So, you feel like you’re living in a frozen winter land this season. You’re not alone! Already this winter, homes across the nation, from Cheyenne to Charlotte, have experienced bone-chilling weather that makes you want to do nothing but curl up at home in front of a fire.
The good news is, that’s one hundred percent possible, even if you want to be outdoors. Back yard fire pits, fireplaces with big, beautiful stone hearths that you can pull up to or cook a winter feast in,.. with some good hardscaping plans like these in place, it can be your reality this winter.
Here are the season’s best hardscaping ideas to help you finish out 2021 and begin 2022 with a great set of plans to get the most out of your yard this coming year and beyond.
1. The “Cozy Area” for Hot Chocolate Nights
Take a cue from top resorts, many of whom are adopting group concept destination spots around their properties with cozy fire pit stations. Have you ever received a S’mores kit upon check-in at a fancy winter resort? It’s to encourage guests to pull up to their outdoor fire pits and relax after they check in. It works wonders to ease stress, stir up conversation, or turn any moment into a great memory.
That’s the idea for homeowners who have their own fire pits built. That warm glow of a fire, the reassurance you get that it’s a safe way to gather around the warmth of a live flame, and the beauty of design, not to mention the zillions of ways you can customize an outdoor living space around a fire pit, are all reasons why it’s one of the number one trends in the Haymarket area, and one of our top requests!
2. The Outdoor Fireplace for Showcasing Your Winter Gourmand Skills
Baking delicious treats in your kitchen – bread, cookies, roasts, and more – is a perennial wintertime tradition. But cooking over an open flame is still something that’s reserved just for summer and fall… unless you have a cook’s outdoor fireplace. Different from a BBQ pit or a campfire, an outdoor fireplace that’s built for cooking in an outdoor kitchen can handle more precise control of your cooking temperatures. Plus, it comes with accessories to make outdoor cooking over an open flame a treat: built-in rotisserie spits, pizza oven options, and implements to help you cook with your cast-iron cookery for high-heat searing.
3. The Overgrown Stone “Driveway”
Finally, if you’re in the planning stages, here is a great winter plan to get rolling the minute the weather breaks. Give yourself time to plan carefully and learn about the myriad of stone options so you can make choices that support your style and budget goals.
When is a driveway not just a driveway? When it’s really a beautiful, overgrown terrace that can accommodate vehicles… and look gorgeous and welcoming for strolling and pedestrian traffic at the same time. Create a driveway-sized path with stone that’s set several inches apart to allow for lush grass to sprout and grow free. It’s sturdy and durable enough for cars, yet green enough to integrate with your landscaping scheme and be enticing for walking on. It’s also a great solution for driveway-centered property designs that are common wherever you go, as it camouflages the driveway and makes your home more pedestrian-friendly, hence more welcoming.
So, We Invite to You to Get Planning!
Here at COVIS, we’re not just about enticing you with ideas – we want to help you bring them to life, too! But if you’re still just gathering ideas and you’re not ready to make a plan, we understand. That’s why our blog is full of more ideas like these, with inspiration to help you get started. We welcome you to click around, ask for help, contact us to chat, or call for a quote, wherever you are with your winter plans!
