3 Ways Stone Can Make a Landscape Shine
When it comes to outdoor landscape materials, it’s hard to beat natural stone. Beautiful, hard-wearing, eco-friendly, and available in many gorgeous tones, it brings an organic feel to outdoor spaces. “When designed and built correctly, stone will bring tranquility and relaxation,” says masonry expert Scott Arnold, owner of ARNOLD Masonry & Landscape in Atlanta. He adds that the ways you can use stone and other masonry products in your yard are limited only by your imagination.
Business focus. Arnold always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. “I started my first paper route at age 9,” he says. After moving from Long Island, New York, to Atlanta at age 17, Arnold began working in construction. Shortly thereafter, an older master mason took him under his wing and taught him the trade. Arnold, who is a master mason himself, started his own company in 1985.
Creative approach. Arnold has found that working as an artisan fits well with his other interests. “I’m an artist and a published writer and poet,” he says. One of his favorite parts of every design project, whether it’s an interior or exterior space, is the creative opportunities offered.
Looking for ideas to use stone into your landscape? Arnold provides some examples below.
1. Define an Entertainment Pavilion
Blending stones can bring beauty and interest to an outdoor space for entertaining and give it a defined feel in an otherwise open yard. Use stones that complement each other to give the area a cohesive look.
The owners of the Sandy Springs back yard seen here “wanted complete space to entertain that would also be beautiful,” Arnold says. To turn the unfinished open space into an entertainer’s paradise, he started with 20-by-35-inch flagstone pavers for the patio floor, then brought in Tennessee fieldstone for the custom fireplace, side benches, outdoor kitchen and pergola support bases. The homeowners “wanted a natural feel, and these stones worked well with the surrounding trees,” Arnold says.
The patio provides plenty of room for a dining table and chairs as well as seating for watching sports on the outdoor TV. There’s also easy access to a custom three-hole putting green and adjacent chipping green just off the pavilion.
2. Frame an Outdoor Living Room
Add stonework around the perimeter of an outdoor space to set it apart from the rest of the yard. “The stone arches and wall turned this section of a second-story deck into an outdoor living room,” Arnold says. For the project, on a property in Buckhead, Arnold and his team replaced the original deck with an extra-heavy-duty one to support a stone patio extending most of the length of the second floor. They then added stonework to create a wall that holds an outdoor fireplace and niches for candles, and also provides privacy from the neighbors.
Two stone archways and a wood cathedral ceiling make the deck feel like an outdoor living room, and the homeowners use it as such. “I used wood because you don’t want to mix natural and manmade materials,” Arnold says. He left the rest of the deck open for lounging, dining and grilling. A final touch is the spiral staircase that connects the deck with the patio below.
3. Design a Piece of Art
Stones can be arranged to create a one-of-a-kind art piece for your yard, for a lovely and personal touch. “We framed a herringbone design of thin ashlar stone for this Sandy Springs fireplace,” Arnold says of the space pictured here.
The stone art piece graces the chimney of an outdoor fireplace that is the centerpiece of the flagstone-paved entertaining area next to the home. Arnold also added an outdoor kitchen faced with stone as well as rock retaining walls. Across the yard is a separate entertaining area with a fire pit and bench, where kids can hang out separately while the adults enjoy the fireplace here.
More: For more information on Scott Arnold and examples of his work, visit ARNOLD Masonry & Landscape’s Houzz profile.
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