Spending your free time in your backyard with friends and family can lead to some of the best memories of a lifetime. While most of the backyard landscape features can be focused on entertaining, it’s important to also create a place of solitude right outside your back door. Let’s cover some of the best ways to relax on your property so you won’t feel the need to get away from it all - the opportunity to enjoy a mini-staycation anytime, in a space that’s perfect for you. Here are fourteen landscaping ideas to create a relaxing outdoor retreat at your Smithtown and Glen Cove, NY home.
Prioritize a Relaxation Space
Creating a relaxing outdoor retreat doesn’t mean simply adding a comfy chair to a corner of your patio. As with any other landscape design, there needs to be a space dedicated to relaxation. Dedicate a space for relaxation in the part of your backyard that makes you feel the most relaxed. There will be a particular connection to this place, so definitely use your gut instinct to tell you where it is going to be best. This space should be away from the main patio, which can be a busy space. A side yard is a perfect opportunity to create a tiny sanctuary complete with a privacy fence or living wall, a hammock or cushioned lounge chair, and soothing fountain. This will be especially welcome if you have teenage kids.
Add a Shelter
Don’t let the weather send everyone indoors - whether it’s a sudden downpour or on days when the sun is relentless. A pavilion is a permanent shelter structure that protects your outdoor living space in practically all types of normal weather. This structure features a solid roof and open walls, and can house so many aspects of your daily life: dining, relaxation, entertainment, and even remote work. Almost all other landscape features can be integrated with a pavilion including an outdoor fireplace which will make the space even cozier - and usable virtually year-round.
Divide and Conquer
Just because the average patio is typically one large space, doesn’t mean yours has to be. It’s like any room in your house: either designed to be a multi-use space, or a single-use space. Some of the most successful landscape designs in recent years have featured several interconnected mini-patios. Each one of these smaller patios should be dedicated to various aspects of your outdoor lifestyle, such as a dedicated outdoor dining space with a mini-bar, a hot tub and sauna patio, a fire pit patio, or a set of lounge chairs surrounded by serene monochromatic plant life. Each of these smaller patios are connected to each other but can be located on different levels and feature different materials.
Sit By the Fire
Adding a fire feature to your backyard will be one of the most important choices you make in your landscape design. Of course, the fire will produce warmth and light, so everyone can stay outside and remain comfortable when the air gets chilly. You can choose between a fire pit, a fire table, or an outdoor fireplace - or even several fire features, such as an outdoor fireplace adjacent to the outdoor kitchen, and a more remote fire pit. A fire feature is an automatic gathering space for all sorts of social events but it also makes for some amazing family times.
Listen to the Water
The presence of moving water in your landscape can be a wonderful addition. The sounds of a trickle can be the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon nap in a hammock. The sounds of a rushing cascade can also make any sort of a gathering more dramatic. You can choose between fountains, waterfalls, or artificial creeks, any of which come in a huge variety of styles to complement your design aesthetic. Water features also pair well with a swimming pool - keeping the space interesting even when nobody’s in the water.
Craft Incredible Meals
Cooking and dining in your backyard with friends and family can create awesome memories for everyone. An outdoor kitchen allows the ability to spread your culinary wings and make incredible meals without the hassle of moving between the indoor kitchen and an outdoor dining table. Customize an outdoor kitchen with appliances and amenities that speak to your cooking style and make the experience more relaxing. Focus on the appliances and amenities you will use the most often, and then consider adding one special feature such as a wood-fired pizza oven or a smoker to broaden your outdoor cooking abilities.
Play Games Safely
Sometimes the most fun you can have in a backyard is playing a round or twelve of your favorite game. Dedicate space to playing games somewhere in your backyard so no one ever gets bored. A dedicated game space will also make the play far safer by keeping it away from the outdoor living spaces where people may be relaxing. This is another opportunity to utilize an otherwise unused corner of the backyard or even a side yard.
Reduce the Size of the Backyard Lawn
You may be wondering where you’re going to fit all of these new features. The answer is, let them replace part of the lawn. In many ways, the lawn is the crown jewel of the landscape and it welcomes everyone to your front door. It’s undeniable - a lawn is pretty and it can make a home look amazing. But unless you have kids or dogs who need space to run around, the average lawn has little function other than looks. In the backyard, the lawn can take up space that would be better used in ways that you actually like to live. You’ll also benefit from less watering and less maintenance especially if you take the mini-patio approach and surround each patio with gorgeous native plants. Keeping the lawn as a front yard feature makes sense; but in the backyard, prioritize how you really live.
Light with Caution
Landscape lighting is always needed for safety and enjoyment of a backyard outdoor living space. The best lighting design is always several techniques layered together to create a dynamic environment full of visual beauty and interest. For relaxation purposes, it’s always important to make use of a zoned approach that prioritizes serenity in seating areas while ensuring enough task lighting in active areas like the outdoor kitchen. Most of all, ensure that all lights are angled away from faces. An old-school overhead light that makes direct eye contact can be bothersome or, worse, cause people to be temporarily blinded - which can lead to tripping. Bright overhead lights also cast deep shadows that make walking uncomfortable. Instead, rely on ambient lighting in your outdoor living spaces and emphasize using walkway lights that direct energy where it’s needed: to the ground. Complete the look with a sparse handful of special feature lighting techniques such as a spotlight; but keep in mind, less is more. A little well-placed light will go a long way.
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Plan a Wide Seating Area
Sitting with friends and family can be great as long as you’re not too cramped up. Dedicate plenty of space to your lounge or seating area so that there’s little chance of your guests tripping over each other as they head to the bathroom or refill their drinks. The seats themselves should be wide and low so that reclining is encouraged. If your patio space is small or tends to get cluttered, consider permanent masonry seating along the perimeter. With a few cushions, a high-backed seat wall can be amazingly comfortable and even provide a sense of enclosure which makes the patio feel more intimate.
Add Plant Life in Empty Spaces
An environment that pays tribute to the natural world is one that is naturally serene. Fill your empty spaces in with plant life. Trees or shrubs can act as living privacy walls to make a space feel more secluded. Smaller shrubs can provide a separation between spaces that emphasizes the activities that can take place within. Add a vertical garden on the side of your outdoor dining space, outdoor kitchen, or patio to not only add privacy to the space but also add the colors and fragrances that would otherwise be more removed from the patio. There, you can grow a wide range of flowers and leafy plants, but also edible greens such as herbs, peppers, or berries. Be sure to use native plants where you can as they will require very little maintenance or watering throughout the season.
Choose Soft Colors
When you plan out the colors you use for paint, you want to avoid bright colors or those that may create too much contrast such as blacks and blues. Instead, softer colors such as tans, pinks, light greens, light browns can make the entire space seem peaceful and relaxing. Make sure that the colors vibe with the plant life, other features in your landscape, and the home itself so you have a pleasing array of visuals supporting the background.
Choose Organic Textures
When you put together the various pieces of your landscape design, it’s best to use features that look organic in the environment. That is to mean that you don’t want aspects of your outdoor living space to look too smooth or sterile, giving it the feel of a corporate plaza in the financial district. Organic textures include wood grain and the roughness of natural stone, both of which can give everyone that feeling of being “at home.” Even if your home and landscape design is ultramodern, there is always a place for some organic textures.
Add Plenty of Flowers
Beyond just looking pretty, flowers can have an incredible impact on a landscape. An array of native flowering plants will attract plenty of local pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These creatures will create a vibrant dynamic for your entire outdoor living space. Many flowers also smell amazing, adding another sensory level of relaxation in your backyard. Ask your landscaping contractor about plants that ensure an ever-changing color show throughout most of the year.