How To Craft A Perfect Backyard Sanctuary For Your Custom Home?
You spend most of your time surrounded by concrete walls. That’s why most people prefer to explore the outdoors or spend most of their time embraced by nature.
Keep that in mind when you are scouting Okanagan custom homes. Instead of a bland backyard, create a personal oasis that would help you de-stress and relax. Let’s explore a few ideas to craft a perfect backyard sanctuary for your custom home.
1. Add a deck
A deck is the perfect addition for relaxing in your backyard. You can customize it however you want and make sure it aligns with your lifestyle. If you are building a new home in the Okanagan Valley, you can consult with Okanagan home builders to add the deck to your custom home design. A deck is a nifty way of giving purpose to your backyard. It’s also a nice starting point if you can’t decide on a solid theme for your backyard.
A deck expands your living space and provides you with an excuse for grilling meat and entertaining your guests. You can never go wrong with a deck as it increases the value of your home and delivers a handsome return on your investment. If you are trying to diversify your investment portfolio, consider the custom homes at Shorerise, a splendid and inclusive community in the Okanagan Valley.
2. Add shade
Even if you are a summer person, your pets, family, and the plants in your backyard will thank you for the added shade. You have several options to do that. It all depends on your lifestyle and the local weather. For instance, if you are looking for Okanagan homes for sale in British Columbia, you need to account for the summer temperatures.
If you want to use trees for added shade, adopt a strategic approach, plant evergreen trees on the windy side and deciduous trees for shade during the hot months. The added shade that covers your home can also reduce internal temperatures and help you lower your energy bill. If you plan to entertain guests during summer, consider adding a removal patio umbrella for your deck or patio.
3. Custom lighting
You’ve had a hard day at work, cleaned your house, cooked your dinner and it’s finally time to relax in the backyard. However, it’s dark outside and your picture-perfect sanctuary needs custom lighting. Browse through all the available lighting options and figure out what works for your backyard.
You can also look up “custom home builder near me” and consult them about custom lighting solutions for your backyard. Add ground lighting to highlight tree canopies, shrubs, and potted plants. You may also add lights to the patio or deck to create a focal point and hang string lights over the fence to complete the dreamy setting. The right lighting solution can completely transform the look of your backyard after dusk.
4. Outdoor Kitchen
A portable grill is great for charring sausages and cooking burger patties for your family. But it isn’t enough to entertain all your guests or cook a fancy meal. If you enjoy cooking, do it with a soothing sight in your outdoor kitchen. There’s no need to go all out and invest all your money on fancy grills and large ovens either.
All you need is a decent countertop for prepping ingredients and side burners for your skillets, pans, and pots. Don’t count out drink dispensers either. Your guests can help themselves with refreshing beverages while you show off your flambéing skills.
5. Install water features
You don’t need meditating music for your outdoor yoga sessions when you install water features in your backyard. The sight and sound of flowing water exude a sense of tranquility and make the space more peaceful. You are only limited by the space in your backyard and your imagination when it comes to water features.
To skip all the construction woes, look for houses for sale in Okanagan Valley that have a small pond or stream flowing through them. Make sure that the water feature blends in with the rest of the theme of your backyard. For instance, zen gardens shouldn’t have a modern and sleek water fountain.
6. Ditch the lawn
You may have grown up with lawns in your neighborhood. It’s a quintessential element of suburbia. However, it also:
- Wastes a lot of resources
- Needs hours of maintenance
- Run out of any aesthetic value
Lawns are boring, predictable, and unsustainable. Instead, you’re better off with xeriscaping. Take inspiration from Japanese “karesansui” gardens. The word karesansui translates to dry landscape and incorporates rock arrangements, moss, pruned trees, and gravel. The aim is to create a zen garden that requires little to no irrigation.
If your backyard blueprint includes an outdoor kitchen, you can turn the lawn space into a raised garden for growing and harvesting organic produce. A carefully organized raised veggie garden adds character to the kitchen and tells a visual story to your guests.
The backyard is a living extension of your home and you’ll probably spend a significant amount of time here. You will cherish every moment you spend outdoors and that’s why it deserves all your attention. Get recommendations, plan out the layout, consult a reputable home builder, and do everything else necessary to craft a tiny piece of paradise.
