80 Backyard Ideas That'll Transform Your Space Into Paradise
So much better than hanging out inside.
While we all love lounging in the living room or spending the day in bed, there's just something extra relaxing about hanging out in the backyard. The best backyard ideas all have one key thing in common: comfort. Whether it's a row of chaise lounges by the pool or a group of Adirondack chairs in an open grass field, a comfortable outdoor setup is the ultimate luxury. But you don't need an abundance of square footage to create a fun and functional backyard. In fact, some of the best backyard ideas can make a bite-size patio or side yard look and feel as gracious as a sprawling lawn.
You don't have to spend a bunch of money to act on your favorite backyard ideas, either. You can achieve a great backyard on a budget with a few strategic choices like durable seating and a few yard games. How you landscape your backyard also plays into its overall appeal. If you have a green thumb, why not opt for a full English garden or even a hobby farm? If you're more of the faux-greenery type, choose native plants that are already used to your area's climate for minimal maintenance. Either way, you can be sure that whatever amount you invest will boost your home's value.
Ahead, we highlight 78 backyard ideas with East Hampton–style hedges and cottagecore lavender fields as well as city apartment terraces and paved patios. If you're looking for pool landscaping ideas or patio-specific designs, we have you covered there, too.
Prioritize the View
Rather than install benches, cabinets, or other, taller design elements, Suzannah Charbin opted to mimic the marshy environment and chose low furniture. This way, the view remains open from all angles, even from inside the house.
Go Big at Home
A chimney that extends high above the willow-and-steel pergolacalls attention to the dramatic 10-foot- tall "windows" and vineyard views in this lounge by Sheldon Harte.
Leave Room for Guests
If you like to entertain, be sure that your outdoor dining space can seat just as many as inside—without the need for folding card chairs or multipurpose stools. Take a note from Tom Scheerer and opt for benches to squeeze in as many loved ones as possible.
Entend the Dining Room
In this D.C. home, pizza nights are a summer must-have, so designer Tina Ramchandani ensured space for one in the backyard. Paneled walls also provide privacy while easing the transition between indoors and out.
Add a Wash Station
If tracking in mud, dust, and other outdoor gunk into your home is a problem, provide family and guests with an easy handwash station with space to leave their shoes.
Take Inspiration from Summer Camp
A cozy fire-pit is a fail-safe element for a cozy summer evening. These chic lawn chairs keep you safely away from the smoke while still allowing you to lay back and relax.
Keep it Simple
Sometimes, all you need is a pool and a sun lounger. This option foregoes all of the patio pavers and walking paths in favor of simple grass. This private sanctuary is all these homeowners need.
Related Story: The Best Pool Landscaping Ideas
Embrace Wild Greenery
In the backyard of this Jeremiah Brent designed home, trellises were added to help encourage vine growth over this cozy seating area. The owners could have had it trimmed back, but now it adds much needed protection from the California sun.
Add Architectural Interest
While this backyard's pergola doesn't offer much in the way of shade, it's primary purpose is instead to help frame the seating area amongst the greenery. Lighting is recessed into the pergola to extend the party after the sun goes down.
Related Story: 23 Pergola Ideas to Spark Outdoor Inspiration
Coordinte with Your Home's Exterior
Compliment your home's exterior colors with your backyard furniture. Thesewoven lounge chairs feature throw pillows and towels that pull colors from the rest of the home's landscaping.
Plant an English Garden
Take inspiration from your favorite period drama and embrace the abundance of square hedges filled in with flower bushes. This garden by designer Podge Bune at her Hamptons cottage strikes the perfect balance of whimsical and structured.
Grow an Abundance of Roses
Rather than sorting through seed packets and planning a complicated layout, choose one flower that makes you happy and run with it. This garden by Edmund Hollander features an abundance of English roses, the homeowner's favorite floral.
Feature a Fountain
To add an air of formality, install a regal fountain. It not only adds a distinguished feel, but it also offers a refreshing respite during those hot summer months.
Lay Down Some Lavender
Balance geometric pavers with a lush row of lavender on either side. This can also be a natural way to help remind guests and family members to stay off other parts of the lawn that need some rest.
Frolic in the Fields
Embrace the cottagecore trend and plant a full field of wildflowers rather than boring sod or a confined garden. Wendy Owen wanted her Sonoma, California, property to feel like a laid-back, rustic French village.
Pave the Way
No area of your yard is off limits, even the driveway. Instead of solid pavement, lay two rows of turfstone pavers, aka latticed paving stones, that allow grass to grow through. At the center, Bay Area designer Dan Carlson combined succulents and herbs for a colorful, low-to-the-ground garden.
Play Ball
Encourage more family game time by installing a full-size bocce-ball court. The surrounding border is the perfect amount of space for a row of pavers and a few structured bushes.
Take a Seat
Utilize every corner of your yard, even the dark corners. This towering tree provides a naturally romantic cover for a loveseat.
Create Privacy
For those with neighbors in close quarters or set on a narrow lot, add privacy to your backyard patio with breezy linen curtains. They also look super chic when blowing in the wind—just ask designer Hadas Dembo.
Take It Up a Tier
For city apartments or those with little green space, maximize your outdoor space by working vertically like designer Tamsin Johnson. A few cozy seating spaces can be as comfortable and stylish as a sprawling backyard.
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