house-1450586_960_720Being able to enjoy the outdoor space is one of the biggest benefits of owning a house. But people spend too much time making sure their interior is perfect, unwillingly leaving their outdoor space behind. In the summer, there are lots of chances for you to gather your family or a group of friends together, and spend some quality time with them. Of course, this means that you’ll have to make some improvements and upgrade your outdoor area, but in the end, it will all be worth the trouble. If you want to enjoy all the benefits your backyard offers, here are a couple of projects you can do in order to make this space comfortable and enjoyable.

Start by decluttering

Just like with every other huge project at your home, throwing away everything you don’t need is the first step when spicing up the outdoor area. We all have a tendency to gather items we think are going to become useful in the future. However, that usually means purchasing things we’ll never use and piling them in the corners of our backyard.

That’s why you need to implement “a one year rule”, meaning you need to throw away everything you haven’t used in the previous year. In addition to that, be realistic about the rest of the stuff – possessing lots of things sounds amazing, but think twice about each of these items. This philosophy will allow you to create more space for adding everything you’ll actually need and use.

Create a lounge

seating-1929000_960_720It’s good to be active and that’s one of the main reasons you’ve started creating this outdoor area in the first place, but sometimes we all need to take a break. To be able to truly sit back and relax, think about creating a lounge in a quiet part of your exterior space and create a spot to host a party and enjoy meals with your family. Don’t forget some cozy essentials like pillows and blankets, because these can really lift up the level of coziness.

Apart from that, you can create a small gazebo and add some plants to make this area more secluded and enjoy some privacy. Keep in mind that the furniture needs to be durable and comfortable, so make sure you’ve made the right choice. Opt for smaller pieces because these will give you more space and are easy to move around whenever you wish to change the layout.

Take care of the landscape

gazebo-208466_960_720Having a perfect landscape is the best way to add some style and uplift the design of your outdoor space. Australians are the people who know the benefits of having this transformation in the early stages of their exterior renovation, and you should look up to them for some inspiration.

What they like the most is creating an aesthetically pleasing surrounding and spending time in a relaxing outdoor space. Most of them leave this design to the qualified landscape architect from Sydney to do wonders with their gardens. This is a great option if you’re not an avid gardener, because you can add a few low-maintenance plants that are easy to handle yet still beautiful.

Add an entertainment area

If you want to spend even more time outside, you need to create some content and gather your friends and family. One option is to create an outdoor movie theatre, which is an all-time favorite outdoor activity, and enjoy it during those long summer nights.

You’ll need to create a frame for the screen, but don’t spend too much money on this – just use some wood and a clean white sheet. Invest in a good movie projector and organize themed movie nights, and let everyone be in charge of making food and drinks. To add more fun, organize a quiz and let everyone participate. This can be a great source of family fun or even a good idea for a kid’s birthday.

Create a small nook

Whether you’re a bookworm or a painting enthusiast, there’s no doubt you’ll enjoy a small private space made just for you and your hobby. A great way to achieve this is to set up a small pergola to a corner of your backyard and add a few some cozy chairs that will help you relax while reading. Apart from that, you can include a small coffee table with some drawers for all your bookmarks, pencils, and notebooks for your notes.

On the other hand, if you need a quiet spot for your painting, this could be just the space for you. Who wouldn’t be inspired by nature and enjoy listening to birds and breathing in fresh air? Create enough space for your canvas stand, a high chair and some storage space for the rest of your equipment. Depending on the space you use for painting, you can make this area as big as you want.


Once you finish the makeover process, you’ll be amazed by the potential you’ve had all these years, but never did anything about it. After a while, more ideas will come to you and you’ll get ideas for more updates that will completely transform your outdoor area. Sometimes, people aren’t able to see what’s in front of them, but once they see all the benefits, the project is never done. These easy and affordable ideas are a perfect start for turning your backyard into a true oasis and a perfect place for creating family memories. 

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Emma Joyce

Emma B. Joyce is a blogger based in Australia. She is a true home decor and DIY fanatic. Finding new designs and patterns is her daily task. She got hooked on home accessories and decorations during her traveling and now cannot stop searching for new inspiration. Emma is an editor-in-chief on the Smooth Decorator blog.