Hardscaping Around the Pool

As we’ve said many times before, simply installing a pool does not make a genuinely outstanding outdoor living space. A supporting cast for your pool is important, but backyard hardscaping is nearly as essential as building the theater in the first place. Let’s see if we can’t spark some inspiration.
 

Leading the Way

Join us on the path to perfect outdoor living. No, literally — the path. Hardscape features can start out as simply as building a path to lead from your door to your patio to your pool to your garden.
 

• Form: Create clean and safe walkways to traverse your outdoor living oasis.

• Function: Define and outline spaces in your yard; intertwine with the look and of your house. (Pro tip: Don’t fight with existing design elements. If your house is a bit on the rustic side, a natural stone pathway will add to that charm. Meanwhile, a more modern house could benefit from stylistically placed geometric concrete pads.)

The Perfect Patio

Whether it’s pavers, pavement, or more complex brick and stone work, a proper patio is the gathering place for many a relaxing summer evening and poolside party. It’s the land of the grill and the home of the fire pit. It’s the platform upon which you stand as you overlook your backyard resort. It’s adding an extra hundred or more square feet of living space to your home.
 

• Form: Expertly constructed patios can be incredibly attractive and really wow guests.

• Function: Extensive. So much can be done on a patio — whether it’s a dining room, a wet bar, a lounge spot, your BBQ HQ, or anything else you dream up.

Regal Retaining Walls

It’s one thing to stick some wood boards in the ground and call it a retaining wall. It’s another to build your retaining walls as part of your backyard hardscaping project, creating beautiful stone facades to keep your landscaping in order. We’ll talk more about landscaping in coming weeks.
 

• Form: Create cascading tiers of garden for a house on a hill, or simply outline your modest flower bed to create sharp lines of contrast in your landscape design.

• Function: Retaining walls prevent erosion, particularly on hilly landscapes. Erosion takes soil and nutrients away from the plants, leaving them vulnerable, as well as creates potential problems wherever that eroded material eventually lands.

The Hottest Backyard Hardscaping Trends

You know what they say — if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen…or bring the kitchen outside to cool off. Take a step up from plopping a grill on the patio and build a full-blown outdoor kitchen. Pump ‘alfresco’ up a notch by incorporating an outdoor dining area, too. But the hot features don’t stop there. Add an outdoor fireplace to combine the coziness of cuddling in front of a fire with cuddling under the stars. Add a hardscaped fire pit to enjoy endless s’mores sessions. Summer nights can get chilly — don’t get left out in the cold without your backyard hardscaping.
 

• Form: An outdoor kitchen will be the envy of all your friends — we promise. At the same time, a hardscaped fire pit is a lot prettier than that rusty ol’ metal one you have hiding under your deck.

• Function: Enjoy your guests company while you whip up a delicious dinner. Keep an eye on the kids in the pool while you man the stove. Not to mention the strength and durability of hardscaped fire elements.

Other Ideas?

Found something really awesome on Pinterest or in a magazine? Want to recreate the resort you stayed at for your honeymoon? We’re listening, and we’re ready to help you build the ultimate outdoor oasis. Always feel free to strike up a conversation — we want to do everything we can to turn your outdoor living dreams into a reality.

Building an Outdoor Living Oasis with Rhine Pools

At Rhine Pools, we take pride in setting ourselves apart from your typical pool contractor. After seeing the way other pool contractors led their customers through the runaround, Jay Rhine wanted to give the people what they really wanted. Someone who will be with you, start to finish, and leave you with something better than you could have ever imagined. A new pool in Maryland that makes use of landscape architecture brings a lot more value, not just to your pool, but to your outdoor living and your home as a whole. Are you interested in learning more or getting started with your backyard oasis project? Contact us today to talk with us about what you want to do with your pool installation or remodel. Give us a call at 410.442.2445. Don’t forget to keep with us on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter too!