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How to Design a Contemporary Water Fountain
In general, contemporary design means spare and simple geometries arranged in a pleasing, functional way. Combining innovation and flair, these designs use dramatic shapes to create a point of view that is fluid and natural. We believe these adjectives describe contemporary water fountains, too.
With contemporary water fountain and garden design, the focus tends to be on scale rather than the axial relationships commonly found in classic landscape designs. In a modern landscape design, you will find the designer's hand is very evident. Perhaps the boundaries between areas of color, textures and shapes are undefined. Conversely, you may find the opposite true with sharply delineated boundaries. Composition and color initiate the emotional response.
Contemporary water fountains have a look and feel that is both au courant and timeless. At the same time, we encourage our clients to remember that, more than with any other type of fountain design, it is imperative that the style blends and complements the architecture of your home and existing landscape. Otherwise, the imagery is too jarring.
With material choices, concrete, because of its hardiness and malleability, has won a top place in the contemporary garden design lexicon. Its cool, gray color alone gives it credibility. In addition to using concrete in the contemporary water fountain design, you can extend that material theme by using concrete as the flooring of your patio design or in a simple garden structure.
Steel, metals and glass can be used, in addition to concrete, to good effect within the modern landscape design. In some of our designs, we have left the materials, such as stone, metal, plastics, steel and glass, in an exposed or raw state. Part of the beauty of these materials comes from the resulting reaction to nature the way steel rusts to a warm, burnt patina, for instance.
As with all outdoor water fountains, lighting can be used to enhance the sensual loveliness and liveliness. At Exterior Worlds, we actually think lighting is critical for the full enjoyment of your investment in a water fountain, just as proper landscape lighting brings your entire landscape architecture to full fruition. We specialize in creating one of a kind fountain designs so that you will not only enjoy the enhancement to your property's value, but will also receive the 24 hour pleasure of moving, soothing, beautifully lit water.
When lighting a fountain, it is critical to properly ground the electrical system and GFCI protect the lights. Even if the fountain is not meant to be entered or played in, you want to be sure that the fountain remains safe.
One final note about contemporary water fountain design: we want to point out that modern design techniques do not have to imply a high tech look. For instance, you can make use of horizontal and vertical planes to create a modern sculpture effect and then let your color and planting choices evoke a warm, welcoming feel. It is that juxtaposition hard and soft, linear and non linear, energetic and restrained that is the essence of modern landscape design. In this case, less really is more.
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