For true relaxation in your own backyard, it’s necessary to add elements that will provide comfort and dreamy atmosphere. If you’re in need of tips, consider the following options and create backyard heaven:
1. Outdoor dining area
A great thing about a backyard is that you can provide yourself the opportunity to dine outside whenever you like it. Being in nature as much as possible is important, so think about installing an outdoor kitchen. You can entertain guest there, have a romantic candlelight dinner or a relaxing breakfast. In case an outdoor kitchen is too big of an investment, a simple barbecue will do.
2. A fire pit for a comfy, warming setting
When winter comes, you don’t have to be bound to your home. You can still enjoy your backyard if you build an elegant DIY fire pit. It will allow you to spend time outside even during the chilly evenings. Take a couple of blankets from the house, make some hot chocolate, roast some marshmallow and serve cookies – a perfect opportunity for the family to gather around the fire pit and enjoy.
3. A water feature is a must
A water feature has a dual role – it has a soothing effect on everybody, especially if you want to take a lazy Sunday nap, and it is the ultimate fun for kids in the summer (provided it’s a pool). Of course, you don’t have to build a pool if your budget doesn’t cut it but you still should have some water feature to enjoy the sound of running water. A small fountain is not an expensive installation – you can buy a ready-made one or you can build one yourself from materials available in the backyard. The only condition is to have a running tap in the yard.
4. The perfect patio
The first thing to take into account is the shape of the back wall – it should be vertical and the surface should be flat. The next step is to match the design of the patio with the architecture of your house. The best patio designs are those that match with the color of the house’s exterior. Some of the designs include those patios resembling a gable – they have a roof and two sides, which is perfect for hot climates. Dome patios, on the other hand, are more attractive, especially those made of glass or transparent plastic. A pyramid-shape patio is, on the other hand, a classical design. Next, a skillion roof is definitely the simplest design of all – its slight tilt is excellent for directing water to the drains. In case you want to go big, then hip ends could be the design for you. The two diverging ends of its roof look really grandiose. As this type of patio design is pretty huge, homeowners tend to install them over the outdoor kitchen or the dining area.
5. Swing away
A hammock or a swing are the items to go for if you want to achieve a truly dreamy, lazy and relaxing ambiance. You can spend so many lazy afternoons in a hammock, watching the sky or tree leaves above your head. No need to try to make a hammock yourself – every garden center will have them. There are PVC hammocks really easy to install with a couple of nuts and bolts. In case you have two tree trunks next to each other in the backyard, then the hammock can be freestanding. It’s also possible to attach one end to the wall of the house.
A swing, on the other hand, is ideal fun for kids. They are pretty easy to make – all you need is a strong branch, a wooden board and two thick pieces of rope. Even if you don’t have a tree in the yard, you can buy a metal support frame.
Final comment
You need to consider your backyard to be an additional room of your home. It has to represent the connection between the interior and the exterior – the nature we all so desperately need. Most of the time, you’ll find that your most relaxing moments happen outside your home, while you’re swinging in your hammock, sitting and dining with your family or having a glass of wine in front of the fire pit. Allow yourself to be spoiled – it doesn’t cost a lot.
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