Make the Most of your Backyard

Summer is here again- time to get outdoors with friends and enjoy barbecues, watch your kids run through the sprinklers, or simply relax in a hammock and watch a lazy afternoon drift by. This time of year, your backyard turns into another room of the house, for as much time as you and your family are spending out there. But what can you do if your backyard could use a little design help? Here are some tips for maximizing space, upping the “wow” factor, and turning your backyard into a summer paradise!

Break it into “rooms”- Rather than view your backyard as a whole, separate it into a multi-functional group of “rooms.” Have separate zones for grilling, dining, gardening, playing- whatever you wish to use your backyard for. By creating the visual separation, you will give the illusion of a much bigger, more organized yard.

Let the exterior match the interior- To create a better sense of “flow” from your home’s interior space to the backyard, try to select the same colors and styles of furniture that are present inside your home. Affordable lounge-style seating homier and encourage relaxation and conversation.

Play with angles- For smaller backyard spaces, why not create more area by shifting the angle of the paving? Doing your stamped concrete or brick patio in a diamond rather than a square, for instance, gives you more room on each side for grass, trees, bushes and flowers for landscaping.

Cut down on clutter- Of course, the easiest and quickest way to get your backyard looking good is to clean it up and minimize the clutter and junk. Treat your backyard like any other room in the house, and pay attention to its cleanliness and style. By reducing the number of planters in your backyard and making them all one uniform style, for instance, you will make your backyard design seem much more purposeful and less chaotic.