Would you like to have a harmonious property? To achieve this, establish a coherent dialogue between your garden and your home.
The garden is a room in its own right. To incorporate it into the rest of the home, you must first understand the architectural style of the house, then establish a sense of continuity between the house and its exterior.
How can you ensure coherence between the house’s architecture and your garden paradise? Here are all the tips from Adonis Paysage to create an outdoor space that speaks the same language as your home, and to ensure beautiful consistency between your house and garden design.
Understanding the architectural style of the house
Before landscaping the exterior, it’s essential to decipher the architectural style of the house. Understanding its architecture, materials, and lines opens the way for a dialogue between indoors and outdoors. Several criteria should be considered:
- The era: A charming home built in 1970 will not have the same characteristics as a contemporary house built in 2015.
- Materials: What materials are used (stone, red bricks, etc.)? The harmony of the outdoor space must adapt to preserve material coherence.
- Lines: Often overlooked, but capable of transforming an entire area. A contemporary house typically uses straight lines to enhance visual unity.
- Ambience: The final point is the mix of colors and the desired atmosphere. In the setting of a villa with cream-colored walls, the garden should be adorned with carefully chosen materials that extend the soul of the place. In this project, for example, a repurposed washhouse, a symbol of authenticity, finds its place naturally.
Take the example of a Mediterranean villa built in natural stone in 2010. Its garden, with gentle curves, is enlivened by lush vegetation blending green and grey foliage, enhanced with discreet blooms in refined, subdued tones. Pathways made from raw materials like gravel or antique paving stones reinforce the authentic and timeless character of the entire ensemble.
Establishing continuity between indoors and outdoors
To ensure a visual and functional dialogue between spaces, you need to find common ground between the two.
Creating smooth transitions between indoors and outdoors
The goal is to blur the boundary between inside and outside, making the garden a natural extension of the living room. To ensure a seamless transition, consider the following:
- Unifying flooring: To extend the space, think about the materials you’ll use for the floor. If the living room floor isn’t suitable for outdoor use, choose an alternative that complements it.
- Structural layout: Certain structures, like a veranda or a central patio, reinforce the transition.
- Combining aesthetic and practical aspects: A garden lounge or outdoor kitchen area must be designed to be both practical and pleasant.
Enhancing a space is one thing; making it functional is another. A project is only successful when both aspects are balanced.
Harmonizing materials, shapes, and colors
Choosing materials, shapes, and colors that go well together is the foundation of good design.
- Materials (stone, wood, metal…)
- Plant palette (choose plants that match the house’s colors and offer pleasant scents)
- Lines and volumes (echo architectural shapes in flower beds, pathways, etc.)
Practical example: Imagine a Provençal house bathed in warm tones—orange, saffron yellow, soft ochre. Choose authentic and vibrant materials like travertine for paving, reflecting Southern stonework. Bring Provence into the garden with iconic species: gnarled olive trees, lavender with blue-purple spikes, fragrant rosemary. Shape the volumes delicately, playing with varied heights. Combine the airiness of trees with the richness of fragrant flower beds to create a vibrant landscape. For pathways, opt for natural and gentle curves, like a gravel path winding toward the entrance, guiding footsteps through a soft and timeless atmosphere.
Lighting, furniture, and art: details that enhance
In the art of designing a high-end outdoor space, elegance lies in attention to detail. Furniture and artworks must be chosen with care to naturally extend the style of the home and create true aesthetic consistency. Optimal lighting enhances volumes, reveals perspectives, and highlights architectural features.
Furnishing a Provençal garden leans toward a rustic and classic style inspired by Louis XV. A wrought-iron table and chairs would be ideal for setting up a garden lounge.
Mistakes to avoid when designing the garden
The garden and the house are not two separate entities—they must be coordinated to create a unique space.
Neglecting practical aspects and mixing styles indiscriminately
Ignoring functionality in favor of aesthetics can compromise the long-term balance of the project. Neglecting the space dedicated to a garden lounge or the flow of circulation undermines both the overall harmony of the areas and their everyday functionality.
Another issue: mixing styles indiscriminately. Some design worlds, although seemingly incompatible, can sometimes work together if orchestrated subtly. However, this remains a delicate task. For example, combining the Scandinavian style (minimalist) with the pop style (excessive color and patterns) is quite a challenge due to their contrasting codes. On the other hand, Scandinavian style can find a natural echo in the sobriety of a Japanese garden.
Complying with local regulations
Each city has its own regulations. In Nice, for example, garden landscaping is governed by the Metropolitan Local Urban Plan (PLUm). Certain developments are permitted under specific conditions: for example, building a swimming pool larger than 10 m² requires a prior declaration of works. The same applies to vegetation—so-called “remarkable” trees are protected. Cutting them down without specific authorization is prohibited. Additionally, in certain zones, there are obligations to create or maintain green spaces, such as planting one tall tree per 50 m² of landscaped area.
The best way to ensure consistency between garden design and house architecture is to hire a high-end landscape designer.
Why hire a high-end landscape designer?
The garden is to the landscape designer what a canvas is to the painter. Hiring a high-end landscape professional ensures an exterior that reflects your image—coherent and harmonious. This expert stands out through their technical and aesthetic mastery, especially their attention to detail. They incorporate all aspects of garden staging (furniture, lighting, artworks) to demonstrate their expertise. They also activate a carefully selected partner network to guarantee quality work.
Moreover, their solid knowledge of local regulations and urban planning is a major asset to avoid administrative mistakes.
The Château de Versailles owes part of its renown to its exceptional gardens. For a garden paradise that reflects your image, choose the best landscape designer on the French Riviera.