Landscape Design: The Seven Principles You Need To Know and Apply

When Jason hired Patricia for landscape design services for his solo home, she had to know seven things to design: the seven principles of landscape design you need to know and apply. If you’re like me and didn’t know this was a thing you considered before the thought of design came up, please continue reading.

To have a well-balanced landscape design, you will need to keep these seven principles in mind:

• Balance
• Focalization
• Simplicity
• Rhythm and Line
• Proportion
• Unity
• Emphasis

Balance

We define balance as a situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions. Our landscapes need to have a comfortable balance for them to flow and make us feel at home and at ease. There are two forms of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. A symmetrical landscape is when both sides of the land look identical, they mirror each other. This type of balance is more on the strict side of order. Asymmetrical is the opposite, where both sides of the land differ from each other. According to Michigan State University, “also known as informal balance, differs from one side to the other and appears to be relaxing and free-flowing.”

Focalization

A focal point in any place is what makes the place attractive to the eye. It can be just about anything in the home, for example, which is almost always the door. A door can have different designs than what you would normally see, which catches anyone’s eye.

Simplicity

Defined as “easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty,” simplicity in a building should be just that. A home would most likely be on the simpler designs of any building because it’s easier on the eyes and takes less work to tidy up. Having touches of avant-garde pieces of work around the home could give it some diversity while also keeping it simple.

Rhythm and Line

Rhythm and line speak on the concept of synchronization. Rhythm defines as “a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.” you want your landscape to have a sense of flow when you or anyone walks through it. You want the landscape to make sense and not keep you on your toes like the Winchester Mystery House in San Diego, California.

Proportion

According to Michigan State University, “Proportion refers to the size relationship of all the features in the landscape. This includes vertical, horizontal, and special relationships.” Proportion is included in different home parts like the parking space, reading nook, kitchen, and plant sizes.

Unity

“Teamwork makes the dream work!” That is the case when it comes to unity. When you consider the previous factors, you’ll begin to see a theme within the home you’ve created. Everything from colors to designs to accents to textures and beyond, they all create a united house.

Emphasis

Complimenting your focalization points would be adding emphasis. Such adding gold to black or white emphasizes the stark color. However, overdoing it would give the feel of chaos. Another example is placing a garden gnome on a freshly cut lawn. Adding a beautiful bed of flowers would also emphasize the freshly cut grass.

Conclusion

These seven principles are essential for designing a home or the land on someone’s property. Balance, focalization, simplicity, rhythm and line, proportion, unity, and emphasis all contribute to the landscape design services near me with a graceful flow to it.