Over the last decade, many Americans have been turning their backyard into a healthy retreat and spot for relaxation. A place to unwind after a long day's work. Creating the perfect backyard is far more than installing a swimming pool, adding some decorative plants, or installing your own fire pit. From top to bottom, creating the ideal backyard to escape to is a detailed process that involves a wide variety of different elements. Balance is the key when creating your ideal backyard.

If you are creating this retreat for yourself, here are a few helpful tips and tricks and putting together the perfect space to get away to.

Add a Pergola or a Pavilion

While we may be a little biased on this one, a pergola or a pavilion  truly are one of the most useful and versatile pieces anyone can have on their back patio. From an aesthetic perspective, they are unrivaled in the versatility they possess.

Many people install a pergola or a pavilion solely to have a visual centerpiece to their yard. Others appreciate how they frame and establishes their outdoor space. Others simply want shade and protection from the sun. (By the way, you may want to visit our customer gallery to explore the many unique designs and uses of pergolas/pavilions that our customers have come up with).

If you need extra lighting on your back patio, pergolas/pavilions are great spots to mount this kind of lighting so that it is out of the way, yet still serves a function in the space. From wrapping Christmas lights around the top beams to placing lanterns on the support beams, the possibilities are endless.

Lighting

Speaking of lighting, having additional lighting other than the one that is already mounted onto your house is essential to letting your get-togethers last into the night during the summer.

The options are seemingly endless when it comes to choosing lighting for your back patio, but one of the coolest and more unique ways are with some tiki torches. By placing these around the corners of your patio, you can create an awesome island getaway in your backyard with some unique lights.

Other great options including globe lights out in the grass leading to your garden or another area where you can retreat to and relax in.

Water Features

Whether it is a pool or a pond, having a water feature in your back patio is a great way to create serenity and calmness. For a pool, a small waterfall with LED lights underneath it will look fantastic at night as you light up the pool.

If it is simply a small pond that you have, you can make this a little more exciting with a high quality and luxurious rock feature around it with colorful fish in the water. If you want to light it up at night, some small lanterns mounted on metal posts surround the landscaping are a great way to isolate the area and add some quality light to the space.

All these features and more can combine to create the perfect retreat in your backyard.