Landscaping the backyard of your Austin, TX, home combines the elegance of both form and function. Your backyard is part of the local ecosystem; its design should safely channel rainwater and support the contained plant life in your garden beds — other than those duties, the design is entirely up to your vision of the perfect backyard escape. Are you looking for backyard landscaping ideas to create the perfect relaxing garden oasis, a lively family gathering spot around the fire pit, a gourmet outdoor kitchen (or grill pit), or perhaps a little bit of all three?

Austin homeowners...

Do you have a sloped backyard or front yard that makes you feel like it’s impossible to design? Whatever you want to do with your yard, Waterloo Outdoor Design Build is the best designer to call in Austin, TX, to transform your space into something spectacular. We’ll explore some of your home’s most creative retaining wall ideas for backyard landscaping in Austin, so read on for some great tips.

Outdoor kitchens have become one of the most popular Austin home renovations in the last five years. An outdoor kitchen makes it possible to hold family meals and social gatherings on the back patio as a delightful and immersive experience. From the ultimate barbecue pit to gourmet show kitchens, you can define your dream outdoor cooking environment, starting with your budget.

Many Austin homeowners are not sure where to start with outdoor kitchen budgeting. If you already have a renovation budget, it’s helpful to know the kind of project you can achieve in each price range. If you...

Native plants are a vital element to Waterloo Outdoor Design Build, both in ethos and aesthetic. Our landscape designers work with our clients to create a plant palette using mostly native and adapted plants and grasses. Adapted plants are not invasive, but are able to thrive in the local climate and soil conditions. There is a great deal of variety within the plants that are native to the greater Austin area. Not only do native plants foster sustainability, but they also have an abundance of economic and environmental benefits that we will detail in this post.

Hardscape encompasses the textures in your landscape that are literally hard, such as concrete, boulders, planters and water features. Hardscaping elements are inanimate objects that can be man-made in the instance of an outdoor kitchen, or natural in the instance of a stone pancake boulder. These elements are usually built, permanent, solid structures. Well designed hardscaping provides a sense of organization and definition to the living, growing elements of landscape design which we call softscape. Softscape includes shrubs, trees, succulents, annuals, perennials and grasses. Softscape...

It wasn’t unusual for homeowners to consider their outdoor space an afterthought for many years, but now, everything has changed.

As more of us grow to appreciate our outdoor spaces as a place to entertain, relax, and simply enjoy a pleasant change of pace, both home and business owners are rethinking their approach to outdoor design. Whether you’re working with a small patio or acres of open land, it’s time to get creative and create a one-of-a-kind outdoor living area that suits your lifestyle.

And best of all, the...

In any high-quality commercial design, form and function must co-exist. For your business, this means looking beyond the interior of your building or office and considering how to develop an attractive and purposeful outdoor space.

Now more than ever, there is a growing expectation that a well-crafted outdoor area is included in any commercial space. Particularly in the city of Austin, where residents are accustomed to enjoying time outdoors, outdoor amenities have become a necessity for virtually all types of businesses.

The benefits of a thoughtfully-designed commercial...

Thanks to modern technology, outdoor design is getting a serious upgrade – and we’re seeing more clients than ever-transforming their outdoor living spaces into high-tech set-ups. From the ultimate in entertainment to the energy-efficient convenience, technology in outdoor living spaces is shaping up to be one of the hottest trends of our time.

At Waterloo Outdoor Design Build, we take pride in staying ahead of the curve when it comes to design. So, using tech-savvy solutions to elevate the...

In many parts of the country, summer is the season for heading outside – think backyard barbecues, lush summertime gardens, and kids playing into the evening hours. But here in Austin, summer days can be swelteringly hot. It’s once the fall months bring mild weather and cooler temperatures that we can really spend time enjoying our outdoor spaces.

So, when it comes to making the most of your outdoor living spaces, end-of-summer improvements can be the perfect way to enjoy a fabulous fall. From a few thoughtful touches to a complete backyard makeover, now is the time to think about...

When you’re considering making upgrades to your home, there are plenty of priorities to keep in mind. The best home improvements serve your wants and needs while also adding value to the resale price of your home.

Regardless of whether you’re hoping to sell your house in the next few months or you’re not planning to move for the next few decades, making a good investment is probably pretty important to you. Even if you’re upgrading your yard solely for your use, it’s always helpful to know which changes can pay off in the long run.