6 Fun Masonry Features to Add Interest to Your Middletown, RI Backyard

Even though COVID-19 restrictions have put a temporary stop on new landscaping projects, this is the perfect time to plan summer landscape renovations. Good planning will reward you with many years of enjoyment and satisfaction. To inspire you, here are 6 masonry features to add interest to your Middletown, RI backyard.

Related: 3 Ways Landscaping Companies Turn Middletown, RI Backyards Into Extensions of the Home

Many masonry elements can serve double duty as functional elements and attractive focal points, which helps you make the most of your space.

Cooking and Eating

The hub of outdoor living centers around the hearth, just like indoors. If you’ve outgrown a basic grill station but don’t need the full range of cooking amenities you would find in an outdoor kitchen, you can meet in the middle. An L-shaped cooking area lets you put your grill (and smoker) on one “leg” of the L, an a dining bar on the other “leg.” This way, everyone can be in on the action and the bar offers a dining solution that frees up a lot of patio space. The walls of your outdoor cooking area can match a retaining wall or an outdoor fireplace; or, you can treat it as its own unique centerpiece by using complementary but different veneers.

Relaxing

Fire is the other element that takes outdoor living to the next level. You can opt for a classic fire pit to add a rustic camp-like feel to your backyard. Fire pits can be as simple or elegant as you like. Outdoor fireplaces can be virtually any style, from stark minimalist to Tuscan (complete with a brick pizza oven). Add a seat wall around your fire feature to minimize clutter while giving everyone a cozy view of the fire. A high-backed seat wall is more comfortable and it also helps to hold the heat in, if you plan on using the space into the cooler months. A backless seat wall makes the space feel more open. 

A Patio Addition

If your patio isn’t adequate for your needs, you may not have to do a complete makeover. An addition may be all that’s needed! For example, adding a dedicated fire pit area or a pergola-covered seating area will open up the rest of the patio and help create defined activity zones. You don’t even have to use the same patio materials. The new space can have its own unique personality - and you can tie the two spaces together using a seat wall.

A Zen Space 

Sometimes, you want to be outside but not in the middle of the action. An unused corner of the backyard, or even a side yard, can become a delightful zen retreat where you can escape from your worries. A small paver patio, a comfortable porch swing or hammock, and a privacy wall are all you need! The privacy wall doesn’t have to be a boring fence; you can make the space even more special by installing a water wall flanked by masonry pillars (water cascades down a smooth opaque glass or copper surface to create natural white noise; or, you can build small planters into a masonry wall to create an ever-changing display (herbs and annuals in summer, and pinecones and glass balls for winter).

Water

Aside from a zen-space waterwall, fountains add movement and interest to your landscape. The soothing trickle of water helps mask the sounds of the neighborhood - and it’s an opportunity to add artistic flair to your backyard, as well as attracting local songbirds who will delight you with their cheerful songs.

Related: 6 Ways Masonry Can Update a Dated Outdoor Living Space in Tiverton RI