Summer is just around the corner, and we all know what winter and our absence can do to our outdoor spaces. And after the spring cleaning, all backyards could use some refreshments. So, here are the most effective ways to upgrade your outdoor space.

Improve the seating

You want to have a BBQ party with your friends in your backyard but never have enough chairs for everybody? Fix that with a couple of cinder blocks and sturdy wood. Coat cinder blocks with some spray paint, stack them and slide a couple of long (3×3) wooden poles through their holes. Spice it all up with a couple of pillows and voila – a quick and stylish backyard bench.

You can also make a great backyard daybed out of pallets; throw a couple of lazybags around and finish it off with a DIY hammock.

Bucket table

Since you’ve added more seating, you can also add an extra table or two, and bucket tables are the ultimate hit. Take a common galvanized steel garden bucket (the bigger the better) as a base and a circular piece of wood as a tabletop. This will both offer more space and give you a bonus spot for hiding extra matches, citronella candles etc.

Millennial Magazine- outdoor spaces

Light it up

There are several cool and inexpensive ways to illuminate your outdoor spaces, such as fairy lights and lanterns, inexpensive solar lights that will cast a glow all over your patio during night time, or some glow-in-the-dark paint and pebbles. It is simple, paint the pebbles with this paint and line your walkway with them. During nighttime, the pebbles will glow and light up the pathway safely.

Outdoor movie screen

Is there anything cooler than having your own outdoor movie theater? All you will need is a projector and the largest and cleanest white sheet you can find. Use heavy-duty clothespins, attach a sturdy rope or a wire, and hang the sheet on your garage door or between two trees. Finally, bring out those new cool benches you made and you are ready for a movie night.

Lawn games

Remember that paint you used to light your pathway? Well, you can repurpose the rest of it to create lawn games you won’t have to bother putting away – like twister, for example. It is an all-time classic you can create right on your lawn. Or, if you are not a fan of twirling, you can make a lawn chess board as well with the help of 32 square slate slabs.

Throwing shade

If you want to shade a certain area of your yard but don’t want to use an umbrella for it, you can create your own shade by simply stringing a wire or a rope between trees, columns or buildings and hanging curtains on them. It is both practical because you can move the curtains around depending on the light, and will make your outdoor spaces a hundred times more fun and cool.

However, when dealing with tattered, worn, or stained canopies, consider opting for outdoor umbrella replacement canopies to refresh and enhance your outdoor shading arrangements.

Millennial Magazine- outdoor spaces

Install a privacy fence

No one enjoys being constantly “spied on” by their neighbors. This summer, prevent that awkwardness by simply planting very tall grass such as lemongrass, for example, at the edge of your backyard. You can also plant those towering sunflowers – but make sure you put them in at least two rows so you have full coverage. Beauty and privacy all at once.

A pool is always a good idea

Whether you are dreaming of having one of those fantastic fibreglass swimming pools or just want a small freestanding one for you to sit, chill and have a couple of beers in with your friends, a pool is basically a summer backyard essential. Not only does it help you stand up to the heat, but it also makes a beautiful addition to your backyard’s appearance. Not to mention the fact that pools increase the market value of any home – which is pretty useful. You only have one life – why wouldn’t you be ‘that friend with a pool’?

Fire pit

Once a luxury, fire pits have now become staple items of every modern patio and backyard. There is nothing cooler than a fire pit. And no, you don’t have to spend a fortune on one – build a fire pit yourself out of cinder blocks or small bricks and stones. Whatever you do, make sure it is sturdy enough to keep the fire in.

Makeover your outdoor spaces

And that would be it. As you can see, updating your backyard is not as hard as it seems. All you need is a little bit of paint, wood, cinder blocks and some inspiration.

What do you think about these ideas? Which one is your favorite? Feel free to leave a comment.