Create your backyard sanctuary
- Angela M
- Jun 11, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 12, 2021
Spring is here and summer is around the corner. It’s not too late to create a backyard image you love. For me, I enjoy being in my backyard. I enjoy the sun, birds singing, at night the stars, how the layout of my patio is from the lighting, to the furniture, the firepit, the overall ambiance of being outside and spending time with my family and friends, or even being alone for some “me” time. But creating a beautiful look to your backyard patio doesn’t have to be dreadful or expensive either.
Just like any room in your home, the items you place in a room and the layout of those items do impact the visual appeal and feel of that area. For instance, a living room can look crowded with multiple shelves and too small of an area rug, or loud curtains which can be really bold bright colors or extreme patterns can clash with the sofas and/or other items in the room. These are some examples, but how do you get that nice backyard patio image you want without having to go extreme or even what to buy in order to start creating your dream backyard patio.
Let's go over some simple things you can do to help make your backyard into that happy place where you enjoy spending time. With just a few items to start off, you will start to notice a difference.
Where do you start? That’s the first question I ask myself. I don’t know what to do, or how to do it. But we all have to start somewhere. First, I would look at the layout. What I mean by this is the size of the backyard, and ask yourself where would I place my patio furniture and décor.
For all backyards, you want to start with the focal point of the backyard, your patio furniture. You want the furniture that fits your area just right. For something small, I would suggest something like furniture below. However, you can always add on a few extra seats here and there if you wanted to.
For other patio furniture, you have the option to have a firepit included, but you want to make sure it fits the area with enough space that it does feel congested. You want to create a flow coming out of your house back door onto your backyard. Take a moment to think about what you consider that dream backyard patio area should look like. It all starts with your imagination.
Next thing that would help the look of your backyard oasis are plants. Plants are inexpensive but can be pricey depending on the type of plants you want to add. You don’t have to go to a plant nursery to get great outdoor plants. Home Depot and Lowe’s carry some beautiful plants that can add appeal to your backyard. Now, to get that nice image like how hotels have their patios look, I would suggest big outdoor plants, and in pairs. You want to give a symmetry effect. Also, to get that classy, sophisticated look and feel, you want to get oversize pots that are simple like white or black, to transfer the plants into.
Let go over lighting. Lights, lights, lights!! In order to create an area of relaxation and serenity, lighting plays a huge role in generating that atmosphere. For example, if you ever walked by a retail store and looked at their window displays, especially, during Christmas? You’ve noticed the items that were being highlighted and may not have realized that it was designed that way to grab your attention just by using lights. For outdoor backyard gatherings, you don’t want bright lights, but you also don’t want dim lights where you can trip over things. You want lights that compliment the area, and you're creating a layout as to where you want people to look. So, you can have hanging lights and some landscape lights to tie the look and feel together.
Alright, you're just about done here if you’re on a budget. But if you want to have a greater impact on your backyard, I would add a few more things such as, a rug, outdoor décor pillows, and some small items that bring character to your sanctuary. You want to keep the colors unified or just have a few pillows. This way it has a clean view and flow to your design.
Let’s go over rugs. Having a rug that is wide and long enough to cover the seating area where you would entertain, can bring all the individual pieces together. How do you know what size rug you should get? Well, when you layout your furniture, you want to make sure the rug is not so small that it makes that center seating area smaller than it actually is. Unless, you’re creating different sections of your backyard and you have multiple seating areas. You're the creator of the image you want. But if starting off, I would get a rug wide and long enough that it goes under the patio seats up to the back, but not past the back seats.
The corners would have some type of décor or plants placed on it so it doesn’t seem like it’s missing something. Try to keep the height of the items similar on either side, whether it’s one item or multiple items on each side.
And keep in mind, simple is better if you're not into trends. Trends change often, but if you want to have some trendy pieces in your backyard, just add a few items. If you're not into constant change, then it's OK to get things that are staples. What I mean by this is getting items that are classy and the look of your patio design stays in style as the years pass. But hey, you are the master artist of your backyard. Don’t let it intimidate you. Start off by looking at other backyard designs and get an idea of what works for you. Then, plan your budget and work through the process, enjoying it. You’ll do great!
*Just to let you know, I do receive a small commission if you purchase from these links.
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