9 Spring Backyard Decor Ideas to Spruce up Your Space

As this season of renewal blooms, our homes call out for attention for a refresh and some sprucing up.

All areas of a home need an occasional revamp and that includes the backyard. This spring, why not think beyond just doing the usual tasks to get your backyard ready for the warmer weather?

In addition to spring backyard maintenance essentials like raking leaves and debris, getting your gardens ready, and working on the lawn, put some effort into changing up your backyard’s decor, too.

Try these spring backyard decor ideas

Spring is an ideal time to improve an outdoor space by reimagining and upgrading its decor to make it more comfortable for your family. Making the right changes also boosts your curb appeal, which isn’t just limited to a home’s front exterior.

Backyards offer a wealth of design possibilities to express your personality and create the perfect aesthetic. From making a minor modification like using mulch more decoratively to installing a backyard-transforming outdoor kitchen, there are many ways to approach a backyard decor refresh.

The first thing you’ll want to do is assess your backyard’s strengths and weaknesses to identify areas for improvement. Do certain areas underwhelm in the looks department? Could the whole space benefit by having a more cohesive design or colour scheme?

Use these spring backyard decor ideas to make some noticeable improvements to your home’s exterior space.

1. Spruce up your patio

For any space’s decor to stand out, an attractive foundation is essential. If you have a patio, for example, the impact of any decorative elements you add to it will be significantly diminished if the patio surface itself doesn’t look great.

Although patios need less maintenance than decks, they still require a little attention following the harsh Canadian winter. To clean green mould, algae, dirt, and other types of surface debris from a concrete, paver stone, brick, or flagstone patio, a pressure washer is effective.

Using a hose with a gentle cleaner and a stiff bristle brush is also fine, but be mindful of the cleaning solutions you use on your patio. Bleach, vinegar, and other common household liquids are commonly used to clean patios. Some of them, along with harsher cleaners, will likely be harmful to nearby plants, flowers, and garden vegetables, however.

When you have a patio, weeds (literally) come with the territory, so you’ll probably need to deal with them in the spring as well. Once again, reconsider using store-bought weed-killer products. They may be effective, but most of them aren’t enviro-friendly. And the less exposure your kids and pets have to such hazardous chemicals, the better.

The best weed removal solution is to do things the old-fashioned way – get down on your hands and knees with a weeding tool and pull the weeds out at the root. This method is more effective at eliminating weeds on a long-term basis compared to other non-chemical weed removal methods like killing them with boiling water.

Most types of patio surfaces should be resealed every two to five years. Resealing helps repel water, slows down the erosion process, helps maintain surface colour, and can add an attractive high-gloss surface finish. Plenty of enviro-friendly patio sealer products are available to buy.

To update a brick or paver stone patio’s look, inject some artistic flair by incorporating coloured bricks or pavers to create visual interest. You can also try creating your own unique patterns with the building materials to give your patio decor a personalized touch.

2. Refresh your deck

Like installing a patio, a deck addition has long been a reliable way to increase a home’s value. Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report calculates the return on investment (ROI) for home improvement projects. Their latest report estimates that deck additions deliver an impressive 82.9% ROI. To ensure the maximum investment return and to keep them looking nice, decks do need regular maintenance, however.

Decks made with composite materials are more low-maintenance compared to wood decking. Composite decking cleans up quickly with some water, a little soap, and a soft bristle brush. A pressure washer can also be used at a low PSI setting.

Wood decks require a bigger time commitment every one to three years for sanding, sealing, and staining to maximize their longevity and preserve their visual appeal. All of that work will be worth it, though. Once that final coat of fresh paint or stain has dried, a properly restored wood deck can look brand new again!

One way to add to a deck’s decor is to have a railing system installed on it. Deck railing gives a deck a completely new look and there are a wide variety of materials and styles available, including:

• wood
• iron
• aluminum
• composite materials
• glass

Here’s another backyard design idea you may not have considered: having both a deck and a patio. More homeowners are getting patio and deck combinations to maximize their backyard space. Typically, they’ll already have a patio and will add an elevated deck that utilizes the available vertical space at the back of their home.

3. Have an outdoor kitchen installed

Backyard upgrades have become a bigger priority in recent years as we look for ways to extend the living space of our homes. Outdoor kitchen additions are an ideal way to make better use of a backyard and they’ve exploded in popularity.

Not only do they expand the usefulness of a home by providing a second cooking space, but outdoor kitchens also offer an abundance of design options to change a backyard’s decor.

A professionally-designed outdoor kitchen has a major impact on a backyard’s aesthetic by changing its layout and adding fresh elements like:

• a built-in grill
• storage cabinets
• appliances
• countertops
• new lighting

Premium outdoor kitchen products have high aesthetic standards, whether it’s with professional-grade grills, luxurious countertops, or cabinets that rival the aesthetic quality of high-end indoor kitchen cabinets.

We mentioned adding pops of colour to a backyard and even a grill can be used to do this. Considering how virtually all grills come in two colours (stainless steel and black), you may be asking how that’s possible. Premium grill manufacturer Hestan offers a way to create a unique outdoor cooking space look. Hestan grills feature dynamic colour accent panels that come in a range of custom designer colours to complement your backyard decor.

4. Reconfigure your garden setup

One way to rejuvenate a backyard’s look is to reimagine how your gardens are set up. Instead of having several traditional in-ground gardens, reconfigure where your plants, gardens, and veggies grow by incorporating more planters, hanging baskets, and raised garden boxes.

Using them will change the layout of a backyard, partly because they help create more defined zones. A lot of the value of using these different planting methods is the decorative freedom they provide. Planters, in particular, offer lots of decorative functionality because there are so many styles and colours available at your local home improvement stores and even more from online retailers.

Wooden raised garden boxes/beds give a backyard a warmer, more natural feel compared to metal garden boxes. Avoid building with pressure-treated wood because the chemical additives are bad for anything being grown in the bed. These are the best types of wood to use for a raised garden bed:

• redwood
• cedar
• pine
• juniper
• Douglas fir
• white oak

There are two more benefits of growing things in your backyard off the ground: you’ll have fewer weeds to deal with and tending to your plants, flowers, and vegetables will be easier on your back and knees.

5. Upgrade your outdoor living space

If you had to pick one room in the house where the decor gets the most attention, it’s probably the living room. So why not add a second living room to your home that gives you even more freedom to express your style and personality?

An outdoor kitchen is a worthwhile investment because there’s nothing like cooking outside and spending time with your friends and family when the weather is nice. To make your time outdoors even more enjoyable, consider pairing an outdoor kitchen with a dining and living area.

Investing in a complete outdoor kitchen and living space is one of the most transformative upgrades you can make to improve your family’s home living quality.

During the design process, you can go in a couple of different directions. One of them is to create an outdoor space that functions as a seamless extension of the indoor living space, right down to the decor that is chosen for the exterior area. Another option is to give an outdoor living area its own stylistic identity that complements the design elements around it.

When you’re setting up an outdoor living room, you can put your decorative stamp on the space in many ways. There are a bounty of options with just the patio furniture alone, considering the range of materials available (including aluminum, composite, wood, wicker, plastic, and wrought iron).

A couple more decorative features to consider for an outdoor space are ceiling fans and a fire pit. Stylish ceiling fans add an elegant touch and useful functionality to keep the space cooler, provide lighting, and help remove cooking smoke. An outdoor fire pit or table makes a backyard feel cozier and brings some welcome warmth on those chilly evenings.

6. Add a water feature

There are some compelling reasons to consider adding a water feature to an outdoor space. Let’s start with the aesthetic upgrade they bring by adding visual interest and beauty to a backyard.

Whether it’s an elaborate pond with aquatic plants and fish, a wall or statue fountain, or a simple bird bath, the right water feature(s) can become the focal point of your backyard and enhance its overall appeal.

Water features bring a sense of serenity and relaxation to your backyard. The sound of running water has a calming effect, which can reduce stress, foster a more peaceful atmosphere, and help transform the backyard into the oasis you’ve always wanted.

One of the less-considered benefits of water features is their ability to mask the type of ambient noise you’d rather not hear while you’re spending time outside. Instead of hearing unwanted background sounds like vehicles and loud neighbours, you’ll get to enjoy your backyard with the gentle trickle of a fountain or the calming burble of a waterfall as your soundtrack.

7. Add more backyard colour

Most of the foundational elements found in backyards such as decks, patios, fences, walkways, and a home’s exterior have neutral colours like black, brown, beige, and grey. Many of the items we use in our backyards tend to have neutral colours as well, including patio furniture and grills.

Lots of backyards could use a primary colour infusion to change their outdoor decor from drab to fab and there are several ways to do this.

One of the best backyard decor ideas is to change up the textiles you use on your deck or patio. It’s also a very quick and inexpensive way to refresh your outside decor.

Adding more colourful patio furniture cushions, throw pillows, and outdoor rugs will change an outdoor living space’s aesthetic and make it feel more inviting. If you have an outdoor dining set, try using a tablecloth, placemats, and even dishware that adds more colour to your space. And with the many types of patio accessory colours and styles available to buy, you can let your creativity run wild!

Planting more flowers, plants, and other types of greenery is a natural way to revamp the aesthetic of your backyard spaces with more colour, texture, and a living touch.

It doesn’t take many flowers or plants to make a big difference, either. A modest amount of strategically planted additions from the garden centre that add some pops of colour can be quite effective. Choose resilient, low-maintenance plants and flowers that can thrive in the shade, don’t require a lot of watering, and won’t attract too many pests.

8. Improve your backyard lighting

The impact of lighting on any living area is often underestimated. Proper lighting is a crucial element of interior design…and “outerior” design as well.

Here are a few reasons to make good backyard lighting a priority:

• you can showcase any backyard decor upgrades you’ve made, along with architectural and landscaping features
• warm lighting boosts ambiance and creates a more welcoming environment
• you extend the usability of your outdoor space well into the evening
• strategic lighting affects our depth perception and can make a backyard feel more spacious
• task lighting helps with outdoor meal preparation and cooking
• good lighting enhances safety by illuminating pathways, stairs, and potential hazards

Incorporating different types of lighting adds versatility and flexibility to a backyard’s design. Once again, you have an endless number of choices for outdoor lighting, including outdoor lamps, spotlights, railing lights, step lights, spotlights, string lights, wall lights, and lanterns.

9. Mulch it up

One of the easier spring backyard decor ideas you can use is to put down more mulch around trees and shrubs, as well as in your gardens.

Mulch adds an attractive finishing touch to a backyard and comes in various colours to enhance the area’s overall aesthetic, especially if you use certain mulch colours to contrast effectively with their surroundings. Mulch usage is also another way to add texture to a backyard landscape.

The benefits of mulch extend well beyond its decorative functionality, too. Here’s what we mean:

• Weed prevention: because mulch blocks most of the sunlight hitting the soil, it’s harder for weeds to grow.
• Pest control: certain types of wood mulches have natural chemicals that repel bugs.
• Soil enrichment: some organic mulches improve soil quality with nutrients as they break down over time.
• Water retention: less watering is needed because mulch slows down the evaporation process.
• Temperature regulation: the soil underneath mulch stays at a more consistent temperature, which helps protect plant roots.

Upgrade your backyard decor this spring

Those are nine spring backyard decor ideas that will help make your home’s outdoor space more enjoyable to use during the spring, summer, and fall.

If you’re planning on adding an outdoor kitchen, why not work with Outeriors to ensure the project gets done right?

We offer a full-service approach and will handle all aspects of your outdoor kitchen project. Our seasoned design consultants provide personalized service and can guarantee your outdoor kitchen and living space is customized to meet your exact needs.

To get your customized outdoor kitchen project started, schedule a free design consultation with us.

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See also:

• An Outdoor Kitchen Is Worth It, and Here’s Why
• 10 Outdoor Living Room Ideas That Bring the Indoors Outside