Choosing the right design for your Oyster Bay Cove, NY, home’s yard will have huge long term benefits. Any yard’s aesthetics and functionality can be greatly enhanced with the right design and can even help play down topographical shortcomings such as awkward gradients and limited space. That’s where intelligent, artful use of shape and line come in.
Paths
Walkways are usually the first feature that comes to mind when we discuss the use of curves and lines in landscape design. The size of your yard is important when determining what types of paths you can use. In general, meandering paths tend to take up more space, making them better suited for larger yards. A central flowing path through a large yard is generally an efficient way to connect individual areas. For smaller yards, keeping primary paths straighter tends to free up more space for other features while keeping your landscape functional. This can also be achieved with a single sweeping curve that provides efficiency and artistic flair simultaneously.
The design language of your yard
Next we consider the overall design language of your yard. For most modern yards, snaking lines tend to look amiss in general. Straight paths and gentle arcs, curves, and circles tend to be more in line with the minimalist design favored by most modern yards. However, for yards featuring a more traditional design with no fixed structure, the rustic nature offered by snaking paths and curves is unrivaled.
Circles
Next we come to the largest curve of them all: a circle. A circle is a powerful shape in any landscape design, whether used in its full form or as semi-circles and arcs. Their consistent shape makes it easy to place features within them while also naturally highlighting them. Moreover, overlapping circles can provide a wonderfully balanced design with the right mix of modern and traditional design elements. Overlapping circles work well whether used in small yards or large. In general, it is ideal to have one large circle to provide a focal point, with offshoots of varying sizes to give your design some variation.
Striking a balance
All in all, the ideal design for any yard is one that strikes a good balance between curves and straight lines. This requires more mild forms of the two to make them work together. While such designs can be difficult to execute tastefully, the results can be spectacular when done right. This is why professional assistance with this matter is so important.
It is important to avoid extremes in any balanced design: curves should be gentle, bold, and sweeping, and a high number of small arcs should be avoided as they tend to make a design seem full and awkward. Lines should be broad whether they are used in paths or flowerbeds and can be complemented with borders to enhance their effect. Mixing curves and lines can be challenging, and continuity within the different shapes is of vital importance to give your yard a balanced look that goes easy on the eyes. Small angles should be avoided, especially at points where curves and lines tend to come together, to keep your design flowing and smooth.
