In many ways, your backyard is an extension of your home, a supplemental living area where your family and guests can spend hours reveling in a myriad of activities surrounded by fresh air and sunlight.
For your outdoor spaces to become livable and beautiful, however, you must be intentional about giving them a purpose and a functional design. Based on the size and condition of your property, you have the ability to remodel your backyard and create whatever outdoor living spaces would be most enjoyed and utilized by your family.
Cool Ideas for Outdoor Living
Your first instinct may be to add the conventional deck or patio onto your home in Fenton, Michigan. While that is a great starting point, there is so much more you can do to support and facilitate outdoor living on your property. You just need a vision that’s built around your family’s unique lifestyle, hobbies and habits. If you’re searching for inspiration for your exterior remodel, here are some ideas for cool backyard spaces and designs to consider:
1. Set Up an Outdoor Kitchen
Trying to cook indoors while your family is outside in the yard, and then transporting food and dishes back and forth, is a major hassle. You can solve this problem with an outdoor kitchen built on your deck, veranda or patio. To complement other rustic outdoor living spaces, consider using stone, brick and natural wood around your stainless-steel appliances. You can set up your outdoor kitchen however you want, with whatever features you desire. This includes a grill, pizza oven, refrigerator, stovetop, and various sinks, counters and cabinetry.
2. Opt for a Classic Fireplace
The fire pit is a classic and highly popular feature for outdoor living spaces, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. However, there is a trend to create a more unique backyard by incorporating a traditional stone or brick fireplace instead of a fire pit. With a seating area and a backdrop for a television, this cozy outdoor space becomes the perfect spot for family movie nights, reading a good book or simply relaxing after a long day.
3. Build a Living Room or Lounge
If you love being outside throughout the year, an open and inviting outdoor living room might be a good choice. This versatile feature can be designed in different ways, but essentially, it will emulate an indoor living room, with comfortable sofas and chairs, side tables and decorative elements. You’ll probably want a covering of sorts for at least part of the outdoor living room to protect furniture from the elements. For a more lounge-like atmosphere, consider a hanging daybed and mesh hammock beneath a large canopy.
4. Design a Secret Garden
Outdoor spaces are often associated with socialization and group gatherings, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting a private spot where you can enjoy peace and solitude surrounded by verdant beauty. A quaint, tucked-away garden escape or reading nook is the perfect solution. This can be a small space accessed from your master bedroom or in a corner of your backyard. An enclosure and canopy of sorts can help the space feel more intimate, but if you want to keep that natural, gardenesque atmosphere, use bushes, trees, lush vines and other plants for a pseudo-enclosure that doesn’t completely block out the sunlight.
5. Incorporate a Gazebo
There is something distinctly whimsical about outdoor space amenities like gazebos, pergolas and arbors. The architecture alone acts as an eye-catching, decorative element in your backyard, but it also serves a practical purpose. Gazebos give you a semi-private outdoor gathering space, while pergolas can help provide cover for a patio, swimming pool or other exterior amenities. They also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Incorporate more color and texture into your backyard by covering your arbor or pergola with climbing plants, like clematis and wisteria, or vines.
6. Add a Swing
A swing is another classic backyard feature that provides simple yet pure enjoyment for the whole family. You can go with the good old-fashioned tire swing on a tree for a touch of country charm, or hang a swing from your pergola for your young children to use at mealtimes. You can set up a wood swing with a seat cushion or canopy swing anywhere in your yard. Individual swings are especially suitable for smaller yards where you may not have the space for a full play structure. Plus, they’re attractive features that conjure up sweet nostalgia for simpler times.
7. Create a Putting Green
Want to make an even more unique backyard for your Fenton home? Use part of your green space to create a personal putting green or a spot for playing croquet, bocce ball and other lawn games. Having that turfed outdoor space also enhances the aesthetic of your backyard, turning it into a mini resort. If your family isn’t into golfing, an outdoor chess board or basketball hoop could be more fitting. You can even install your own skating ramp or half-pipe for both children and adults to enjoy.
8. Use Fun Lighting
Lighting sets the mood in your backyard, especially when you are socializing or relaxing outside in the evening. There are numerous fixtures you can use to illuminate your deck, lawn and other outdoor living spaces, including traditional wall lights, lampposts, flood lights, in-ground well lights and spotlights, to name a few. Don’t be afraid to have a bit of fun with your lighting either. Tiki torches and other kerosene lamps add visual interest while also repelling bugs. Strands of hanging lights are also a simple, yet effective way to endow your backyard with a magical atmosphere. You can even find lights shaped like birds, mushrooms and flowers to add even more whimsy.
Building Unique Outdoor Living Spaces in Fenton
Outdoor living is a key ingredient in achieving a healthy, happy lifestyle. With the right backyard design, you won’t have to venture far to enjoy spending time outdoors doing all the things you love. No matter your unique lifestyle needs, aesthetic tastes or preferred forms of recreation, our team at Top Choice Builders can help you construct a customized outdoor living environment to suit. We collaborate with you during the design process to ensure we’re accurately capturing your vision and making the most of your investment so it provides long-term benefits to you and your family.