Regardless of how large or small an outdoor space may be, a large part of having it feel perfect has a lot to do with finding the right balance. The right balance can make or break a space, and two features that people commonly find themselves trying to have work well together are pavers and greenery. Pavers can be an extremely practical element in any outdoor plan, though like anything, if you have too much of the one element it can start to look like a one-dimensional design. The following are a few tips for balancing out your place, and will help you combine pavers and greenery for the best possible effect.

Potted plants

If you have moved into a home that has a large outdoor paved area, rather than spend time and money digging it up, instead make it greener by bringing in some potted plants. Potted plants are perfect for using on your patio or veranda as well, and because they are easy to move you will be able to change things around if you start getting bored. Don’t forget to make use of hanging plants too, as they can provide spectacular splashes of life and help balance out a heavily paved area. Another bonus with using potted plants is that you can take them with you if you ever decide to move to a different place, avoiding those heartbreaking scenes of having to say goodbye to dearly loved plants that you have grown in your garden.

Walkways

One of the most popular ways to integrate paving into an outdoor area design is by creating some type of path with the pavers through the garden. Having a narrow paved walkway — or even just steps made from pavers — will be the perfect way to create a neat path throughout your yard or garden. Alternately, you could grow a border of flowers or plants along the edge of an already existing path, providing a beautiful accompaniment to any walk around the garden.

Weed control

Having some type of garden border can help you keep weeds back and under control, so creating a little wall around the edge of the garden can do a lot for the ease of your garden maintenance. You don’t want your pavers to take any attention away from your fabulous garden though, so make sure you make a statement with your plants and have them growing over the top of the pavers. It’s fine if you can still see the pavers, but with the plants clearly on top, it makes a fun statement that the plants rule in this backyard.

Balancing paving with various types of greenery will often help make it feel like a more natural and welcoming space, and at the end of the day, anything that makes your yard feel better is going to be well worth the investment. If you have never really felt totally relaxed in the yard, it might be because it is out of balance and needs either a little boost of green or some well-placed pavers.

Natural sunlight is extremely important for humans, so it’s important to provide as many ways as you can for natural light to stream into your home. Besides being good for our vitamin D levels, getting enough exposure to natural light has been linked to levels of happiness by numerous studies, with indirect sunlight the most beneficial variety. The following are some of the ways to increase the amount of natural light coming into your home.

Skylights

An awesome way to bring more light into your home is straight through the roof, via a skylight. The difference it makes really is amazing; having not only more light, but also more natural light. Once you’ve paid for the installation, the rest of your lighting costs are free.

More windows

It’s not a cheap option, but if you have space for an extra window or two, it can be a good way to drastically increase the amount of light you have coming in. It can take a lot of work to put in a window, however, so make sure you know exactly where you want it to go. If you’re designing a house to be built, give yourself as many windows as you possibly can.

Sliding glass doors

These are a fantastic way to allow much more light into your house, as a sliding glass door is essentially one very large window. If you’re going to put one in though, make sure it’s facing a direction where it will get a lot of sun.

Get a deck

Having a deck, patio or veranda installed at your place will get you out into the sun more than bringing the sunlight in. Regardless, you’ll be able to enjoy more time relaxing in the sun at home. Some days it makes a huge difference to have somewhere to sit outside on a warm evening, and there’s no better way to soak up the last of the sun than on your very own veranda.

Lighter curtains

Using light-coloured and lightweight material will allow the sun to stream straight through your curtains. You can still have some privacy if you find the right colour curtains, but being a bit lighter will mean you don’t have to be totally without the sun.

Glass bricks

Definitely not the cheapest option, using glass bricks is a very classy way to maintain your privacy while allowing the sunlight in. In theory, you could build your entire home out of glass bricks, but while it would be excellent for allowing light in, it would be difficult to insulate effectively.

Even though some people claim to like the dark, we all need sunlight in order to be healthy — both physically and mentally. And so, considering how much time you spend at home in an average year, it’s a good idea to make it a place bathed in sunshine. Still, while you will love having all the extra light and probably find yourself feeling happier, don’t forget about your skin — make sure you provide it with adequate protection.

Having an extension put on your home can make a huge difference and finally turn your home into the place you had dreamed it could be — though it may also set you back a fair chunk of change. The following tips will help you to budget for your home extension.

Create a master plan

Sit down — with your partner, if you have one — and plan out all of the things you would want to be included in your home extension. Make sure to include all of those luxury items you’ve been dreaming of, such as the hot tub, pergola or carport. Then, slowly eliminate the ones you don’t really need and can live without. Once you have a firm list, have a good look at your place and try and picture how and where you might be able to fit in some of your ideas; this will help you decide whether you need an addition on the rear of your house, a granny flat, or a whole new level to your home. Coming up with a good master plan will take you a while, so tinker with it and play around until you think it’s perfect.

Price it out

Once you have your master plan, call around and get a few companies to give you a quote on getting the work done. You’ll want to get companies to come out and look at your place to get a reasonably accurate quote, and once you have a few, pick out the company that sounds best to you — which may not always mean the cheapest one. Get companies to break down the prices per section of the extension, as this can help motivate you when saving towards it.

Start saving

It is going to take a decent amount of money to get your extension done, so you should start saving straight away. It might be worth putting your family holidays on hold for the next little while to try and cover the extension costs, and avoid any major purchases. Having a chart set up tracking your progress towards covering the costs of the extension can help motivate you, and having a piggy bank set up to funnel all that loose change into can make quite a difference too.

Extra work

Now is the perfect time to take on extra hours or shifts at work, as you should be well motivated by the goal of seeing your extension dream become a reality. Even an extra couple of hours each week can bring the extension date closer.

Recycled materials

You can save yourself quite a bit of money by using recycled material options wherever possible. This can often require a bit of hunting around; if your budget can’t handle buying all of your materials and supplies new, using recycled materials can do wonders for your home extension budget.

Like saving for anything, budgeting for a home extension just requires getting serious about your priorities for a while. Chances are that the extension will be good for the health and development of your family, so do what you can budget wise to ensure that it happens.

It’s awesome to have a good spot outside at your place where you can relax and entertain friends and family. However, because the weather will likely be different each time you want to hang out, it’s important to have an entertaining area that can easily adapt to the conditions and serve as a place where everyone will be comfortable, regardless of the weather. The following features will help you to more easily adjust your outdoor area to suit the conditions and your needs.

Portable heaters

Having a mobile source of heat is pretty fantastic if you like to entertain. On those spring or autumn evenings when it starts to cool off as soon as the sun goes down, your heating system will allow you to continue on with your gathering by simply turning it on. This will allow your awesome event to continue uninterrupted, as opposed to having to relocate everyone inside.

Motion-sensor lighting

No feature is more adjustable than a lighting system that turns on whenever you enter and switches off once everyone has left the area. For this, motion-sensor lighting is a fabulous idea, and gives you full visual access to your property without having to flick a switch or press a button. If your event moves to a different part of your outdoor area for some reason or another, you won’t have to worry about lighting because it will automatically move with you.

Retractable awnings

If it’s a beautiful evening and you want to be able to sit back and look at the stars, it’s nice to not have a great big awning blocking your view. However, if the weather were to change, you’d be glad you had the covering for protection. Retractable awnings covering your yard or patio allow you to have the best of both worlds, so you can adjust your setup according to what the weather is doing — meaning you’ll never again have to worry about what the weather will be like for your big event.

Hard pool covers

Having a pool is absolutely fantastic in the summer, but a lot of work throughout the rest of the year. If you get a hard cover for your pool, however, you can make use of the space where you’d normally be swimming for dining or entertaining instead. Some solid pool covers are designed to be able to withstand the weight of a dozen people, so you can even think about having live music at your party and setting them up on the pool.

Extra furniture

Providing that you have the space to put them, it helps to have extra seating options and even a few extra tables, just in case your event gets a little larger than you’d thought it would. This way you can easily put out a few more chairs and place settings, without it having to become a big deal and interrupt the party. This will also make it easier for you to save money on hiring venues for family celebrations, as you may be able to just fit everyone at your place instead. Quite often, you can get away with simply storing extra furniture under the veranda or in the shed.

One of the biggest trends in landscaping ideas for 2012 is the move towards local, sustainable and environmentally friendly options. The main push behind this has been predominantly financial constraints, though concern for the environment is also clearly shown via this year’s main design features. Consider the following for your home.

Integrate indoor and outdoor areas

This year will see more indoor/outdoor integration, with retractable coverings and sliding doors helping to remove the barriers between the interior and exterior zones. In good weather and with the right outdoor furniture, a reintegration could totally transform your home. So think about whether a pergola or patio may be just the thing to bridge the gap between your home’s indoor and outdoor areas.

Natural elements

Water, earth, rock and wood are all still popular landscaping ideas, and when used the right way can have your home looking like a natural yet modern paradise.

Local

Plants that are natural to your area will grow better, require less maintenance and be better suited to the conditions. As more people have looked to get away from using chemicals in their yards and gardens, using local plants has grown in popularity, as local plants are naturally designed to suit the local environment, making chemicals unnecessary.

Birdhouses

It’s all about birdhouses in 2012; the latest trend is to have a fancy home for your local birds somewhere in your yard. The more elaborate and crazy your birdhouse, the better.

Rooftop gardens

Perhaps it’s due to rising food prices, or perhaps its just plain creativity, but people have begun utilising more of their potential growing space by creating gardens on their rooftops. This fantastic idea has taken off in some communities, as for many people, their roofs are the only available space they have.

Narrow

Trees and shrubs of the narrow variety are popular in 2012 landscaping as people living in small places look to get the most out of their home and garden’s potential.

Edible

Using edible items in your landscaping is a huge hit right now, with gardeners turning to hearty crops that will also help save them money on their food bills. Whether it’s planting a fruit tree, a berry bush or a pot of basil, landscaping that you can eat is all the rage.

Slight adjustments

With the world economy still a little bit shaky, landscaping projects have been downsized from complete revamps to the slight adjustments; often, this is all your place needs anyway.

Meditation gardens

As the world just keeps getting crazier, more people are turning to meditation as a way to get their stress levels under control, and there is no better place to relax and chill than in the garden. 2012 landscaping will feature more than a few ideas for creating your own little garden meditation spot.

The nook

2012 landscaping designs will feature lots of nooks and hidden areas, creating perfect spots to escape with your book for a few hours, or to go with a love interest and talk. Having a couple of well hidden nooks can make gardens far more interesting, so see if there is room for a special little space somewhere in your design.

Styles come and go but here are 3 of the top styles for your outdoor area that will give you a fantastic entertaining area. While standard features such as pergolas will have a wide range of colours and styles you will also want to think about an overall theme for the backyard. Sometimes, wooden patios can fit in better with your backyard if you are after a more ‘natural’ look with nice wood colours or something that will match some wooden decking.

The three different styles we look at have a lot of options you can play around with to suit your needs, these include:

• Sleek and modern – a stylish design that is becoming more and more common as it is easy to maintain as well as looking good.
• Rustic and Old Fashioned – more earthy colours will give your home a traditional look featuring wooden decking and a patio and perhaps more roughly hewn edging for the garden.
• Aussie Backyard – a drought proof garden is a great idea to save money on water and also to have your garden looking fresher all year round.

Sleek and Modern

A sleek and modern backyard incorporates smooth lines as well as easy to maintain plants. To top off this kind of backyard you will want to build a nice steel pergola with a colour to match the rest of your backyard. You can use fantastic natural pacing such as sandstone that is quite neutral or you could even get really modern and try some polished concrete.

Most modern gardens look great with bromeliads or even some other hard leaf varieties. As a rule of green thumb you should choose soft edged but tough leafed varieties as these are usually much hardier then other varieties. Softer leaved plants will usually require more water and also need more regular maintenance.

Rustic and Old Fashioned

Having a classic rustic garden can be easy by using the right materials as well as the right outdoor furniture and plants. Lawns are great for this type of garden as well as wooden patios that have a more natural colouring. Try to track down some nice metal benches with pretty designs to make your garden a nice place to sit and think.

Another great idea is to have painted stones or even patterned pavers to give that beautiful traditional look. You will want to have some traditional garden varieties and even some hardy lavender to give your backyard a beautiful smell. Wicker outdoor furniture can also look good and keeps with the ‘old fashioned’ feel of this style of backyard.

The Great Aussie Backyard Garden

Making an ‘Aussie’ style of backyard is easy if you use natural products and lots of native plant varieties. Because of the modern nature of Australian natives a steel pergola will look great and provide some great entertaining space. Using hardy Australian plant varieties means you will have longer lasting flowers (with varieties such as bottle brush) as well as a much reduced water bill.

Whatever style you choose make sure it suits your personality and lifestyle.

There are lots of different types of patios and pergolas to suit your needs but one of the best types you can find these days is the sunroof style ones. These allow you to open up your outdoor area to a bit of light or closing it off if it is too hot or if it starts raining during that important party. With this style of outdoor covering your plants and parties will benefit from having an adjustable roof.

Benefits of a Sunroof

the benefits of a standard pergola are clear: protection against the sun, protection against the rain and an attractive addition to any home. A sunroof pergola will give you ultimate control over your outdoor environment. Instead of not having enough light in winter months you can open up your roof and let the sun shine in.

This also means that in the summer time you can let the sun warm up the paving in the morning and then close off the roof to keep it cool in the middle of the day. It also means much brighter and fun parties and BBQ in your backyard. You can have the rood open for some lovely sun, and if the inevitable storm comes through you can simply grab the remote and close it off to protect your guests from the rain.

Incorporating Plants

Having a sunroof pergola will allow you to have healthier and happier plants in your outdoor area. Often, plants in undercover areas suffer from a lack of water if you forget to look after them. With a sunroof pergola you can open up your outdoor areas to let your plants get a good natural watering when it rains.

This can save you having to run around and water all your undercover outdoor plants by hand. The only other option is to install a complicated automatic watering system which is very difficult unless you know what you’re doing. It also means you will have greater choice when it comes to what kind of plants will survive in your outdoor area.

Cost Comparisons

While adding a sunroof to your pergola may cost you a little bit more the price difference is not huge considering the added features. Considering the basic frame and structure will be the same costs you are only paying extra for an adjustable roof. The hardiness of the sunroof features will also make it worth the extra cost.

Added House Value

One of the best reasons to have a sunroof pergola installed is the improvement it will bring to your house value. The basic costs of having it installed will be easily recouped by adding to the resale value of your home. It will also make your home more easy to sell especially if you have a nice backyard to accompany it.

A sunroof pergola is easily adjustable and usually comes with a remote control. This means very little hassles when you have to adjust your roof. It will also impress friends and family that are over for a get together as you seamlessly open or close the roof to the desired setting.

As summer rolls round many of us come out the back to finally clean up the much neglected outdoor area. However, maintaining your patios and pergolas year round can mean you have more opportunity to use them and less to do outside in the summer heat. A few simple routines and maintenance can mean your outdoor area is clean, usable and a relaxing place to hang out.

Cleaning Your Flooring

With a build up of leaves and other plant materials (as well as dirt) in your outdoor area it is important to have a thorough clean of your outdoor concrete and paving. While you can give it a quick clean with a hose, it is better to use proper surface cleaners. However, many of these cleaners contain a few chemicals to remove stains so be careful when handling it.

It is also a great idea to invest in a pressure cleaner as this will really help remove any stains, dirt and mould from outside. While this may seem like a bit much for just your outdoor paving, it also saves a lot of water compared to an ordinary house. Also, it can be used to clean your car much quicker as well when you are not using to clean outside.

Keeping Your Patio Maintained

Keeping your patio, pergola or other covered outdoor area maintained throughout the year is very important both for looks as well as structural integrity. Depending on what kind of patio you have, you will want to make sure that exposure is not damaging it. Wooden structures will often fade and will need to be treated with decking oil or painted at regular intervals.

If you have a steel pergola installed than maintenance will be minimal. You should, however, keep an eye on things to make sure there is no rust or other problems. A new steel pergola will be protected by any rust problems. They will also be very sturdy against any adverse weather conditions that would affect less sturdy structures.

Making Your Garden Green

Keeping your outdoor area looking great will require at least a little bit of a green thumb. If you are not the gardening type then you should think about planting a low maintenance garden. Using plants that do not require much water a much easier to keep looking healthy (and alive!) and will also save you money on your water bill.

Preparing for Parties

You will also want to keep your barbecue and outdoor furniture clean and ready to use, particularly in summer time. Barbecues can get quite a lot of build up with constant use and you will want to use a proper cleaning solution with a wire brush to maintain it. You will also want to waterproof your outdoor furniture as it can wear and break due to constant exposure to the elements.

Then, once all of your outdoor areas are clean and looking good you can enjoy them with friends and family. Then you might also look at updating those undercover areas with a new patio or some different coloured pavers.

Verandas (or verandahs) have become a part of the Australian national psyche. Although, verandas and other covered outdoor areas have been an important part of world architecture for hundreds of years. While a traditional veranda usually encompasses a large portion of the outside of a house there are other alternatives such as patios and pergolas.

The Origins of the Word

The word ‘verandah’ is purported to have originated from India with a meaning that covered a number of outdoor extensions of a home. There were also similar sounding words originating in Spain and Portugal: baranda as well as a barandilla. It was only later in Australian early architecture that the term ‘veranda’ became synonymous with the covered area, held up by balustrades, around a single structure (usually a house).

Because of the wide range of meanings related to veranda, it has come to mean many types of outdoor covered areas that extend from a house. So while many of us think of the ‘traditional’ veranda, there are many other types that fall into this category. Almost anything that extends from the roof to form a covered outdoor area could be considered a veranda.

Variations in Architecture

While a traditional Australian veranda is around a house there are slight variations depending on the area that they were built. The traditional ‘Queenslander’ is one of the best examples of early Australian outdoor areas with a veranda stretching around the entire house. This type of house is unique because of the tall stilts it is built upon and its open plan style, many with French style bi-fold doors.

The other main type of early verandas were simply extensions of either the front or back roof of a house (or both). This allows for easy entertaining or just for sitting and watching the world go by. This style of outdoor area was also very popular among homesteads and early (often large) country homes featured verandas around the entire house.

Predominance in Australian Houses

The predominance of the veranda around Australian homes can be put down to the climate in Australia. Like other countries (India for example) where hot and often humid temperatures prevail this style of housing is great for making a home cooler. European style housing (whilst popular) would suffer intense heat because of the exposed walls of the building getting hit by the strong Australian sun.

The Future of the Verandah

While verandas did go out of style for a number of years in Australia for more ‘fashionable’ housing styles, they are coming back! This has been put down to the number of inefficient houses built over the last few decades that made the same mistakes early settlers did. By covering the walls and windows of a home in a hot area they become more environmentally friendly by requiring less energy to cool down.

Even newer styles of outdoor coverings (such as pergolas) help by preventing direct light and heat from entering the home. It will also provide a much needed, cool and comfortable place to relax in the heat of the Australian summer.

If you have your own children or kids that visit your home regularly you are probably concerned about sun exposure especially during the summer months. Without pergolas or other cover children and adults alike are exposed to harmful ultra-violet rays when they are outside. While kids will need a little time in the sun for their vitamin D if they spend a lot of time outside you might want to consider installing an undercover children’s play area.

Upgrading Your Outdoor Area

The simplest way to upgrade your outdoor area to make a sun safe play spot is to install patios or something similar. While sun sails are a bit cheaper they are much more prone to weathering can often be torn down by strong winds if not installed properly. The first step in creating your children’s new play area is deciding on the right form of covering.

This is because there will be minimal construction work involved and if you start with the play equipment and installation of lawn or other surfaces they might be damaged. Plan everything and you will have a lot less headaches as you complete your project. So not only choose your covering you will use but decide on everything else you need before you begin construction. You should also seek quotes first so that you have a good idea what the entire project will cost including DIY solutions.

Choosing What Play Equipment

Play equipment can be hard to choose but as a rule of thumb you want it to be used for some time to come. Installing a cubby or play house of a good size means the kids can use it for some time. Also, larger play equipment that can be used by small children through to bigger kids (not Dad of course!) is ideal. The other option is to opt for non permanent play equipment to be used so that you can get rid of it as the children grow out of it.

A popular outdoor undercover play area solution these days is to have a play garden with tough plants as well as smaller benching and paths. This allows your children to use their imagination and their own toys to play outside rather than purpose built play equipment. Ask a nursery for advice on the most hardy plants to use that have soft leaves such as cordylines.

Hard or Soft Surfaces?

Having a hard surface can be useful for a children’s play area as it will be much easier to clean if there are spills. However, there is an increased chance that the little ones can hurt themselves on the concrete or pavers. Using rubber surface coverings can take away a lot of these concerns as the kids may graze themselves but not have any impact injuries because of hard surfaces. These are, however, a bit harder to maintain and won’t last as long as pavers.

Safety Concerns

As a parent you will have safety concerns about your outdoor play area. Remember, no matter how much you try to make it ‘child proof’ slip ups will occur. The trick is to avoid any serious injuries by avoiding sharp edged materials as well as spiky or serrated plant leaves. The best way to have a safe children’s play area is always supervision and education so make sure the kids play safe in their new sun safe undercover play area!