How to Identify Your Garden Design Style
Before starting an outdoor renovation, take the time to determine which garden style suits your taste and site
One of the first steps to take when planning a garden revamp is to identify – or clarify – your design style. There are many looks to choose from, so it will help to determine a design that appeals to you, but also one that suits your site.
To get started, browse and save garden ideas you like and then – this part’s crucial – pare them down. The result will be a much clearer vision of what you’d like your garden to be and, ultimately, a much more cohesive-looking space. I’ve divided the process of refining your style into three phases: inspiration, editing, and design clarification.
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
To get started, browse and save garden ideas you like and then – this part’s crucial – pare them down. The result will be a much clearer vision of what you’d like your garden to be and, ultimately, a much more cohesive-looking space. I’ve divided the process of refining your style into three phases: inspiration, editing, and design clarification.
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
Consider your home’s architecture and style: If your home has a clean, modern aesthetic, for example, you may want to let its design vocabulary help guide style choices in the garden. While your outdoor space style doesn’t have to match that of your home, it’s useful to pay attention to the lines, materials and scale of your house to create a site that looks cohesive as a whole.
Assess the challenges of your site: Does your garden feature a steep slope or lack privacy from nearby homes? When saving photos, look for ones that feature design solutions to similar or relevant challenges.
Assess the challenges of your site: Does your garden feature a steep slope or lack privacy from nearby homes? When saving photos, look for ones that feature design solutions to similar or relevant challenges.
Need a pro for your home renovation project?
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
Inside Houzz tip In addition to browsing all outdoor photos or searching for specific garden elements, you can refine your Houzz search even more. Use the facet filters (located in drop-down menus at the top of the photo page) to limit your results by location, size, style, budget and more.
Find a local garden designer on Houzz and view photos of their past projects.
Find a local garden designer on Houzz and view photos of their past projects.
2. Editing phase
Once you’ve collected a broad range of inspirational photos, start to review your saved images with a more critical eye. Home in on the garden styles you saved most, keeping in mind your site’s conditions. You don’t have to stick to one landscape design style – a simple, modern design can pair with traditional-style floral borders, for instance.
Once you’ve collected a broad range of inspirational photos, start to review your saved images with a more critical eye. Home in on the garden styles you saved most, keeping in mind your site’s conditions. You don’t have to stick to one landscape design style – a simple, modern design can pair with traditional-style floral borders, for instance.
In general, plan to pare your inspiration photos down to one or two general garden styles to have a clear vision of how you’d like your space to look. The more specific you can be about what you like and don’t like, the better. A landscape design professional can help to identify elements that can bridge those styles and can also tailor designs to your site.
Need a pro for your home renovation project?
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
Let Houzz find the best pros for you
3. Design clarification phase
Once you’ve narrowed down your photos to create a more cohesive general style, it’s time to identify what you specifically like about each photo. Perhaps it’s the architectural quality of a row of plants silhouetted against a wall, a colour palette of a meadow garden or the graceful curve of a deck.
You can add a note below the photo in your Houzz ideabook to call out the design idea you like in that particular image. This will be helpful information to communicate with a design professional.
Once you’ve narrowed down your photos to create a more cohesive general style, it’s time to identify what you specifically like about each photo. Perhaps it’s the architectural quality of a row of plants silhouetted against a wall, a colour palette of a meadow garden or the graceful curve of a deck.
You can add a note below the photo in your Houzz ideabook to call out the design idea you like in that particular image. This will be helpful information to communicate with a design professional.
When you look at your edited collection of inspiration images, can you tell if you’ve saved ones with similar design principles and elements? For example, have you saved more photos that show symmetrical design, or do you prefer asymmetrical layouts? Do you see a lot of straight lines or curves?
Identifying the design principles you’re drawn to can help guide the decision process for certain elements – such as hard landscape design, plant selection and material choice – to result in a combination that works well and is aesthetically pleasing.
Ultimately, refining your style is a process that will continue to change and evolve – much like gardens themselves.
Identifying the design principles you’re drawn to can help guide the decision process for certain elements – such as hard landscape design, plant selection and material choice – to result in a combination that works well and is aesthetically pleasing.
Ultimately, refining your style is a process that will continue to change and evolve – much like gardens themselves.
4. Working with a professional
While a landscape architect or garden designer can help guide the process of refining your design style (and point out what’s feasible for your site), doing some prep work ahead of time will give you a clearer idea of where you’d like to steer your space. Plus, you’ll come into the first meeting well prepared, saving both you and the pro time (which could cut down on design fees).
More: How to Choose a Garden Designer
Tell us…
How did you identify your garden design style? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
While a landscape architect or garden designer can help guide the process of refining your design style (and point out what’s feasible for your site), doing some prep work ahead of time will give you a clearer idea of where you’d like to steer your space. Plus, you’ll come into the first meeting well prepared, saving both you and the pro time (which could cut down on design fees).
More: How to Choose a Garden Designer
Tell us…
How did you identify your garden design style? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.
Cast a wide net: Start a Houzz ideabook to save photos of outdoor spaces you like. Don’t worry about sticking to a particular style – save any image that appeals to you. When gathering inspiration, consider how you’d like to use your new garden – as a space in which to relax, entertain or eat outdoors, say – and which features you’d like to include, such as a shade structure, pond or outdoor kitchen.
Inside Houzz tip Share your Houzz ideabook with your designer to communicate your style and to collaborate on your project’s design direction.
More: 5 Ways Ideabooks Can Help to Bring Your Project Together