For today’s homeowners, landscaping has become an important and often expensive priority. Experts note that we spend more than $40 billion a year on equipment, design, plants, and maintenance for our yards. While any residential real estate developer or home builder will attest to the importance of landscaping for potential buyers, there are great ways for homeowners to reduce this maintenance with better planning.
In areas where the weather gets a little toasty in the spring and summer, many families enjoy spending time in the pool. Acme Brick has introduced a low-maintenance and durable innovation for the coping – capping the edge or shell – of the backyard pool.
Britt Stokes of Acme Brick notes, “The Marion Ceramics BrickTile offers an appealing and superior alternative to quarry tile, brick pavers, or concrete pavers. Marion Ceramics use the finest clays, shale, and raw materials, which are fine ground to produce the smooth wire cut texture. The wire cut texture is the perfect balance between safety and ease of clean-up – smooth, yet optimum in slip-resistance even when wet.
“With our BrickTile, you can avoid the danger of slippery quarry tile as well as minimizing the rougher characteristics of traditional brick pavers. For designers and homeowners, the aesthetics possible with our classic brick shape and beautiful colors are just as important as the technical excellence of our products.”
One of the best places to find inspiration for low-maintenance home landscaping ideas is the design website Lonny. Its editors recently compiled a collection of “DIY hacks” that may inspire homeowners to spend even more time at home, and outside. You can also find 12 additional DIY ideas from Acme Brick here.
For more backyard design ideas than you could ever imagine, the online magazine Jungalow is a great resource. Writer/artist Justina Blakeney shared her idea for a unique bar for outdoor entertaining space in this publication. She attached a floating shelf to the facade of her home — right below a window — and placed two stools underneath. She also added some beautiful bulbs to the mix.
Is there anything more charming than a tree swing? Lonny notes that “installing one in your own yard is a lot easier than it seems.” Amanda of “Love & Renovations” made hers from scratch by attaching a wood seat to a very sturdy tree branch with some thick rope. Click here to see how she built this old-school charming swing.
Few things are more boring than taking a shower. You stand there, get wet, lather up and rinse. However, leave it to Tabitha Blue, who writes the blog “Fresh Mommy” to make taking a shower an entirely different experience. Plus, it is as simple as buying a shower head, hooking it up to a garden hose, building a little fence for privacy, and laying some Acme clay pavers. Rinse and repeat. Here’s how to build a simple, low-maintenance and inexpensive outdoor shower.
Just as with the interior of a home, strategic placement of furniture can make a small space seem larger. “I always recommend tucking an outdoor sectional into a corner on your patio or deck to maximize floor space, plus provide an abundance of seating,” says David Dillion, creative and design director of Yardbird.
Products such as “Nest” forever changed the way interior thermostats efficiently heat and cool homes, and “smart technology” has become ubiquitous. According to Lonny, Legrand’s GFCI smart outdoor switch allows customers to schedule their lighting sessions around the clock.”
Outdoor entertainment spaces are some of the hottest areas of the home, and Acme Brick is introducing remarkable outdoor tile products for low-maintenance and luxurious living. In our next post, we’ll introduce you to revolutionary ceramic tiles that will forever change the way you look at the backyard.
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