9 Ways to Turn Your Backyard into an Outdoor Paradise
Summer is knocking on our doors, y’all! I was spoiled to grow up in Southern California, where the highs and lows were both about 75 degrees. I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t handle too much heat, but I do love being outside, so it’s important for me to find ways to make hay while the sun is shining (relentlessly) throughout the summer in Texas. That’s why I’m re-posting an article from my real estate brokerage, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, with nine ways to create an outdoor paradise in your own backyard. You can find the original article here, or read on!
Vertical garden adds greenery to patio space.
1. Put up something gorgeous and green
You can never have too many plants — not even in your already-green garden. A living wall (also called a green wall or vertical garden) is a great way to delineate a certain area of your backyard and add some architectural interest. A living wall is a wall covered with plants that are growing in containers or special material attached to the wall. Once the wall is up, you can hang planters from the ridges, and for extra ease, set up an automatic watering system that will keep your flowers and plants alive, even when you’re out of town.
Elegant garden featuring pergola with string lights.
2. Up your outdoor lighting game
If you’re going to spend all the evenings you can hanging out with guests or family in your backyard, the right lighting is so important. Not only should outdoor lights make it bright enough to see, read or do whatever else you plan to do outside after sundown, they should also create a pleasant atmosphere. Opt for warm-glow light bulbs in yellow and orange tones, rather than colder white ones, and get creative with your light sources. You can mix it up beautifully with wall lights, string lights, hanging lights, lanterns…the possibilities are endless, and the result is a really elegant garden vibe.
3. Add a dreamy daybed
When it comes to outdoor seating, you’ve likely got a dining table and chairs already. That said, having other types of seating outside can make your deck, garden or patio feel more like an open-air home / year-round outdoor paradise with space for everyone to get comfy. A daybed not only creates extra seating, but it also looks beautiful — especially if you choose one with a canopy and enhance it with an assortment of pillows. One or two people can lie on it, or it can make a fantastic substitute for a couch during a party.
Adding a rug to your outdoor living area will give your house a resort-like feel, creating an outdoor paradise from the comfort of home.
4. Roll out an outdoor rug
If your outdoor space has a concrete or tile floor, it may feel a bit cold sometimes. In that case, an outdoor area rug can make it feel more cozy and look more like that resort or outdoor paradise you find yourself dreaming about all summer long. This summer, let’s create that space in your own homes! Just be sure to pick a rug that’s big enough to extend out from under whatever items you plan to place on top of it (seating area, dining table, daybed, etc.)
5. Install a playhouse for the kids
Whether you have children of your own or you sometimes host friends and family with children, a playhouse can really add to your outdoor decor. Little ones will love playing in one of those pretend houses, and they go just as nicely on grass as they do on decking.
This sunroom invites the outdoors inside.
6. Tie into your interior decor
If your house opens directly into the backyard space, try blurring the lines between the two — creating a sense of harmony and bringing the outside in interior design. For this, use some of the same materials and color schemes for your outdoor space that already feature inside your home. That way, indoors and outdoors will seamlessly complement each other, creating the illusion of one big, boundary-less space.
7. Make it a movie under the stars
Who doesn’t love an outdoor movie night? Well, prepare your blankets and popcorn, because creating a cinema outside your home has never been easier. All you need is a projector and a screen, which could even be one of your home’s walls if they are a light-enough color. Now all that’s left to do is for everyone to agree on what to watch. Easier said than done, we know!
Adding a water feature turns a backyard into a lush, elegant garden.
8. Calm things down with water
Water features have a way of elevating any space and lowering stress. You could install a small fountain, for example, which does wonders for that serene feeling. A soothing spa tub makes another very welcome addition, as do koi ponds and even water lilies in a simple pot. And, though not water features per se, outdoor showers and bathtubs not only look luxurious, but they’re also perfect for a quick refresh after a day spent gardening, or after a dip in the pool.
Roasting marshmallows over an open fire turns a backyard into a campground.
9. Light a flickering bonfire
This tip might be more weather-appropriate during cooler months, but even in the dead of summer, there is something about a bonfire that transports me back to the summers I spent working at Camp Ozark. There’s just something about a fire pit that brings people together! They come in so many styles — from a rustic stone pit to a modern metallic one with sleek lines — and they are sure to create an outdoor paradise in any backyard.