Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

The weather is nice. The days are long. It’s the perfect time to relax in the backyard. Or is it? When you look out there, do you see nothing but grass that needs mowing and moldy plastic lawn chairs from summers past? Maybe it’s time to give your outdoor space a face lift. Here are some ideas on how to make your backyard a relaxing oasis without spending a lot of money:

Add a fire pit

Remember those camping trips you went on as a kid where everyone bonded around the campfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and gazing at the stars? Why not bring that same atmosphere to your backyard? You can spend a lot on fancy built-in models, but for less than $100, you can find a portable fire pit at the local home improvement store. (Do check your town’s laws on the matter first; fire pits are illegal in some areas).

More information on outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.

Add a fountain

The gurgle of a fountain is a relaxing sound, and it has the added benefit of drowning out background noise from the street. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money digging up the backyard to install plumbing and wiring. A lot of today’s outdoor fountains are self-sufficient units, using solar power to circulate the water.

Browse outdoor fountains at Amazon.com

Buy new patio furniture

If stackable chairs and flimsy plastic tables are the extent of your outdoor “furniture,” maybe it’s time to upgrade. New technology related to water-proof fabrics and weather-proof materials means you can get just about anything for the backyard that you can for the living room. Why not invest a couple hundred dollars in something that is comfortable and that will still look good several summers from now?

Upholstered outdoor furniture.

Get a misting fan

If you live in a hot climate and sitting out in the backyard in the middle of a scorching day doesn’t sound appealing, a misting fan (or even a misting cactus) can cool things down. These fans spray tiny droplets of water that make the temperature feel lower.

Buy a hammock

It’s hard to find anything more relaxing than lounging in a hammock in the shade on a warm day (lemonade close at hand, of course). If you’ve put off buying a hammock because you don’t have any suitable trees to support one, know that there are plenty of nice-looking stand-alone models available. Here’s one we looked at a couple months ago: freestanding hammock.