinder block fire pits, HGTVGardens said, are great for using with grills or rotisseries.

While the customary round fire pit design may come to mind, really fire pits can be formed into a variety of shapes like rectangular, square, and even L-shaped. Often built-in seating around the fire pit or a lounge area with chic outdoor sofas near the fire pit offers a peaceful place for friends to talk. Other times, homeowners may want a simpler look like Adirondack chairs to complement their classic fire pit look.

Fire pits built near the pool or spa area really enhance the feel of the outdoor environment and make the space great for entertaining any time of the year.

Spring is a great time to enjoy the warm glow of a fire pit amid the cool night air. Oklahoma Landscape’s hardscape experts can design and build the perfect fire pit for your Tulsa home.