10 Things You Didn’t Know You Needed in Your Dream Backyard

updated Oct 4, 2023

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Gartenart (Image credit: Gartenart)

A backyard is like a blank slate: a little tiny plot of land all your own, to deal with however you please (with perhaps a little input from your homeowners’ association). What will you do with your own little estate? Here are 10 ways to make the very most of your backyard — innovative (and maybe even a little crazy) features you never knew you needed.

1. A swimming pool that looks like a pond.

→ Learn more about natural pools here.

Babble via The Boo and the Boy (Image credit: Babble)

2. This amazing deck/cabana hybrid (possibly with some sort of pulley system for delivering drinks).

Lily Pond (Image credit: Lily Pond)

3. A pool… with a trampoline.

Contemporist (Image credit: Contemporist)

4. A cozy seating area (and water feature! and fire pit!) made from concrete pipes.

C Home (Image credit: C Home)

5. An oversized screen for watching movies outdoors.

Birmingham Home & Garden (Image credit: Birmingham Home & Garden)

6. An outdoor shower…

The Deck and Patio Company via Hometalk (Image credit: The Deck and Patio Company)

7. A ‘spool’ — that is, a small swimming pool that can also function as a hot tub.

Du Côté de Chez Vous via Apartment Therapy (Image credit: Du Côté de Chez Vous)

8. A backyard bowling alley! Find a DIY here.

Goods Home Design (Image credit: Goods Home Design)

9. This fire pit/swing combo that you can make yourself.

The Marion House Book (Image credit: The Marion House Book)

10. This cool modern treehouse.

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Outdoor Plants & Spaces