Top Five Best Features to Maximize Your Backyard Design

Photo of a potted plant sitting in a purple spout-pot atop a circular table. Two gray-cushioned chairs sit on both sides of the table. An inground pool and light-blue umbrella can be seen in the background directly behind the plant. Trees take up the top portion of the image spreading the entire length.

When it comes to modern home design, owners are increasingly choosing to make their backyards extensions of their indoor living space. Here in Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland, we are at the mercy of seasonal weather changes. If you’re investing in a new house or looking to upgrade your existing backyard, finding the right features for your backyard can transform your property into an outdoor retreat perfect for relaxation, entertainment, and family memories.

The homeowners of today, at least here in NWI and South Chicagoland, are increasingly choosing products and features that combine beauty and aesthetic value with functionality. From inviting gathering spaces to elegant water features, choosing the right features to add to your backyard not only enhances your outdoor living but also increases your property’s value.

At Royal Pools G2 Landscaping, we specialize in designing and building full backyards for homeowners across Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland. If you’re curious to see all our backyard landscaping capabilities, check out this article.

Over the past few seasons, we have observed homeowners opting for five standout backyard features, all of which create beauty and functionality in backyards. Curious what they are? Let’s dive in.

1. Fire Pits

Landscape photo of part of a backyard. A square fire pit sits at the bottom of the image slightly right of center on top of a rug atop a concrete patio. The pit is surrounded by two woven rocking chairs in both bottom corners of the image. Multiple black lounge chairs sitting outside an inground pool can be seen several feet behind the fire pit in front of a dark blue house. A neighboring house can be seen in the upper left corner cut off by the edge of the image. It is dusk.

Nothing brings folks together and extends your outdoor living quite like a fire pit. So pool season is over, and it’s getting dark earlier. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your backyard anymore. A fire pit ensures this.

A fire pit can serve as a true backyard centerpiece. Whether you’re making s’mores with your kiddos and family, entertaining guests, or enjoying a conversation with friends, a fire pit can host different groups and types of activities.

Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland homeowners can choose from various options, including:

  • Natural gas fire pits
  • Propane fire pits
  • Traditional wood-burning fire pits
  • Decorative fire bowls
  • Electric fire pits
  • Custom-built stone fire pits

For pool owners, fire pits are often a no-brainer. Fire pits create aesthetic balance alongside inground swimming pools. Water and fire complement each other wonderfully, making fire pits incredibly lucrative to pool owners and new pool prospects.

An intentionally located fire pit also encourages guests to disperse throughout your backyard space rather than remain in one location, making your outdoor space feel larger and more functional.

2. Outdoor Kitchens

Landscape photo taken from under a residential gazebo. The gazebo features a large brick wall left of center of the image with a large, black, rectangle at the top in the middle. In front of the wall sits five brown and white chairs surrounding a black table. Surrounding the chairs in the bottom right corner of the image is a wrap around counter with a sink, cabinet, and a refrigerator. Three black chairs sit outside the gazebo on the other side of the counter. Grass, trees, and cornfields are visible in the background beyond the gazebo.

Attention all backyard party hosts and hostesses. Are you aware of how much easier an outdoor kitchen would make hosting parties? If you love to host, an outdoor kitchen just might be one of the best investments you ever make.

Rather than carrying food in and out of the house while people walk in and out, tracking in potential water, dirt, and debris, you centralize the cooking and eating to a designated outdoor kitchen.

Modern outdoor kitchens can house a lot of traditional kitchen amenities, often including:

  • Built-in grills
  • Refrigerators
  • Ice makers
  • Pizza ovens
  • Granite or stone countertops
  • Storage cabinets
  • Bar seating

An outdoor kitchen transforms your patio into a complete outdoor living room. It’s especially valuable when paired with an inground pool, allowing guests to swim, relax, eat, and socialize without constantly having to go back inside, tracking water in and out of the house, which can lead to a slip hazard.

The ROI (return on investment) you’ll gain from an outdoor kitchen should not be overlooked. Outdoor kitchens are consistently ranked among the most sought-after outdoor living features. You’ll get to enjoy your outdoor kitchen for years to come, knowing that if you ever decide to sell the house, you’ll get some money back.

3. Paver Patios

Landscape photo taken up close of a black brick paver patio border running parallel along a light gray inground pool concrete border. The paver border is skinny and runs slightly left of center of the image. The pool's automatic cover is visible in the top left corner of the image. Larger gray pavers are visible right of the black pavers.

A backyard is not complete without a solid foundation upon which you can place outdoor features, host large groups of people, and enjoy yourself. A new brick paver patio can provide all that and more.

Brick pavers are an excellent option for anyone wanting a durable decking material that they can get creative with. Traditional concrete is great, but your color/design options are limited, and the concrete will 100% crack at some point. This will likely mean you have to replace most, if not the whole, of the concrete patio. These are not problems you face with brick pavers.

Available in dozens of colors, textures, shapes, and laying patterns, pavers allow homeowners to customize their backyard to match their home’s architecture and personal style.

A well-designed paver patio creates dedicated spaces for:

  • Outdoor dining
  • Pool lounging
  • Fire pit seating
  • Outdoor kitchens
  • Conversation areas
  • Walkways
  • Hot tubs

A patio can serve as the foundation for your backyard space, allowing you to combine multiple features into one cohesive backyard design.

Brick pavers can be used for more than just patios. The versatility of pavers also makes them perfect for walkways, decorative borders, multiple color combinations, and integrated seating walls that, you guessed it, add both beauty and function.

Simply put, if you’re considering combining multiple outdoor upgrades, a brick paver patio (or patio of some sort) should be one of the first investments you make.

4. Spillover Pool Waterfalls

Landscape photo taken from one length-side of a light blue inground fiberglass pool. The pool and water takes up little over the bottom half of the image. Outside the pool are two rectangular spillover waterfalls placed equidistant from each side of the image spilling water into the pool. A basketball hoop with a light blue rim and target square sits in the middle of the image, between the two spillover waterfalls. Large evergreen trees can be seen in the background, beyond barely visible grass and concrete.

For inground pool owners, you may be racking your head for backyard design ideas to enhance the pool, you should consider a water feature.

The sound of water has a particularly calming effect, which is why spillover waterfalls are one of the most timeless and lucrative features you can add to any outdoor space.

A spillover waterfall can complement swimming pools as a decorative water feature that creates movement and adds elegance and ambiance to your backyard landscaping.

One of the best things you can do for your yard is to integrate landscape lighting (more on that below) around your pool and landscaping, creating a dramatic nighttime effect that lets you enjoy your backyard after dark.

For pool owners, even if you have a handful of other backyard landscaping ideas you’re considering, know that a spillover waterfall is one of the most striking and lucrative features you can add to your backyard design.

5. Backyard Lighting

Landscape photo taken at dusk of a stand light and row of stand lights behind it sitting in a rock bed located between a concrete patio on the left and a fence on the right side of the image. Four lights are visible, with one in the foreground focus next to a boulder. Two black lounge chairs are visible left of the lights atop the patio. A house can be seen in shadow in the background.

The last thing you want to do is spend months designing your dream backyard only to watch it disappear into darkness once the sun goes down.

That’s why so many homeowners are choosing to add integrated landscape lighting throughout their property. Not just to extend their backyard enjoyment into the night, but to highlight their favorite parts of their yard.

Integrated landscape lighting can illuminate:

  • Walkways
  • Retaining walls
  • Trees
  • Garden beds
  • Pools
  • Waterfalls
  • Custom fountains
  • Outdoor kitchens
  • Patios
  • Fire pits

Layering different types of lighting creates depth throughout your landscape. Soft accent lights showcase trees and architectural features, while pathway lighting improves safety and functionality.

Arguably, the biggest draw of adding backyard lighting is that it completely changes how your backyard looks and feels after dark. Why waste all that time and money upgrading your backyard if you can’t even enjoy it after the sun goes down?

If your goal is a premium outdoor oasis perfect for calming relaxation, family enjoyment, and hosting parties alike, lighting should not be an afterthought.

Bringing It All Together

Each one of these upgrades is fantastic on its own. They all offer aesthetic, functional, and financial value, but imagine combining all these features into one comprehensive backyard design.

Let’s say you throw a big summer pool party. Burgers and hot dogs are cooking in your outdoor kitchen, friends gather around the backyard fire pit, kids play and splash around in the pool, water gently flows from a nearby custom fountain, everyone enjoys the spacious paver patio, and professionally installed backyard lighting highlights every detail of the landscape.

By combining two or more of these features, each addition works together to create one seamless backyard retreat perfect for adults and kids alike. That’s what great backyard design is all about.

Comparison Chart: Which Backyard Feature Is Right for You?

Feature Best For Adds to Your Backyard Ideal Pairing
Fire Pit Family gatherings and entertaining Warmth, ambiance, year-round enjoyment Seating area, paver patio
Outdoor Kitchen Hosting parties and outdoor dining Convenience, luxury, increased home value Paver patio, dining area
Paver Patio Outdoor living space Durable foundation, improved aesthetics Pools, kitchens, fire pits
Custom Fountain Relaxation and aesthetic value Elegant focal point, soothing sound Landscaping, pools, gardens
Backyard Lighting Safety and nighttime enjoyment Ambiance, security, extended outdoor use Every outdoor feature

Conclusion

There you have it, folks: five of the absolute best features to maximize your backyard living space. Whether you’re looking to complement an inground pool or upgrade your existing backyard, our team is here to bring your vision to life. From consultation and helping find the right features for your backyard needs, through installation and completion.

From expertly installed paver patios and luxury outdoor kitchens to elegant custom fountains, inviting fire pits, and professionally designed and integrated backyard lighting, bringing your vision to life is our top priority.

Check out the articles below for more information on backyard landscaping features. Check out our learning hub at the top of the page for more educational content on all things pools, landscaping, and concrete. Thanks for reading. Have a great day.

Top 3 Most Popular Poolside Evergreen Trees in Northwest Indiana

Top 3 Backyard Features to Pair With Inground Pools

Pros and Cons of Concrete Pool Decks

Written by Logan Edgemon