5 Ways to Liven Up the Look of Your Backyard

Redecorating or remodeling your living room, bedroom, or bath? There are hundreds of guides out there. Want to give the front yard some love? Again, lots of guides for that improvement since it impacts curb appeal. People want to make sure it always looks good. But try to find ideas to liven up the back of the house and many experts go strangely quiet. What's a person to do if they're trying to improve the outside area where the family actually wants to hang out?

Luckily, we came up with a few great ways for you to turn your backyard into that oasis that you've always dreamed of. Read on for five ways to get a fantastic-looking backyard without emptying your savings account.

Use the environment.  

No, this doesn't mean that you should have your guests sitting on large stones, but some backyards are more than willing to help you dress them up. For example, instead of building a covered porch or out-building, consider tying an attractive sheet or drapes between trees to serve as a roof and creating a "room" beneath it with a few select pieces of outdoor furniture.

Never underestimate the power of paint.

Maybe you really want a good-looking outdoor dining set but don't have the budget to pay for it. One fun DIY option is to look for cheap (and probably slightly battered) chairs and a table at garage sales, and then spruce them up with a new paint job. This way, you can choose whether you want them to blend in with the surroundings or make a statement with bold, funky colors.

Add some natural "wall" art.

Indoors, we make our wall space more interesting by hanging pictures and paintings, so who's to say we can't do the same thing well, something similar, anyway when we're outdoors? People with fences surrounding their yard can add some life and color to this "wall" by hanging brightly-colored potted flowers in an artistic arrangement. Take the color up a notch by choosing planters in a rainbow of hues or painting them yourself as a weekend project.

Trashy seating.

For cheap and easy last-minute party seating, you can use sturdy plastic storage containers and even old (small) garbage cans by flipping them over and covering them with small blankets. Choose interesting fabrics and bright colors. Your guests will probably think they were using some kind of hip new outdoor seating that you paid way too much for.

Let there be kitsch!

When decorating the outdoors, it's okay to go big and bold. That means you can feel secure in your decision to buy that cheap, gaudy chandelier and hang it from a tree, or even go with a "man-cave" theme and finally put up that fluorescent beer sign you've been hiding since college. You have to be a little larger than life if you want to stand out against the backdrop of nature all around you, so bring on the garden gnomes and knick-knacks you wouldn't be caught dead putting up inside your actual house

Generally speaking, outdoor design should be about adding color, life, and functionality. You want this to be a space that feels a little bit like a vacation from everyday life while still being close enough to normalcy that home is just a few steps away.

About  the Author: Stephanie writes about landscaping and exterior design. She reviews sites like KaneBros.com to help people get ideas for their yards. When she's not working she catches butterflies with her 2 daughters.