With its spectacular year-round weather, Los Angeles is a magnificent place to live. One of the best ways residents can take advantage of the city's sunny disposition is by creating one-of-a-kind backyards with stylish décor and design. And, considering the allure of Italy's rustic scenery, there's not a better inspiration for outdoor settings than the streets of Rome, Naples and Sicily.
Feature Stone
If you're going for a truly authentic Italian look, you simply can't overlook using stone throughout your landscaping. Use it for patio space, walkways and retaining walls or anywhere else it can be placed. For the best effect, try to get yellow-hued stone pieces that have slightly mismatching colorization.
Climbing Vines
To match the rustic charm found throughout the streets of Italy, climbing vines can go a long way. This is doubly true for those who have limited space in their backyards and need to add more greenery without placing large potted plants (which, coincidentally are another way to add Italian flair). Climbing vines are also wonderful when combined with pergolas and help create aesthetic texturing where otherwise no décor would have been possible.
Columns
Adding columns to your backyard may give it a strong Greek feel, but we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge Greece's influence on Italy. Using subtly pronounced columns as supports for a shady area or outdoor archways can be stunning, particularly when paired with dim lighting solutions like year-round strings of lights or upward-facing spotlighting.
Avoid Perfection
Much of what makes Italian-inspired outdoor areas feel magical is that they're utterly gorgeous without the use of perfect lines and matching accents. Consciously choose décor and furniture sets that don't quite match and you'll be well on your way to creating the perfect backyard getaway.
