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A raised bluestone patio designed for entertaining features a fire pit, dining area and outdoor kitchen.
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The silver travertine patio and pool deck complement the French provincial-style house.
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A formal garden designed for a client who wanted a Williamsburg feel and lots of year-round color
Where do you go when you want to get away? According to IPX1031, almost 50% of Americans are planning staycations in 2024. If staying home is more your style, consider turning your backyard into a relaxing destination.
Whether you work with a contractor or do it yourself, begin with a plan. “It will help you prioritize your wants and needs, and make sure that your objectives align with your budget,” Hannah Bowker of Rock Creek Innovations explains. “A plan will also determine the proper sequence of work, especially if you are taking a phased approach to achieving your ultimate vision.”
Bowker asks homeowners to think about how they will use their outdoor space and how many people they like to entertain. She emphasizes the importance of “making sure that the area is big enough and planned out so that everything flows smoothly.” Define different “rooms” for different activities, she recommends, such as spaces for conversation, dining, solitude and play.
A backyard retreat should appeal to your senses. Tranquil sounds, calming colors and soothing scents can help keep you in the moment and make the pressures of daily living fade away.
Appeal to your sense of touch with an assortment of surfaces such as stone, brick, wood or a lush, green wall. Soften seating with cushions and accent pillows. Cool off under shade sails or a vine-covered pergola. Indulge yourself in an outdoor shower. Plant moss, Corsican mint, creeping thyme, baby’s tears or dwarf mondo grass between stepping stones to turn a walkway into a tactile experience.
Dining al fresco can satisfy your sense of taste. Designate a dining area with a table, chairs and adequate lighting. Keep it simple with a grill and a cooler, or install an entire outdoor kitchen with seating, a bar, a sink, a refrigerator, a countertop for prep, storage space and maybe even a pizza oven.
Adding the tranquil sound of water spilling over stones, a burbling fountain, wind chimes played by a summer breeze or songbirds attracted to a feeder can be some of the best ways to infuse a space with serenity. Outdoor speakers add your own audio favorites to the mix.
“Textures, colors and furnishings are all good ways to make an area more visually appealing,” says Parker Fallin, a designer at Rock Creek Innovations. Placid blues, greens and earthy neutrals can bring calm to outdoor surfaces. Flowering plants that bloom in sequence offer continuous color from early spring until late autumn. “Lighting helps illuminate an area but also provides that nice ambience in the evening,” he adds. “It brings your space to life at night.”
The aroma of food cooking on the grill, woodsmoke from a firepit, and the scent of blooming roses, gardenia, chocolate daisy, sweet peas, mock orange, freesia and fragrant tea olive are all enchanting additions to a backyard retreat.
Senses aside, consider including a personal putting green; badminton, volleyball or croquet courts; cornhole boards; or maybe even a swimming pool. A treehouse, playground equipment, a climbing wall or an obstacle course can keep the kids entertained.
“Timing is important to ensure that your project is completed for the season in which you want to use it,” Bowker emphasizes. “Start the project about two seasons in advance to give adequate design and build time,” making sure that your backyard oasis is ready to enjoy when you are.
