Guest Post: Creating a Backyard Retreat

It’s not too late to create an outdoor space to enjoy this summer!  In today’s guest post, written by Jennifer Parker of Handyman for the Home, learn some tips for creating a backyard retreat for your family. 

With the summer days still unfolding, your desire to spend more time outdoors in the sunshine has increased.  However, you have nowhere to lounge or enjoy your outdoor space.  Project time!  Your backyard should provide you with a tranquil energy every time you lay your eyes on it.  It should give you an environment where you can escape from the everyday stresses of life – your daily dose of vacation right in your backyard.  Here are a few ideas for creating a backyard retreat your entire family can enjoy.

Photo courtesy Land Mechanics

Where to Create Your Escape

Take a look at your backyard before you start building your retreat.  Ask yourself what you want to use your backyard for.  Do you want to use it as a general entertainment space or as a space where you and your family can relax?  Even in the most modest sized backyards, you can still create an intimate setting within your desired entertainment space.

• Find the most secluded spot in your yard – under a tree or a naturally sectioned nook – and furnish it with lounge chairs and a small table.  Accessorize this area with the subtly of flowers or potted plants to provide a sense of tranquility.
• If your desire is to create a hidden room within your backyard, semi-open structures serve their purpose perfectly in your outdoor space.  Allowing the sunlight and summer breeze to flow through this sectioned space still give you privacy, but also entices you to stay outdoors.
• Should you only have a limited space to create your personalized backyard retreat, optimize landscape characteristics to enhance your space.  This will not only add personality, but using plants, furniture, and accessories are easy ways to transform any small space into an exotic oasis.

Photo courtesy Landscape Design Advisor

Finishing Touches

Creating a space for an outdoor family retreat is only half the project.  You’ve created a blueprint, implemented what needed to be built.  Now it is time for you and your family to fully enjoy the benefits of your new outdoor retreat.

• Light it Right: Using a variety of soft lighting will help to light up the backyard to be appealing to the eye.  Not only does lighting in your backyard add light to the area after the sun goes down, it can also highlight and emphasize areas of your backyard that are not noticeable during the day.  With the right lighting, you are able to transform the overall aesthetic of your backyard, creating two distinct moods with the same yard, from day to night.
• Keep it Cool: Installing outdoor fans and creating shade for your outdoor area is important when enjoying your backyard during the summer months.  These two features, when combined and used in tandem, allows for your family to fully use your backyard retreat even during the scalding summer days because you keep the heat and warmth at bay.
• Add Softness:  Pop in a few brightly colored outdoor pillows and cushions, and maybe even a drapery panel or two, to soften the space and make it as comfortable as possible.

Creating a backyard family retreat is an added benefit to your home in the summer.  Not only are you able to spend quality time with your family, but you are able to escape the hustle and bustle of life stresses and noise derived from modern technology.  Your backyard family retreat enables you to return to your roots and enjoy nature without any distraction but the cheerful laughter from those you love.

Jennifer Parker is a handy woman to have around the house. Her passion is home décor and she manages a home improvement blog in the living, design, and decor niches. Jennifer also writes for Floor and Decor, a flooring retailer specializing in hardwood and laminate flooring.