You may not know it, but there is no space in your home that’s more versatile than your backyard. You might think your lounge in your kitchen has the edge, but the backyard is somewhere that’s completely different to the rest of your house and yet part of a functional living space. Throwing open the back doors and making it a part of where you spend your time with your family and friends. It’s how you make your backyard functional. 

By seeing it as a covered open area, you can ensure that you are improving the space regularly enough that it’s worth it. There are so many possibilities for creating a backyard that is comfortable, functional, and looks and feels good. From adding an outdoor lounge to sit around a fire pit to burn marshmallows, to installing a swimming pool, there are so many things that you can do with your outdoor space that will really change the game. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the possibilities that you can include to make your backyard functional.

• Install a shed. We’re not just talking about a small wooden shed, but a large enough shed to hold all of your outdoor tools, your outdoor bikes, and all of the equipment that you use where you want to store it in the winter. Outdoor furniture, for example, should be covered and stored away during the colder months to keep it dry and prevent rust.If you love fresh flowers, then you can turn an outdoor shed into a flower stall for yourself. All you need to do is add some shelving and make sure that you have buckets of blooms in there throughout the year.
• Spruce up the patio. Your home patio can instantly be upgraded with lighting and the right outdoor lounges. You can lay a patio with stone tiles and then set up a table and chairs with fairy lights to make it a space that is functional for your dining and entertainment. You want to have a modern dining area to sit alfresco, and your patio is a good place to begin because it’s a sturdier place than sitting where the soil is.
• Include a fire pit. If you have a larger backyard, then creating multiple outdoor rooms is the way to go. A fire pit gives you somewhere cozy and exciting to sit with your family and friends. Kick back and enjoy having a conversation by firelight and fall for a great place for entertaining. A fire pit with chairs is a great way to gather with your friends after dark, especially if you are setting off fireworks or having an outdoor barbecue in the summer.
• Don’t forget to add the gazebo. During the summer months and the winter months, a gazebo can be a great investment for your backyard. It provides shade and rain protection, and you can even add some waterproof cushions underneath it to keep it comfortable and cozy. An outdoor rug and lots of pillows can really give you that relaxing space that you can take your book to and unwind.
• Install a swimming pool. If you have the space in your backyard, then installing a pool is a great way to enhance the space. You make it much more functional even if the pool is only a small one. As long as you have enough room for a swim every day, you can add exercise to your routine without even having to really leave the house.
• Invest in a good landscaper. If you want to make your backyard truly functional, then you need to invest in the experts who can do that for you. Landscapers are more than capable of transforming your backyard into something out of this world. Not only will they be able to add more plants for you, but they can ensure that no weeds will overgrow it.
• Be smart about your space. Your backyard has to function for a reason. It can’t just sit there and go empty and unused. You have to be smart about the space that you’ve got though, so if you only have a small backyard, you need to plan around that. A large dining table, for example, may not sit well in a small backyard, but a small folding table with butterfly eaves can do that instead.

Your backyard should be somewhere that you feel excited to go to no matter the time of year. As long as you make it a functional space, you’ll be able to do that with ease.