How to Build an Easy Modern Backyard Look in 4 Steps

A backyard is a second living room, but outdoors. That is why doing a backyard makeover is an excellent idea if your outdoor space is bland or boring. Yard upgrades are creative, easy, and fun to do and can transform your property completely. However, it may seem daunting to take on such a project, especially if you’re not a big DIY fan, but the truth is a few simple tweaks will make all the difference. Read on to learn four easy steps to design a modern backyard.

Create a Comfortable Lounging AreaThe most crucial thing in any living room is the furniture, and in your backyard, which can double as your outdoor living room, this is also true. Setting up the right seating for a lounging area is crucial if you want to create a comfortable modern backyard. Outdoor furniture tends to be made of sturdy material, such as metal or wood. Decide which is best for you based on the weather where you live. If you mostly face cool and dry weather, you can go for wooden or metal furniture, but if you live in a warm and humid climate, you’d best avoid wood as it can quickly rot or deteriorate.

There are many DIY backyard furniture projects available if you want to build your lounging area yourself. For example, you can create your hammock for relaxing. Although this may seem complicated, all you need is a few simple tools, such as cords and rope, and you’ll hang your self-made hammock in your backyard and sip Pina Coladas in the sun to your heart’s content. Another idea is building a concrete block bench. These concrete blocks can be stuck together using an adhesive. A mattress and a few trendy decorative pillows on it will give it a more comfortable and dazzling look.

You could also build a sofa out of wood pallets. The pallets are cut, paired, stacked together, and then nailed in place. Make a cushion using foam and sew outdoor fabrics for a cover for the foam. This cushion can be placed over the sofa to make it softer to sit on. A final DIY idea for a lounging area is creating a rustic decorative table to place in the middle of the room; this can be built using a few simple tools, such as pocket-hole screws, wood glue, and wood. You could also repurpose old furniture like tires, mason jars, and bed-frames and transform them into a table for your backyard. The possibilities are endless!

1. Invest in the Right Tools 

Building durable outdoor structures for your backyard requires the best woodworking tools and some necessary construction skills. It also takes a lot of patience, persistence, and planning. The woodworking experts at Wood2New recommend investing in essential tools, such as a measuring tape, a pencil, a hammer, screwdrivers, and various saws for the best possible outcome. Not having an essential toolkit will prevent you from building the modern backyard of your dreams. On the other hand, having the right tools will save you a lot of time and frustration.1. Set up Appropriate Yard Lighting 

The right lighting can make a significant difference in the ambiance of your backyard. That’s why setting up different lighting fixtures is very important. You could implement a few other lighting ideas, such as placing soft lightings in trees and shrubs - string lights hung between the branches. Another idea is putting floor lights on the ground and in walkways, including magic lanterns strategically placed. For soft and romantic lighting ideas, position candles in corners on side tables. Vintage style twinkly lights, like Edison lights and illuminated planters, offer subtle lighting in your backyard for calm, peaceful nights where you want to relax.

2. Plant a Beautiful Landscape

Plants are also a vital feature of any backyard. Creating a beautiful modern backyard is easily achieved by building planters for your plants. There are loads of ideas for beautiful landscapes to suit your backyard fantasies. A landscaping idea for a smaller backyard is building an Eichler remodeled garden. This backyard design was developed by Joseph Eichler, who suggested building a steeply layered hillside garden that gives the backyard a very contemporary feel. Another landscaping idea, which is practical and pleasing to the eye, is creating a backyard vegetable and fruit garden. They could also be grown in raised boxes and provide an excellent design element that also serves practical needs.

Planting colorful plants is a Mediterranean inspired idea where bright succulents are mixed with ornamental grasses and subtropical plants to give a pleasing pop of color. For a relaxing experience, build a garden with an all-green color palette with ferns, apple and olive trees, and bushes stretching as far as the yard goes. Finally, you could also plant a lush lawn and add stepping stones and decorative pavings.

Even though many backyard designs you can implement, such as a fire pit, new deck, or water features like a pond or fountain, the four ways mentioned above are simple and easy to incorporate. Creating a comfortable outdoor seating area, setting up appropriate yard lighting, planting beautiful foliage, and investing in the right tools to implement these ideas will give your backyard a new, modern look that will impress your family and visitors.