How to Create the Outdoor Oasis of Your Dreams

Ready to spend the summer outdoors and enjoy your own backyard? You can make it the perfect place to relax on your own or with friends and family. Don’t let this season slip away without creating a backyard you can truly enjoy. Keep reading for a few ideas to get you started.

You can make your outdoor living space particularly versatile and inviting by creating areas with specific kinds of activities or gatherings in mind.

If you want to eat outside, set up your patio or deck for success al fresco. The footprint should be on level ground and large enough for accommodating comfortable seating. Unless you have an outdoor kitchen, keeping the dining area near the house will make it more convenient for serving the meal. An essential for most warm weather meals is an outdoor grill. Having a grill nearby lets you enjoy a cocktail with friends and mind the grill at the same time.

However, if you want a place to gather over drinks or around a backyard fire pit, it can be nice to have this a little further away from the house. You might place it near a fountain, under a tree or nestled amongst foliage that will help you and your friends enjoy the relaxing benefits of nature. If you choose a wood-burning fire pit, check with your city codes or HOA regulations first.

Let your intention for each space inform your type and arrangement of outdoor furniture. You can vary the seating options depending on each zone’s purpose. For example, create an area that feels intimate and restful and another that accommodates a larger gathering or party atmosphere.

Sun and shade are important considerations when planning an outdoor oasis. If you’re worried about a lack of natural shade, you could add some simple shade umbrellas or you could take it to the next level with an gazebo or perogola. Don’t forget to add accessories like insect nets if you live in a buggy area.

For night gatherings, outdoor lighting plays a key role in creating ambiance and making spaces useful. First, you must light all areas where people will be walking to avoid trip hazards, but you do not need to keep the lighting boring. Use lighting to highlight the beautiful features of your yard, like the branches of a tree. Pick colors, subtle or lively, that build the atmosphere you want. Lighting can add a touch of romance or a sparkle of fun.

Music, meanwhile, is the perfect element to add to your surroundings. Investing in outdoor speakers means you’ll be able to bring your favorite tunes to your outdoor party or intimate gathering. You can also listen to podcasts or sporting events while you spend time basking in the sun or lounging in the shade.

In addition to entertainment options for grownups, it’s just as important to create opportunities for the kids to play and relax. If you have enough room in your yard, setting up play equipment like a jungle gym can provide hours of fun and exercise for young children. For older kids and adults, there are many lawn games that you can bond over, like bocce ball, croquet and bowling. When the games are through, kids of all ages will enjoy having a hammock to sway in while taking a break.

Planning for the summer barbeque is easy when you have the right grill and outdoor kitchen equipment for your needs. The first step is learning what the different types of grills are and determining which one is best for your needs. 

Gas grills offer the convenience of easy lighting and much less clean-up than charcoal or pellet grills. Plus, they can provide quite a bit of grilling space, depending on the space you have available on your deck and patio and your budget.

Charcoal grills also have their own unique benefits. Once you get the hang of starting them, they heat up more quickly than gas grills and they bring a smokier flavor to the food.

However, if you really want to focus on flavor, a pellet is the way to go. Heated with hardwood pellets that offer a variety of smoke aromas and flavors, these grills take your BBQ to the next level. And although they have acquired a reputation of being the choice of the hardcore BBQ-er in the world of grills and outdoor kitchens, they are quite easy to use.

If you want to get the most out of your outdoor living space even when it’s a little cold outside, consider adding a hot tub. A hot tub provides relaxing and rejuvenating warmth even on chilly nights and it’s a great place to unwind after a hard day. Plus, adding a hot tub can be surprisingly easy. If you don’t want to permanently install a hard-sided hot tub, you can choose an inflatable one that you set up seasonally.

Enjoy a soak on your own, with friends, or as part of a romantic date night. The final touch is hanging outdoor string lights overhead to feel like you’ve created a resort vacation spot right in your own backyard.

In fact, investing time and energy in your yard can make a huge difference in your overall happiness. Not only will your yard become a delightful place to relax, but activities like gardening and decorating your space can bring you joy as well. There’s really nothing to lose from creating an outdoor oasis for yourself.