5 Small Backyard Design Ideas for the Summer

June 16th, 2022 by

Tracie Pollet Paschall

Your small backyard has more potential than you might think! Though you have less space to work with, a small backyard can be just as beautiful and luxurious as a large one. The key is to implement creative design ideas for small outdoor spaces that make the most of your yard. It’s about thinking smarter, not harder!

If you’re interested in transforming your yard into a summery outdoor oasis, you won’t have to spend a fortune. By making a few inexpensive changes, you can create a stunning space for relaxing with a book, enjoying meals, and entertaining guests! Not sure where to start? No problem! Here are some small backyard design ideas that will help you fully embrace the great outdoors!

1. Add a Fire Pit

Who doesn’t love sitting around a fire pit and catching up with friends? Fire pits serve as fantastic focal points in backyards of all sizes. They can make any space feel more inviting, especially when you provide proper seating around it.

A fire pit may seem like an overly expensive design idea for a small outdoor space, but this isn’t necessarily the case. There are plenty of options for people with all budgets. You could, for example, pay a professional to build a gorgeous fire pit that’s perfectly suited to your yard. But if you want to keep things low-cost, you could also create your own fire pit using cinderblocks, bricks, or curved paving stones.

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2. Provide Extra Seating

What better way to soak up the summer sunshine than on a comfy chaise lounge? New seating can make your small backyard feel like your own private resort. Extra seating also saves you from having to bring in chairs from inside when hosting friends and family. Why not invest in something like a wicker ottoman to help everyone sit back and unwind?

If you have enough space for it, you could also purchase a picnic table. A picnic table allows you to enjoy meals outdoors without having to spend money on pricey and impractically sized dining sets. Don’t have enough space for a picnic table? You could opt for a smaller circular table with two or three tall stools.

3. Install Creative Lighting

Lights are one of the easiest and most affordable ways of enhancing your small backyard. Proper lighting allows you to enjoy your yard and entertain guests deep into the night. This addition can also create a more relaxing and inviting ambiance, so long as you choose the right color. When purchasing any lighting fixture for your backyard, try to avoid stark whites. Warm whites are much more soothing and easier on the eyes.

There are so many types of lighting fixtures out there. Thankfully, you can narrow your selection quite a bit by eliminating standing lamps from your search. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing a standing lamp if you really want one, but they tend to take up more floor space than your small backyard can probably spare. Instead, consider hanging string lights from one end of your yard to the other. These lights take up no additional space and are incredibly easy to install.

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4. Purchase a Beverage Cart

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to have a fancy outdoor bar. Why not purchase a small beverage cart for a quarter of the price? Beverage carts create a central place for drinks and drinkware, which saves your other outdoor furniture from being overwhelmed with glasses, bottles, and cans.

Of course, not all beverage carts are exactly alike. If you intend on using your cart outdoors this summer, you should purchase one with wheels on it. This will allow you to roll it around with little effort while entertaining friends and family. If you’re willing to spend a little more, you can purchase a cart with shelves for utensils and pitchers or even a built-in cooler to keep drinks cold throughout the day (and night).

5. Hire a Designer

While these small backyard design ideas can totally alter the look and vibe of your space, you may be looking for a more complete transformation. Are you interested in having the ultimate outdoor space with lots of aesthetic decorations and as many amenities as it can comfortably fit? If so, you may want to consider hiring a professional designer.

A professional designer saves you the time and effort required for DIY projects. They also have the experience, resources, and skills necessary to make the most of your small backyard. An expert will have no trouble incorporating your stylistic preferences into a new and improved backyard getaway.

Wrapping Up

Make the most of your small backyard with a design of your dreams. Whether you decide to hire outside help or take a DIY approach, following any of these tips is guaranteed to make a difference in your small backyard this summer!