Aménagement de votre cour arrière, entre ancien et nouveau

For landscaping backyards and gardens you need passion and most of all, the ability to prospect every material and technique available. In this article, we will highlight the main landscaping trends. All over the world this domain is very dynamic because decorative elements are affordable. All you need is a little effort and inspiration and the results are often amazing. In fact, many people will not even perceive it as an effort, since it is always fuelled by passion for nature and relaxation.

Minimalism is still trendy, but it is... heating up

Simple lines are still prevailing, except for a few things. Stainless steel and smooth surfaces, elements that seem to belong to a SF movie, lose power. Whether we have to decorate small or large backyards, the cold and distant atmosphere associated with straight lines begin to fade. The green plants take more space, with natural materials having a strong comeback. Natural stone, especially the riven or tumbled finish, replaces concrete.

Rough surfaces are very popular, since they convey the vibration of nature from the first visual contact... As mentioned earlier, concrete in the shape of SF ships used for backyard landscaping is currently living its last moments of glory. Even when you prefer a less crowded space, the tendency is to use stone slabs (with straight lines!) or medium size stones for separating an alley, belts around a house, flowers area...

Keep it rustic but also a bit modern 

Landscaping a backyard in rustic style will always remain a dream for most people. A dream very easy to fulfill now. Some larger stones, some smaller, many flowers, a gazebo made of wood and natural stone, a travertine cladded terrace and some boulders that look like random here and there... With these elements at hand, it's almost impossible to fail a decoration design with rustic accents. Of course, rustic is very popular, but could you have something original yet relaxing every time we come bak home, while being amazing for the guests?

First we introduce elements of modernity and elegance in this rustic-oriented ambience. Start with fences that can be cladded with polygonal natural stone / plywood with different stone types. Gaining more popularity lately is this new approach with the stone-cladded fence in mosaic structures and no strong colors. The wood will still be present alongside the stone, but the wenge and reddish dark colors will bring a note of elegance with minimal costs, especially for landscaping small courtyards.

Mariana Constantinescu-Bradescu, Managing partner PIATRAONLINE: "Terrace furniture designers have promoted worldwide natural materials, especially for exterior elements from soft wood and stone. The wicker, rattan and bamboo chairs are trendy for your garden terrace but also limestone, granite and travertine paving. Reconditioned and updated articles emerged a long time ago and the trend remains in 2017. Apart from garden elements, the pallets pieces are strongly popular."

Contradicting the trend of using less chromium and stainless steel in the current minimalist decoration projects, the rustic decoration projects incorporate these materials in an organic and creative way. Such materials highlight an elegant, slightly urban and challenging ambience... Moreover, the traditional style (old school) can be combined with curved lines, abstract shapes, yet maintaining the same area of rustic comfort, with dominant colours of cream, gray, reddish and more rarely, white.

Mariana Constantinescu-Bradescu, managing Partner PIATRAONLINE: "The terrace is a place in which ancient lines meet the design of the 21st century and the wooden tables will be covered with retro-printed fabrics. As a resting place, in here the stone accents are combined with metallic touches such as wrought iron, copper, stainless steel or brass, trendy materials in 2017. "

Another solution for "updating" the rustic design is to bring pillows, sofas or colored chairs, as well as cladding walls with colored stones: Multicolor Slate and Sahara Slate Wall Cladding Panel or many types of quartzite. Other "fireworks" for refining contemporary rustic: water fountains with traditional look, small ponds and crafted (with closed circuit and pumps), natural stone alleys consisting of irregularly shaped stones (as opposed to the square / rectangular shaped ones, used in the minimalist approach).

Moderate combination that says good bye to eclecticism

From an elementary psychological motivation, the combination of elements from different areas – that is eclecticism – has lost its energy. The world seeks relaxation, and this is attained in a consistent shape, in terms of style, without much colors and textures. Photos with backyards landscaping design reveal balanced structures, with soft, light personal touches – absolutely normal for an area imagined as a berrier against the nstant flux of many aggressive visual signals.

As for natural stone, we should avoid black marble on the terrace, Silver Cross Cut Travertine in the driveway and a Padang Dark polished granite table between 2 green couches. Two colors are sufficient: Silver Cross Cut Travertine in the alley and the Black Tumbled Marble Mini French Pattern set. For landscaping small backyards with plenty of green, it is recommended to stick to a single color stone. The same advice goes for patios. The chromatic dialogue (2-3 colors) is beneficial and even recommended for landscaping medium and large backyards.

Fun for the little ones

Usually, customers want to include a children's playground in their backyard. The novelty here is a childre’s space different from the typical sand with borders, therefore replace it wth an area that stimulates creativity in a pleasant environment. According to experts, entertainment and relaxation should be combined with education, even in garden playgrounds. And here, you have to manage a low number of colors and a single color with two shades would be ideal. Anyway, the area is cluttered with toys, when you have small children.

For older children, landscaping should have warm, natural colors. You can easily notice this warm color theme, repeated for a very simple reason: it makes you feel good, even without noticing it.

That's why the natural stone turns slowly into a basic element in landscaping. For paving older children playgrounds we suggest Homa Polygonal Slate slabs, Maple Red Granite Cobblestone or Kavala Marble Sawn Cut Cobblestone. These products have different colors and depending on the rest of the area, will maintain a relaxed atmosphere of safety, stimulating creativity for the little ones. If you prefer a grass playground, large rocks placed in the corners will relax the atmosphere even more, allowing the children to perceive the proximity to nature.

Remember that stones are essential for sand areas edging. First and foremost from a practical point of view (stops the spread of sand), but also from an aesthetic point of view. There are many stones to choose from: cobblestone or garden landscape stones, each with many colors and sizes. And keep in mind some exotic elements as inspiration source for the little ones: rocks similar to soccer balls, spheres able to be used as chairs / for purely aesthetic purpose.

Fun for adults

Our daily stress is perceived by the constant presence of garden barbecues and ovens in small or large backyards landscape. One should enjoy life, while having everything at hand. The metal BBQ grates are slowly out of fashion, because Romanian customers prefer a modern garden and a safe environment for family and guests. Garden barbecues cladded with polygonal stone or deco brick are available in two colors, so you should have no problem integrating them in any backyard, especially when it comes to rustic design.

Terracing the land whenever possible

Every landscaping project (even a patio) can benefit from terracing and this could include several steps or only one level difference. And natural stones are ideal for something like this. The novelty consists in terracing almost any area around the house. It is obvious that a smaller place requires more “sacrifices”. So, not enough space for couches and smaller chairs (wooden or metal) instead, no larger table and long, narrow, stone table right in the middle instead, partially crossing the backyard or a stone shelf in a corner. This backyard terracing, definitely doubled by a lot of green, will create a pleasant, refreshing ambience and last but not least, intimate associated with a strong feeling of being close to nature.

As you were able to see, the trends in landscaping highlight natural stone. Because natural stone conveys relaxation and safety and since is so durable and versatile, it will be easier to customize it, and not only for landscaping, but also for interior decoration.

For further details on choosing the natural stone best suited to your project give us a call at +40318.222.333, or send us an email at export@piatraonline.com!