Top Backyard Design Tips For Your Next Remodel

A backyard is an extension of the interior living space and there are so many ways to decorate it and to use it that we just had to show you our favorites. There are no good or bad backyard designs, not really, unless there’s something terribly wrong with the space, something nothing can fix. But let’s focus a bit on specifics and to review a few of the methods you could use to make your own backyard more inviting and more enjoyable for you and everyone else.

Create a comfortable lounge area

Creating a lounge area with moder whicker furniture

Continuing on the idea that the backyard is an extension of the interior living space, how about a comfortable lounge space out here? After all, what good is a beautiful backyard if you can’t enjoy it? An outdoor lounge space allows you to spend time outside, to admire the surroundings and to really enjoy all those lovely flowers you planted and all the peace and quiet that dominates this space.

Create an al fresco dining area

Furniture for dining area

Nothing compares to the experience of eating outdoors. Everything tastes different and it’s all really fresh, no matter what you serve. That being said, we think that an al fresco dining area would be a really wonderful feature for a backyard. It doesn’t need to be fancy. A simple wooden table and some benches or chairs would be enough.

Build a pergola

Natural Pergola

There’s a lot to love about a pergola and many different ways in which you can make the most of it in a garden or backyard. For example, a pergola lets you grow beautiful climbing plants and to form lovely arches and shaded areas. Also, a pergola frames small lounge areas really well so perhaps you’d like to take a chair or two and a side table out in the backyard.

Decorate with bold furniture

Wire bold furniture - water resistant

Outdoor furniture doesn’t really stand out and that’s because its role is usually to blend in and to become one with nature. So if you want to put an emphasis on the furniture in your backyard or at least to make it visible, look for bold colors and interesting shapes that contrast with their surroundings.

Small green and blue metallic stools

Geometric forms and patterns usually work well because they’re rarely found in nature and in gardens. Also, the colors that you use could be bold and eye-catching without necessarily looking very artificial and different from the tones usually found in nature.

Install a bench

Modern backyard wooden bench

If your backyard is more of a garden with all sorts of flowering plants and lush vegetation, then you’d best not give up all that to make room for furniture and other things. Still, you could install a bench so you can relax and admire all that beauty from time to time.

Wood slice backyard bench

Benches and planters often go hand in hand and you could opt for such a combo if you want to be surrounded by greenery and freshness when you sit down to relax in your backyard or garden. Consider a bench made of wood to maintain the natural and organic decor.

Decorate with planters

Metallic planters

Speaking of planters, you have quite a few options to choose from. You could use large custom made planters to delineate the walkway in your backyard or garden or you could use them to create interesting displays, keeping the plants contained and organized.

Brick planters

Like we mentioned before, planters and benches make a great combo. This is a really beautiful example. The bench and planter become one, both wrapping around a central fire pit and forming a fresh and very cozy ambiance.

Add a wood garden sculpture

Wood backyard sculptures

There are other ways to decorate a backyard or a garden besides planters. Sculptures, for instance, are wonderful if what you wish is to create a focal point or to draw attention to a particular area. They’re also good for filling empty spaces or creating symmetry outdoors.

Add the wow factor with water features

Add Water Features

There’s really not a lot to say about water features in a garden except that they always impress and stand out, no matter how simple. Depending on the size of your backyard and the preferred style, you can choose to have a pond, a small pool or a fountain.

River rocks and water feature

You could even create an artificial waterfall. It could connect two ponds or pools or it could bring water down a slope inn an interesting way. You don’t need a lot of space for that. Waterfalls can be quite tiny and they’d maintain their charm and beauty every time.

Decorate the fence

Decorating the fence with crates

If you have a fence in your backyard that’s great news because you can turn it into a display area for all sorts of things. For example, put up some wooden crates and turn them into shelves. Put inside some vases, small planters or other decorations.

Decorating the fence crates

Keep things casual and don’t overdo it. It’s easy to get carried away when you have so many things you’d like to display on a shelf. But keep it simple and decorate with a few fresh flowers from your own garden without adding other knick-knacks.

Use boulders as sculptures

Natural stone and boulders to create seating

Turn boulders and rocks that you found on the site into decorations for the garden or backyard. The larger ones could become benches or stools and the irregularly-shaped ones could be decorative. You could also use the boulders to build something, maybe a decorative shrine, a water feature or a seating area.

Make gravel pathways

Gravel backyard pathway

We think gravel adds a zen touch to an outdoor area. You could use it to form pathways or to fill the gaps between flower beds and planters. It could also be useful if you want to create a fire pit and a seating area around it. Use the gravel to delineate the space.

Make flagstone walkways

Flagstone pathway

Gravel could be used in combination with flagstone to create walkways in the backyard or in a garden. Keep the lines fluid and organic for a more natural look. Add some outdoor solar lights to highlight the stones.

Recycle

Recycle an old canoe and turn into a bench

Recycling is ideal when decorating and furnishing outdoor spaces. Let’s say you want a bench for your backyard. Maybe you could use pieces from an old cabinet, a door or some old furniture. Another really nice idea is to repurpose things in the backyard. For example, you could turn an old boot into a planter or a piano into a decoration,

Organize kids friendly spaces

Kids Friendly Backyard Design

Encourage the kids to spend time outdoors by organizing fun play areas for them in the backyard. You could out out some cozy little chairs and tables and make cozy nooks where they can read and hide. Perhaps you could also build a treehouse for them. That would be really fun.