If you, like millions of Americans, found yourself using your backyard in the Setauket and Oyster Bay, NY, areas more this past summer, you may have become more aware of what is right about many backyard designs—and what’s missing in yours. Whenever you spend more time in any type of space, you become attuned to what its needs are, more so than you would for a space you use infrequently. This same kind of awareness has sparked many ideas in homeowners who want an outdoor living space they can truly enjoy, with details and accents that they find pleasing.
Wood is one of the most widely used materials in landscape design. It brings a warmth that no other material can match, and it is known for being adaptable to any design style. To inspire you, here are three cozy designs using wood to consider for your backyard.
1. Shelter
Adding shelter to your backyard makes it usable when the weather isn’t ideal. Whether you just need protection from the sun (especially in a backyard with southern exposure) or you relish the idea of sitting outdoors listening to the rain or watching the snow fall, adding shelter increases the amount of time you can spend outside.
A wood pergola can be constructed to match any architectural style, from a historical brick or board-and-batten home to a contemporary home that blends several styles, to a grand estate or an ultra-modern architectural showpiece. Since pergolas offer shelter from the sun, they can be an ideal choice for an active outdoor kitchen. They also tend to make outdoor lounging areas comfortable even on the hottest days. Their open sides encourage air flow to keep things cool; and, if you desire more protection from the elements, a clear polycarbonate roof can be installed on top, which will keep you dry yet maintain the pergola’s light and airy feeling.
If you desire a more robust shelter, a wood pavilion could be the perfect solution. Like a pergola, it features open sides for air flow but has a solid roof. Positioning an outdoor fireplace along one side instantly transforms a pavilion into an outdoor room usable in any season.
Related: 3 MATERIALS TO PAIR WITH A WOODEN PERGOLA IN DEER PARK AND OLD WESTBURY, NY AREA
2. Seating
Seating is often a challenge when people entertain outdoors. Cluttering the patio with chairs can be an eyesore, especially in smaller spaces. A better solution is to position built-in wood benches around the perimeter of your patio. These benches, constructed of teak, cedar, or other weather-friendly wood, perhaps set into stone pillars, could give the space a finished look. In terms of style, benches could be part of a luxe spa resort style; a rustic mountain or beach getaway; or a charming English cottage. If you’re not entertaining, the benches could be used to support colorful pots filled with fragrant flowers or even dwarf shrubs that give your patio a sense of enclosure.
3. Privacy
If your backyard feels like a fishbowl where you are exposed to the prying eyes of neighbors and anyone who walks by, wood can be used to create extraordinary privacy fences that are works of art as well as practical features. Wood privacy fencing can even be a gorgeous focal point.
Related: A QUICK GUIDE TO OUTDOOR LIGHTING FOR THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN ON LONG ISLAND, NY
