Creating A Successful Hardscape Design

Hinkle Hardscapes > Blog > Creating A Successful Hardscape Design

For over the last 11 years, we’ve been in the business of building beautiful and long lasting outdoor living spaces for homeowners in the Kansas City and surrounding areas. Hardscapes are our passion and, over time, they’ve become our specialty. In the last decade we’ve been able to learn a lot about the do’s and don’ts of hardscape design. Here are 5 things to consider when designing your outdoor living space.

Enough Space

Your patio doesn’t have to be huge, it just needs to be the right size for you and your family! Most of our clients purchase their outdoor living project because they want an awesome space to entertain. Usually this includes sharing a meal with those that they love most. It’s important to consider the number of guests that you’ll be entertaining at any given time. If you prefer to entertain a smaller crowd, you’ll have plenty of room with a 400 sqft patio. If you’re planning on hosting birthday parties, milestone celebrations and the annual block party, you might want to consider extending the patio.

When determining if a patio will be large enough, consider the furniture that you plan on using. Make sure to include room for the grill and your potted plants. Often, people find that their patio design can look much larger on paper than in reality. This is why it’s important to lay out your patio design before signing a contract with a hardscape designer. If you want tips on laying out your patio design, click here to watch our step-by-step video tutorial.

Develop A Focal Point

Creating an awesome focal point can be one of the most exciting aspects of building a patio project. Many of our clients opt for a fire pit and seating wall combination. This is a fantastic addition to any patio because it’s something that the whole family can enjoy! The kids will love hosting sleepovers around a warm fire. After all, who doesn’t love roasting s’mores, telling ghost stories and singing songs?

If you’re the ultimate entertainer, you will love a fireplace or an outdoor kitchen. Serving a delicious meal with the ambiance of a fireplace will make your dinner parties very memorable. Adding a fireplace also allows you to enjoy the space even when the sun goes down or the temperature drops.An outdoor kitchen is also a great addition for anyone looking to keep the party at their pad. We can incorporate grills, smokers, sinks, mini refrigerators and even a sleek granite countertop! Most of our clients who incorporate an outdoor kitchen into their hardscape design, also opt for a drink rail. The drink rail allows the chef to cook while mingling with the guests.

Delve Into Draining Issues

Dun, dun, DUNNNNNN!!!!!! We can’t stress this enough. In order to create a successful hardscape design, you MUST have a drainage plan in place. This will ensure that the patio is beautiful and structurally long lasting. A pour drainage plan is probably one of the biggest reasons why hardscape projects fail. This is why it’s so worth it to hire an expert. Sure, you can probably find a guy that can install a half price patio – but you’ll just end up paying more in the end.

Choose Materials That Fit Your Style

Material selections can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of your hardscape design. Whether you’ve opted for stamped concrete or pavers, there are a variety of choices that you can choose to create the look you’re longing for. For example, if you want a modern backyard, we recommend picking sleek pavers with smooth edges. If you’re looking for something more traditional, tumbled blocks might be best. The color and shape of your materials is also very important to consider. Grey and black tones are modern while beige and red are more traditional. Square shapes with harsh edges are contemporary while textured round elements are often more traditional.

Call In The Experts

The secret to guaranteeing an outstanding hardscape design plan is to hire someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re considering adding an outdoor living project to your home, we’d love to be considered for the position! Are you ready to get started on your outdoor living project? Feel free to contact one of our team members at (816) 741-2035, or email Emily at emily@hinklehardscapes.com. We look forward to creating your dream outdoor living space!

HINKLE HARDSCAPES

4124 NW Riverside Street
Riverside, MO 64150
Phone: (816) 741-2035

Google Rating

4.8

Based on 149 reviews

Hinkle Hardscapes

4.8

Gary Starrett

14:36 04 Oct 22

The crew and Cody were very reponsive to our needs. They were always on site on time and worked diligently through the patio installation. I would refer them to a friend.

Andrea Stainbrook

13:39 11 Aug 22

We needed to have some repair work done on our front porch due to some drainage issues. We contacted Hinkle Hardscapes and they were able to create a design that we loved and fix the drainage issue at the same time. We enlarged and created a great outdoor space with a front patio. Ken walked us through different material options so we could make the best decision for our needs. The designer was happy to make changes to their original design to accommodate our elderly limited mobility family members. The construction team was great and left the site clean every day. I would definitely use Hinkle Hardscape again for my hardscaping needs.

J.C. Ganote

21:01 08 Jun 22

We recently had a large scale backyard project completed by Hinkle Hardscapes. From the initial design and several updates to the drawings for the project Hinkle's team was excellent to work with each step of the way. Our project included a large concrete pour to accommodate a hottub on one level and on another level a large concrete patio with a oversized fire pit. Along side of the patio area was a large deck that steps down to the concrete patio. Based on the backyard slopping I had to deal with, the design Hinkle came up with was about the only way I could best utilize my space. During the construction phase of the project, the workers were very focused on the work. All my questions and concerns were quickly responded to and dealt with on a professional level. The quality of the work was very superior and the several months we had to wait to get our project started was very much worth the wait. I highly recommend Hinkle Hardscapes for anyone else's project, they don't cut corners like some contractors do, and it's true, you do get what you pay for. Hinkle Hardscapes is not the cheapest company out there and I don't think that's what they want to be, but if you want the best and are willing to pay more to get your project done, you can't go wrong with Hinkle Hardscapes.

Megan Byrne

00:02 09 May 22

We have been so thrilled with our remodeled patio. We had actually contacted multiple contractors to get bids, and Hinkle Hardscapes was by far the most professional and had the best customer service we dealt with. I could not be happier with the result. We would recommend this company to anyone.

Steve Ramey

15:58 15 Apr 22

We could not be more pleased with the patio that Hinkle Hardscapes just installed for us. My first impression was the excellent and quick response to any email or question and this continued through the entire project. Secondly, the designer worked with us and had great ideas to enhance what we wanted. Also, any change was never a problem. Once the work started, having been in construction myself, I was doubly impressed with the crew led by Pedro and Cody. They were diligent, super accurate and were always ready to answer any question and make sure they did it just the way we wanted. In fact, the entire crew was hard working, regardless of the cold or the rain and making sure they left the work area neat and in order after the days work. I would highly recommend Hinkle Hardscapes as they will not disappoint.

Lisa M

03:38 04 Mar 22

I LOVE my backyard hardscape project designed and executed by Hinkle. I wanted to extend my patio, add a fire pit and stay within a certain budget. The 3D design came to life last Fall, and I can't wait to use it fully this year. The wait to get on the schedule was well worth the quality and the outdoor entertaining space I have gained.

Charles Hunter

18:34 12 Feb 22

Hinkle completed a patio/fireplace in my back yard for me. Kind of a tough site with a lot of slope and a lot of rock. They came up with custom design for the site that I think fits extremely well. Extremely pleased with it.

Kim Shoffner

21:29 05 Jan 22

We love our backyard "prairie paradise". Hinkle Hardscapes did an amazing job and we're thrilled with how everything turned out. Up front, Rebecca worked her magic on the computer. She captured our thoughts and ideas on what our dream backyard would look like and created a visual rendition of the plan. Then Cody and his crew transformed that visual into a reality. Our backyard is now our escape - a space to entertain friends and family or just shut out the hustle and bustle and enjoy some peace and quiet. From the stone columns around the deck, to the pool and waterfall, to the pergola and firepit, our backyard is now a space that we can use year round. We highly recommend Hinkle Hardscapes to anyone thinking about a backyard project.

Rebecca Christus

17:08 26 Jun 21

Andrea

18:57 05 Apr 21

We used Hinkle Hardscapes for a complete patio overhaul (with firepit and seat wall) and we could not be happier. We used them in conjunction with a local deck company and both worked together really well. The design team at Hinkle helped illustrate our vision before they got to work and helped us develop the best setup for our deck and patio needs. The crew itself was excellent. They arrived on time and ready to work each day (even as temperatures dropped in December), and cleaned up each night. The communication with the foreman throughout the project was top notch -- he answered any and all questions we had and provided good insight on certain issues we hadn't thought about. Highly recommend this company!

Douglas Hawley

23:04 10 Mar 21

Shawn Furey

18:12 27 Jan 21

This was a wonderful experience from start to finish, and the final product is terrific. They took great pains to make sure my yard was kept in perfect shape while the project was being completed as well. I would recommend Hinkle to anyone looking for honest and professional work.

See all reviews Write a review

Creating A Successful Hardscape Design