With the effects of the pandemic subsiding, life is getting back on track for most of us. For a majority of the American population, this means that we’re back in stressful workspaces and closed classrooms. And while getting out of the house might be a nice change, the typical American lifestyle isn’t designed around the concept of overall wellbeing.
And although most of us would love a flight to an exotic location every two weeks to unwind and relax, there are only so many vacation days in a year. This is why we suggest turning your backyard into the ultimate vacation spot! This will allow you to catch a break from the daily hustle and spend some time outdoors doing things you love.
Having a backyard getaway can be excellent for many reasons, but mainly because:
- Soaking up the sunlight can help your physical and mental health in several ways;
- All family members, including children, can spend time outdoors indulging in other activities—this could help reduce screen time drastically;
- Spending time outdoors doing nothing can be great for your mental health;
- It’s an extra spot for entertaining guests;
- It can be the perfect place to spend quality time with your family every day;
- A perfect place for kids and pets to run around and breathe in some fresh air;
- You won’t have to plan over-the-top expensive vacations anymore.
Of course, everyone designing a backyard getaway has their own vision for their usage and what they want to include. But generally, it’s a good idea to always start with a mood board and a rough floor plan. This will help you organize your thought and ideas into practical and actionable plans. Also, we highly suggest you decide on your budget early on. This is because when you design a backyard, there’s a lot of room for flexibility and add-ons. A fixed budget will make it easier for you to make choices.
Additionally, we suggest you discuss your plans with professionals like masonry service providers, landscape designers, and garden consultants. Knowledgeable, experienced, and creative experts like these can help you realize your backyard’s full potential.
But before you put together a team, it’s a good idea to know exactly what you want. Here’s what we suggest.
Figure Out What You Want The Backyard Patio To Look Like
Your deck or the patio leading from your house to the backyard is a critical space you’d ideally want to start with. You need to consider the color palette for this and also what you want to use it for.
For instance, you could use it as your seating area with an outdoor fireplace and comfortable patio furniture, and so on, or you could simply use it for your potted plants and as a transit space from the house and into the backyard. Alternately, you could set up your grill and a dining table on the patio for your barbeques.
In any case, it’s a good idea to ditch wood flooring with more outdoorsy materials like pavers. Keep the overall color palette minimal and earthy.
Consider A Small Outdoor Kitchen
Speaking of grills and barbeques, it’s always a good idea to squeeze in an outdoor kitchen in your backyard. It’s not just great for barbeques but can also help you maintain a spotless indoor kitchen—since you’d have an outdoor kitchen for heavy-duty cooking!
If you don’t want the kitchen on the patio because of its close proximity to the main house, you can create the kitchen in the opposite corner of the backyard. All you really need is some sun shading, an outdoor fireplace and grill station, and some workstations and counters. Also, talk to masonry experts about building the kitchen on a slightly elevated platform with shorter block walls to create a secluded spot.
Add A Charming Gazebo In A Corner
Speaking of secluded corners, a gazebo is a perfect idea for a backyard escape. In fact, you could build your kitchen inside a gazebo.
Or you could build the gazebo in a different corner and create a lovely seating area under it. Also, if you’ve got a larger backyard, consider building a gazebo with a small pond under it. It will give you the exact topical vibes that you’re aiming for.
Decide Between A Pool Or A Pond
Speaking of ponds, having some sort of water element is crucial for relaxation, especially given Arizona’s warm weather. You can either go with a pond—like the one under a gazebo we mentioned earlier- or install a swimming pool if you’ve got enough space.
Having a swimming pool on your property can be an absolute delight, especially during summer. It becomes the ultimate fun spot for kids, and you can also throw some fabulous pool parties for your friends and family—it’s definitely a serious investment, but it’s worth considering for the sort of backyard you’re trying to design.
Install A Beautiful Swing
This is more for aesthetics than for anything else, but exotic backyards need some Instagram-worthy spots, and a swing sits on top of that list.
Choose a nice shade corner, maybe on the patio or perhaps near your favorite tree, and install a swing there. It’s also a must-have if you have kids—swings can keep the mischievous minions entertained for hours!
Scatter The Place With Tall Trees, Smaller Plants, And Lots Of Floral Beauty
What’s a backyard getaway without some intense dose of greenery?
No matter what size your backyard is, its dominant color should always be green. From your favorite fruit trees to lots of green grass, pretty shrubs and bushes, and plenty of flowers, make sure to go all out when it comes to the greenery in the backyard. Also, don’t worry too much about overgrown bushes and grass—it gives off the perfect, wild and exotic vibe—keep the properly pruned and trimmed trees for the front yard.
Also, don’t shy away from installing artificial turf in areas where you need some extra color.
Add Some Spots For Lounging
The whole purpose of a backyard escape is relaxation. So, you need some cozy, well-shaded spots for lounges all over the place.
These could be lounge chairs need the pool, some recliners on the patio, or even hammocks in the trees. Just make sure you have nice spots where you can curl up with your favorite book during a summer afternoon on a Sunday.
If you don’t have tall trees for a hammock but want to install one, ask your masonry experts if they can build you some block wall pillars for it instead.
Add Depth And Texture With Some Retaining Walls And Stone Steps
If you really want your backyard to look like something out of a dream, you have to consider some retaining walls. These usually work best in slightly larger outdoor spaces, so see if you’ve got the right space for them.
The retaining walls can give your backyard a beautiful European look, and you can design them with stone steps to create layers and depth in your backyard.
Add Some Dreamy Walkways And Pathways
Besides retaining walls, walkways and pathways are also a brilliant way to add a dreamier effect to your backyard. They’re easy to incorporate and can also help you organize your flowerbeds and any other sections in the backyard to make them look more attractive visually.
For instance, you could have a pathway leading from the patio to your outdoor kitchen and another one leading to the gazebo. Or you can always have intertwining walkways between different hammocks and other cool spots in the backyard. The walkways can be created with interlocking pavers to create a more aesthetic look.
Make Your Backyard Versatile With A Mini-Golf Course In A Corner
This one may not be for everyone, but if you’re a golf enthusiast, a mini-golf course in a corner—if you’ve got the space—isn’t a terrible idea.
It’s the perfect way to unwind on the weekends and help keep guests entertained—your house could be the new cool spot for everyone to hang out! It’s also something you can leave to experts. There are professionals who can help you with putting green installations on your property to add the perfect sporty touch to your backyard.
Make Sure There’s A Fire Pit
Even if you’ve got an outdoor fireplace, you need a firepit near one of the seating areas. It’s a must-have for bonfire nights and can help you create a wonderful space for friends and family.
You can use the firepit to just sit around on chilly winter evenings. It’s also the perfect spot for game nights with kids, where you can all enjoy s’mores during an intense game of scrabble!
Add A Birdbath, Fountains, And Statues For An Artistic Touch
While all the ideas we’ve mentioned so far are significantly large-sized installations and improvements to transform your backyard, there are also some very small add-ons you can incorporate to make the backyard look pretty and charming.
These can be bird baths surrounded by walkways or a fountain in the middle of the pond you’re designing. Or you can also fit in some statues of birds and other aesthetically pleasing elements in corners. These will serve as subtle touches that will help to enhance the overall positive energy within your outdoor space.
Don’t Forget Lighting
While there’s nothing more beautiful than lounging in a hammock under the moonlight on a starry night in a beautiful backyard that you’ve designed yourself, occasionally, you may need some artificial lighting for the right vibes.
We suggest layering your lighting to create a more balanced look and to ensure that each backyard space is well-lit and has no dark corners. You can use a combination of spotlights, flood lights, step lights, pool lights, garden lights, bollard lights, and string lights. You can also have some landers installed along the walkways that you’d designed!
Use Block Walls And Gates To Create Different Activity Areas
For many people with larger backyards, bringing some order to an otherwise chaotic and cluttered space can be challenging. The elements you’re so thoughtfully designing can look disorganized and cluttered. This takes away from the relaxing vibes of the space—and that defeats the entire purpose of a backyard getaway.
To counter this problem, you can build block walls and install gates to create separate spaces for specific activities. For instance, your pool area could make use of such block walls. Also, the mini gold can have a small gate leading to it. It’s an idea worth considering and discussing with your masonry contractors.
Make Sure It’s Super Private
Lastly, any backyard escape that you design needs to be super private, especially if you’ve got children that would be spending a lot of time outdoors and if you have a pool that you plan on using a lot. Ideally, you don’t want the neighbors to know everything going on in your backyard at all times.
Planting tall trees is a great way to ensure privacy—it’ll also help keep the space cool and visually refreshing. Alternatively, you could see if you can build some tall block walls around your backyard to give you the privacy you’re looking for.
Of course, these are all ideas you need to discuss with your masonry experts before finalizing anything. If you’re unsure where to find great masonry service providers in Avondale, we suggest reaching out to the experts at CF VICE Construction. They’re block wall contractors and are also known for their masonry repair services in Avondale and surrounding areas. Also, they can help you with the artificial turf and paver installations we mentioned earlier.
Give them a call to discuss things further and to ask for quotes.