In order to understand how we develop great landscaping ideas for your home, it is necessary to first understand the types of homes and yards we encounter daily. 
Once a picture of both becomes clear to the mind’s eye, it becomes inestimably easier to sit down with your landscaping consultant and flesh out the specific elements of your new landscape master plan.

Formal European architecture can be accented with a number of great landscaping ideas developed around focal points of the sublime and the beautiful.
To paraphrase Edmund Burke, the sublime as that which has the power to compel us, and the beautiful is that which is well-formed and aesthetically pleasing.

You have only to look at an Old World mansion to immediately see that both the architecture and the surrounding estate are intentionally sublime in some places, and deliberately beautiful in others.  In our Houston landscape, this same juxtaposition of the two phenomena is readily apparent on very large lots with multi-story homes.

Sublime themes are developed with elements that appear unmovable and absolute, such as decorative stone walls, wrought iron fencing, and iron arbors.  Beauty is established through formal garden designs that are rich in pattern, color, and symmetry. 

Formal European landscapes include Italian, French, and Mediterranean.  Specific elements that are used to develop individual properties often derive directly from the residents’ personal tastes.  In this sense, landscape forms are almost like symbols of personal consciousness that represent the lifestyle of the homeowner.   

Southern and Colonial themes represent great landscaping ideas that are close to the American heart.
Although representative of different geographies both share a common love for large houses and expansive yards.  Landscaping design plans here are focused on establishing a sense of freedom and choice.  Larger lots tend to be overwhelming to the eye, so different zones of interest can be created using an interconnected system of walkways, pathways, courtyards, outdoor buildings, large gardens, and water features. 

This gives people choices between where he or she would like to enjoy a portion of the evening.  It also reinforces the American ideal of mobility by interconnecting these areas of interest with transit areas that lead from point to point.

Great landscaping ideas for contemporary homes are based upon a combination of abstract thought and stark geometric form.
Contemporary art is challenging by nature.  It defies given assumptions and forces us to go beyond the boundaries of our belief systems in to the world of the unknown.  It is often strangely disquieting to many people because it sees no need for a comfort zone, and therefore does not necessarily offer one.

Contemporary homes by nature feature highly customized architecture.  As such, contemporary landscape designs feature a heightened level of customization because no two properties are ever identical.  Common landscape elements such as patios, gardens, fountains, swimming pools, and trees are highly eclectic in scale, proportion, and position on the landscape.  This is necessary in order to maintain continuity between the house and its surrounding outdoor elements.

Exterior Worlds never considers any great landscaping idea truly “great” unless it personally speaks to the heart and mind of the homeowner directly.
In fact, many of our best ideas come straight from the homeowners themselves and take on greater form and dimension as we refine them into landscaping elements that contribute individually to a larger aesthetic living experience.