Calgary Home Decor & Renovations - Dec 2014/Jan 2015

MATCH THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF YOUR HOME TO CREATE THE MOST AESTHETICALLY PLEASING LOOK interior kitchen, for instance, creates ease or flow for the cook; especially if your outdoor kitchen is not fully equipped, which so many are not in this climate. Having an entertaining patio off your family room or living room allows guests to mingle between the two areas at larger gatherings. I have a fairly small family room off my kitchen but have double French doors leading to a good sized patio with outdoor living room furniture and the ease and flow for guests is fantastic. As well, the view from the French doors is very pretty with gardens and a water feature on the other side of the patio. If you have a narrow style home or infill, with only one rear exit, we often use in line both a deck and a stone patio. One for cooking and dining and one for relaxing or entertaining. With wider lots and homes they can still flow one from the other or be completely separated depending on the layout of your home and how many exterior doors you have leading to the rear gardens. Creating the right flow maximizes the beauty of any outdoor living space.

When designing gardens or outdoor living spaces, I like to make sure they match the architectural style of your home to create the most aesthetically pleasing look in the back and side areas and the most curb appeal in the front! Some styles will overlap at least to some degree. For instance, contemporary gardens and formal gardens share similar elements such as simplicity and less colour. Just as xeriscape, desert style gardens and zen gardens all use less plant material than traditional or English style gardens and more boulders, gravels or pea stone. Vegetable gardens can be incorporated into any style of garden as can children’s gardens and fruit bearing trees and shrubs. Another important element in aesthetics and flow, as well as design, is to use the same materials indoors and out. If that is not possible because of our harsh Canadian winters and you have to change to a different product, match the colours as closely as possible. As long as it is from the same palette, the shade can be slightly darker or lighter. Remember to check your colours in various light situations to make sure they compliment each other in both bright sunlight and artificial light. Colour also plays a part in 59