Conversation Nooks
The Teatime Nook
Whether you’re looking for a place to have tea with friends in a garden or an area for backyard camping with your kids, we’re experts at creating small and unique places in your yard. Here are some of the creations we can make for you.
A teatime nook is a space for people to sit in comfort and chat over tea and snacks. Common fixtures of teatime nooks include stone tables, permanent chairs, soft lighting, and small, fragrant gardens.
As part of setting up teatime nooks, we look at ways to keep pests, moss, and dirt to a minimum. Some nooks add discreet barriers against the elements, potted plants, or privacy barriers that help to turn it into a private world for you and your friends.
The Camping Nook
Camping nooks are a place to set up tents and other temporary structures, usually to enjoy a night outdoors. However, they have a few requirements. The best camping nooks are large enough to hold every tent, solid enough to be comfortable at night, and sheltered enough to provide a good view of the night sky while blocking other light as much as possible.
Popular choices for the ground of a camping nook include grass, bark, gravel, and large stones. Concrete patios are also an option, but only when you have a tent that doesn’t need to be tied or staked down. Some people like to get creative, and we’ve seen requests like installing permanent anchor points into concrete and setting down concrete blocks to serve as alternative anchors.
The key thing to remember about camping nooks is this: There’s always a way to make it work, and we know how to find it.
Outdoor Appliances
Sometimes, conversation nooks need appliances before they’re considered complete. Some of the most popular choices include:
Small Refrigerators
A fridge can keep things cold on those warm summer days. To protect it from the elements, we prefer installing the fridge into a well-insulated compartment of some kind, such as inside a wall or a table. This provides easy access while stopping rain, cold, and objects tossed by the wind from damaging your appliance.Fire Pits
These are particularly popular in large camping nooks. We install both wood and gas-fueled pits, and at your request, we can also add security devices to stop children from turning the fire on whenever they want. Your family’s safety is always our highest priority.Outdoor Pantries
While not appliances, per se, these are the perfect places to store snacks and other food, whether it’s for a few minutes or all season long. The most popular options are 2 to 4 cubic feet, which is more than enough space for most occasions. Some of these include interior lights to make it easy to find food at night.Grills
Some camping nooks include space for a small grill. Usually around 12-16 inches, these are the perfect choice for cooking hot dogs, burgers, skewers, and other tasty treats. Charcoal and gas are the most popular fuel sources, but some people prefer electric grills for their campout.
Designing The Perfect Nook
Creating the perfect conversation nook involves more than pulling a design off a shelf. At ALD, we’ll consider everything from the color of your house to any other backyard fixtures when creating your unique nook.
As part of this process, we’ll talk about the features you want to see and what your budget can support. Many people don’t realize how affordable options for their nook can be – and even if you aren’t limited by a small budget, our focus on saving money means you can get a better nook for the same price. At ALD, we work with any goal and any budget to create a conversation nook that works for you.
To Wall Or Not To Wall
One of the biggest questions when creating a conversation nook is whether or not it should have walls. Some people prefer open spaces, some like low walls that can double as chairs, and some people want total privacy. There’s no wrong opinion when it comes to walls – but there are some good choices if you want them.
Walls for conversation nooks tend to come in three specific forms.
First, fencing can provide a high or low wall with varying degrees of privacy. These are affordable and easy to install, but if they’re exposed to any significant amount of weathering, they could wear out over time.
Next, plant walls can provide an attractive natural barrier. Hardy shrubs like the Wintergreen Boxwood are ideal for this, offering outstanding privacy for minimal upkeep.
Finally, stone walls are the sturdiest option available. Low walls can be topped to serve as seats, while high stone fences can last for decades and ensure total privacy.
If you want a wall, we’ll talk with you about the shapes, colors, designs, and patterns available in your price range. You may even want a mix of wall types – a stone seat coming out of a wall can be quite attractive, while a pair of hedges could mark the entry of the nook.
Our Promise Of Satisfaction
Here at ALD, we know how important it is to do landscaping right. A conversation nook isn’t just a decoration – it’s a place for you to enjoy. To that end, we approach each product with a blank slate and work to design the best nook for your personal needs.
We’ll also integrate any special requests, such as using ramps instead of steps or placing appliances at a height where they can be reached without bending over. We believe in making ideas work, and we aren’t satisfied until you love the design we come up with. For our team, “good” isn’t good enough.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet place to chat with friends or an outside zone to pitch your tent and camp with your kids, contact ALD today. We’ll help you turn your dreams into reality.