How To Turn A Small Outdoor Area Into A Place Of Zen

It’s always great to have an outdoor area you can escape to. Whether it’s large or small, taking some time for some fresh air, a sacred space where you can go to turn your back on the dishes, the television and everything that needs to be done inside can do wonders for your health.

Zen outdoor areas via DIY N Crafts

Your private, sacred space is a spot where you can just be with yourself, where you can relax with a book, a cup of tea or coffee or even absolutely nothing at all, and simply stop and breathe. This is especially true when living in the city. Personal outdoor space can be at a minimum when you’re surrounded by other buildings.

Many people can be deterred by a small outdoor area. How can you create your zen place if you don’t have a lot of space to work with? Rest assured though, there are ways to find your inner peace, even with the hustle and bustle of the city surrounding you.

The most important element to consider when creating your zen space is making sure it’s comfortable, peaceful and above all else, personalized.

Incorporating softscape and hardscape

Landscape design, incorporates all the different elements of an outdoor space, the two biggest of which are softscape and hardscape. Many outdoor areas will include a mixture of the two, as they complement each other. Of course, creating your personalized space though will be entirely up to what you prefer.

Softscape

Softscape Japanese garden via Artisan Stone

Often defined as the ‘living elements’ of a space, softspace refers to the trees, plants, grass, vines, and shrubs. Of course, some of these elements, such as trees and evergreen plants, may be permanent and there tends to be no wiggle room there. However, when creating your own personalized space, there are lots you can do with other plants. 

There are some key things to think about when deciding what softscape elements to include like the type of soil used, the natural lay of the land, how much sunlight the area gets, and overall, what style are you looking to achieve?

Hardscape

Hardscape outdoor space via Mansion Global

Constructed using man-made, natural and non-living materials, hardscape is essentially the ‘hard’ elements of your outdoor space. This includes things such as decks, stone or concrete walkways, planter boxes, and walls.

Many people will choose to just use hardscape materials to landscape their outdoor area, particularly as there is so much variety even within the harder materials — mixing stone with timber, for example, provides a textured area without any plants.

If you’re planning to mix the hardscape with the softscape though, keep in mind how the softscape will be incorporated into the harder materials, as usually, it’s the hardscape that is done first.

Enhancing your small space

Sure, some spaces will be smaller than others. But at the end of the day, it’s what you do and make of the space, that matters most.

There are a multitude of ways you can make your space feel bigger than it is if that’s the look you’re going for, such as:

●     Hang a mirror: That’s because mirrors provide the illusion of a bigger space and reflect the sunlight, making an area feel more open.

●     Use tall planters: Tall plants emphasize the “height of an area” rather than the footprint.

●     Use small furniture: Smaller pieces of furniture will make your area feel larger and increase the space around it that can be used.

●     Vertical gardens: Are a visually-appealing way to display some softscape elements or even grow some herbs.

At the end of the day, the most important way to utilize your smaller area to its best is to keep it simple. Less is more. Use a simple color palette that speaks to you and your personality, keep things uncluttered and keep the floor space as clear as possible.

Lastly, the most important thing is that your space is your personal area, keeping you calm and relaxed while you take in the delicious fresh air.

Author bio: Luke Fitzpatrick has been published in Forbes, Yahoo! News, Influencive and Tech In Asia. He is a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney, lecturing in Cross-Cultural Management and the Pre-MBA Program.

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