Personalizing your backyard doesn’t require landscaping skills. You can make it match your personality and your home’s vibe with creative projects that require minimal time and money. Consider a few backyard design ideas to elevate your outdoor space this summer. You can pinpoint the best concepts for your property’s size, usage and current design by comparing some popular projects.
1. Create Room for Inflatable Water Equipment
Water activities make some of summer’s best memories. Clear a section of your backyard to make space for that entertainment. Remove older bushes or outdated fixtures that show signs of weathering. Your property will look bigger and have plenty of room for inflatable pools, water slides and afternoons running through sprinklers.
2. Build a Pergola
Pergolas are freestanding wooden structures that have latticed wood across the top. They won’t shield you from rain, but your property will get a professionally designed touch. Build one over a free weekend and decorate it with torches, potted plants and comfortable seating. You’ll have a new space to hang out with your loved ones during gorgeous summer sunsets.
3. Make a Playset Area Safer
If you have kids who love their backyard swingset, you can elevate that area by making it safer. Safety surfacing uses rubber tiles that absorb the impact of falls, minimizing potential pain after jumping or tripping. Adding flooring beneath your playset that matches the materials of your house will seamlessly integrate your backyard into your existing property design.
4. Install Colorful Seat Cushions
Consider your existing outdoor chairs, couches or benches. Do they look faded from sun exposure or weathered from mildew? Add new cushions in bright colors that draw the eye. This fast and easy project adds texture to any backyard while making everyone extra comfortable at your seasonal parties.
5. Add Homemade Cornhole Boards
Cornhole is a great game to play with friends and family. If you build boards with a design you love, they could double as backyard decorations. Paint the boards with your family name, a meaningful symbol or handprints in different colors. After finishing the boards with a glossy clear coat of sealant, you’ll dazzle everyone with your stunning backyard additions.
6. Grow a Jungle
If your backyard lacks trees or plants, create the lush garden of your dreams by adding vining plants to your property. Planting some at the base of vertical fixtures like porch beams, pergolas or light posts only takes minutes. Options like Boston Ivy quickly climb up and add vertical texture that elevates any backyard into a green haven.
Choose plants that will thrive in your local climate. Consider if you live in a region with hotter weather, more rain or frequent droughts. If you select native vining plants that aren’t sensitive to those conditions, your new garden will last much longer than a single season.
7. Place Patio Pavers Strategically
Patio pavers are the wide square stones people use for walkways, patios and other yard fixtures. You don’t need to plan a big project to use them for your backyard design plans this summer. Install some at the base of your back porch steps, beneath where you keep your trash cans or underneath your compost bin. The hardscaping enhances any space with a professional-looking touch.
8. Establish Privacy Measures
If you live in a newer neighborhood or the city, you likely live close to numerous houses. Give yourself more privacy by planting tall, thick foliage – like arborvitae trees – or hanging curtains around your screened-in porch. You’ll feel more secluded when taking your dogs for a bathroom break or reading your latest novel during a cool evening.
9. Find an Outdoor Dining Set
Some people struggle to picture design efforts for their yards because they’re such a different space compared to interior rooms. If decorating indoor rooms is easier, consider melding the function of the two spaces. You could add an outdoor dining set to your yard that matches your interior aesthetic. A tablecloth, placemats and lighting will make it your favorite place to eat with loved ones. You might also love creating a dining area under another structure, like your handmade pergola.
10. Use Creative Lighting
Lights set the mood for any space. If your yard doesn’t have the same inviting vibe as your living room, it might need a new light upgrade. The key is getting creative with your choices. While you can put a lantern with a battery-powered candle on your back porch, your property should shine with more personality.
Add multicolored light bulbs to your floor lights or hang string lights around the edges of your yard. Install a thrift store chandelier within your screened porch and place rope lights along your garden fence. Your backyard will feel new without too much work.
11. Find Peel-and-Stick Floor Designs
If you’re among the many people loving peel-and-stick wallpaper, why not add it to your porch? Peel-and-stick porch squares come in numerous designs and sizes. People add them to their covered outdoor flooring to make their porches and patios look fresh. While they might not last forever, they could be a great project if you love changing your interior design style frequently. You can swap the floor squares with new designs whenever you want a fresh look outside.
12. Upgrade Your Shed
Homeowners with sheds have unique opportunities to enhance their yards. Consider giving your shed a fresh coat of paint or running an extension cord for extra lighting. Clean the interior before adding a crafting table and plugging in a standing fan. Your shed could become your favorite place for quiet time or a focal point during parties. It all depends on how you prefer to use it.
Reinvent Your Backyard This Summer
Transform your yard with elevated design ideas. Whether you love the idea of hardscaping, adding extra lighting or planting more greenery around your home, your neighbors will think a professional gave you decorating tips. Start with one idea to keep things simple. You can always add more design upgrades once you’ve made progress.
