Your backyard is supposed to be your sanctuary, your refuge. As you look around your outdated suburban Chicago backyard, you might be wondering whether it’s time to take that next step and get that backyard oasis you’ve been longing for.
But the process of taking your landscape from bland to glam can feel overwhelming. There’s so much to consider. Do you want to cook and dine outdoors? Do you want a secluded relaxation spot? Are you looking for places to chat and entertain family and friends?
Whether you need a landscape design to compliment your current space or need to give your yard a facelift, the right landscape designer can elevate the end result.
Finding a landscape designer who is experienced can ensure all of the essentials you want in your yard connect and create a cohesive, usable, functional space.
Wondering how to find the right partner? Here are some tips on how to choose a landscape design company.
5 Tips to Choosing a Landscape Designer
Getting started is usually the most challenging part when researching landscape designers in the Greater Chicago area. But taking the time to properly investigate your options so you can choose a landscape design company that can best meet your needs is essential in the process for getting great results.
In fact, the design process will become much clearer when you work with the right landscape designer for you. Here are tips on how to find a landscape designer.
1. How Do You Want to Use Your Outdoor Space?
Knowing how you like to spend your time can really help you work with your landscape designer to configure a place that you’ll use all of the time. After all, you don’t want a pool if you or your family members don’t like to swim. It would clearly not serve a purpose for you.
How you want to use your space and how you want your space to make you feel can really help you when choosing a landscape designer because when you look at their portfolio of work you can see if they’ve done similar projects so you know they have experience in areas important to you.
2. Think About Specific Elements You Want
Knowing what you’re looking for in a landscape is pretty important because you want to be able to articulate that to your landscape designer.
But it can be hard to think about everything that is possible in a whole landscape.
To break it down, start with the functional components you know you want -- things like a pool, an outdoor kitchen, a patio, etc. You don’t have to necessarily know how you want them to fit together yet; your designer can help you with that. But if you know what essentials you need, then the designer can work them into the space.
Finding a landscape designer that can work with unique areas of interest to you can make your project run smoother and get you a more signature end result.
3. Know Your Landscape Budget
If you know how much you want to spend on your new outdoor oasis, your landscape designer can more clearly articulate to you how you can best obtain the space of your dreams.
If your heart is set on certain functional pieces like a gourmet grill in your outdoor kitchen, you have to factor all of these costs into your overall plan. Knowing the cost ranges of various pieces of your space can help you factor in which ones are essential vs. which ones are maybe not as important.
Working with landscape designers who are familiar with managing this size of a budget can use it in the best way possible to get you the landscape you’re after.
4. Do Your Landscape Company Research
Take time to look through landscape designer portfolios and read company reviews. It can give you assurance that the majority of people who work with them have positive experiences, and also exhibit their design style.
Choosing a landscape design company also means asking for client references and speaking to them or asking to see their space. The right landscape designer should easily be able to provide you with a reference list.
5. Assess the Working Relationship
A landscape design project is something that takes time, depending on how big your project is.
So you want to make sure you and your landscape designer have a great working relationship. You should feel a shared vision and be able to communicate well with each other. He or she should be a good listener, taking into account your ideas, and then delivering ideas for you to consider that factor in your insights, as well as some unique ideas of their own.
As you’re questioning landscape designers, get a good sense of how the entire process will proceed -- from initial consultation to design to approval and permitting and then installation and completion. This should give you a good idea of what they will be like to work with.
Finding a Landscape Designer in the Greater Chicago Area
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to start interviewing landscape designers and finding the right one for your project.
Being prepared is always better than jumping into an important and expensive decision that impacts your future as much as your backyard does. We hope these tips help you find a landscape designer for your needs.
A company that takes you and your needs seriously is the one that will help you feel confident that you’re making a good choice. A detail-oriented company that takes time to talk to you in the beginning will bring that same focus and attention to the entire installation. This means you’ll get a more long-lasting, high-end result.
Ready to see how KD Landscape can transform your Greater Chicago landscape into something beyond your expectations? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you and deliver a custom space that stands out. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a plan that works best for you.
