Yard Therapy

“We transformed a yard with a chain-link fence and no privacy into an oasis,” says Rebecca Taylor, a food stylist, photographer, and content creator living in Ojai, California, with her partner, Max. Over the past four years, they’d been slowly remodeling their 1960s ranch-style home, but their overgrown yard became neglected while they focused on making the inside of the house a place where the three of them (including their dog, Oli) could start a life together.

An outdoor area isn’t just aesthetically pleasing; it offers real, tangible benefits, too. Whether you live in a small apartment, work from home, or live somewhere with year-round sunshine, getting some fresh air and vitamin D might be high on the priority list. At least it was for Austin-based DIY and home decor influencer Lauren Gutierrez.

Sometimes, outdoor space ends up being wasted space for much longer than planned. After years of a mostly unusable backyard, Jen Rothbury of @cracktheshutters wanted to create an outdoor space that her family could enjoy year-round.For her, that meant getting rid of an old trampoline and getting a hot tub instead. “The hot tub means that we can make the most of our garden even when it’s cold,” Jen says.

This balcony looks like it's fit for a beach resort.