Ready to enjoy the great outdoors from the comfort of your own home? A stunning yard designed for relaxation and recreation beckons you into the fresh air daily and delights your guests with stunning spaces to enjoy. Here are some vital features to consider when redoing your outdoor space. We’d hate for you to miss an opportunity to add the perfect touches to your personal paradise.
Deckscapes creates beautiful luxury outdoor living spaces in Northern Virginia. Our expertise gives us plenty to say about the best options to include in your new backyard and beyond. We're thrilled to be a resource as you plan your project. Let’s dig into our favorite features to add to your custom outdoor space.
Adding a delineated room to sit, eat, savor, and gather are vital to creating a well-rounded outdoor space. Think of this as the base for your outdoor renovation or addition. Add a deck, porch, or patio, and then customize it with your own unique preferences. Add a screened porch to keep the bugs at bay or a covered porch to provide shade and a gentle transition from inside to out.
You don’t need to attach your covered outdoor space to your home. A freestanding pavilion or custom gazebo can be placed in any part of your yard to create a serene, shaded escape. These structures are ideal for backyard retreats, especially when outfitted with ceiling fans, fire features, or dining tables.
Create permanent options to park it and take in the view! Add retaining walls for perching, built-in benches for the ultimate conversation space, or porch swings for stylish and whimsical relaxation. These features also help define patio edges and provide overflow seating for gatherings—without the clutter of extra furniture.
Fire features create a natural focal point and extend the usability of your yard into cooler seasons. Choose from a sunken inset fire pit with circular seating or a towering stone fireplace complete with a hearth and mantel, or any other custom option that lights you up. Fire features are one of our most popular additions to outdoor living spaces because of their broad utility and appeal.
Don’t stop with a basic grill! An outdoor kitchen creates endless dining and entertainment options customized to your preferences. Add a grill, smoker, refrigerator, cooktop, prep space, sink, and more.
Pro-tip: Include a pass-through from your interior kitchen to make set-up and clean-up a breeze. (And speaking of the breeze, you’ll also enjoy the fresh air in your kitchen!)
Don’t limit your entertainment options to daylight hours. Custom lighting is vital to illuminate your investment and keep your space inviting. Add landscape lighting, hardscape lighting, or integrated deck and step lights to keep the space delightful after the sun goes down. Strategic lighting also increases safety and highlights architectural and natural features.
A custom in-ground pool is a lovely place to congregate, recreate and exercise. There’s nothing like a convenient and private swim on a hot day. We love creating custom gunite pools to level up your outdoor experience. A well-designed pool house may include a bathroom, changing area, bar, or even guest accommodations, extending the usefulness of your outdoor environment well beyond summer. A large pool house can even double as a guest house for ultimate privacy.
Your yard needs vibrant landscaping to match the elevated outdoor spaces you’ve just added. Create lush garden beds, raised islands, water features, and more to ensure your outdoor space offers the best greenery on the block.
Meet your new favorite button: the one that opens and closes your pergola roof. A StruXure louvered pergola lets you precisely control sun and shade and look good doing it. Want sun? Open it up. Surprise rain? Close it down. Add heaters and lights, and you’ve got a year-round room without walls.
Who doesn’t want the soothing sound of water trickling nearby? A bubbling fountain or cascading wall adds a little zen to your space and instantly upgrades your landscaping game.
Bonus: Water features mask traffic and neighborhood noise and keep the vibe chill, creating your own sonic (and scenic) oasis.
Don’t be limited to one flat space, multi-level outdoor layouts create dynamic, usable zones for entertaining, dining, lounging, and play. Step down from a raised deck to a paver patio, or add a few steps up to a fire pit terrace or private lounge. These transitions add interest and naturally guide guests through the space.
A beautiful backyard still needs practical storage. Integrate concealed storage benches, equipment enclosures, or shed-style structures that blend seamlessly with your design. Tuck away your cushions, garden gear, and pool floats, and never trip over a hose again.
Custom outdoor spaces can be designed for activity too. Consider adding a basketball half-court, putting green, pickleball area, or kid-friendly play zone. These additions are great for active families and ensure your backyard works for all ages.
If you’re building a raised deck, don’t waste the space below. Create a finished, dry space by building in under-deck drainage. This allows you to enclose it with finished ceilings, lighting, fans, and screens for an under-deck patio that feels like a bonus room.
Want your outdoor space to feel like a retreat, not a stage? Add privacy screens, trellises, or vertical gardens to keep the neighbors out of your line of sight. It’s the difference between “just out back” and “your own little hideaway.”
The reasons people choose to update and remodel their outdoor living spaces are just as unique as the projects they select. Here are some of the most common reasons people upgrade and remodel their outdoor living spaces.
There’s no doubt that a new porch, path, or portico will add drama and delight to the face your home presents to the world. Distinct and attractive outdoor features advertise style and luxury and invite your guests in to further explore your curated world.
Not only do these lovely upgrades look divine, but they also increase your home’s value. Well-designed outdoor entertaining and recreation spaces catch a buyer’s eye and appear on many of their wish lists. You could see north of 50% of your investment returned at resale.
You are the most important consumer of your outdoor upgrades. Building your dream pool, wrap-around porch, or outdoor kitchen changes your daily experience and offers you new options for everyday life. Many clients have and need no other reason to build the perfect backyard paradise. They can’t wait to use and enjoy their new upgrades!
Outdoor kitchens, seating areas, firepits, pools, and porches are made for gathering. Creating welcoming, functional, and stylish outdoor spaces pulls your guests outdoors. Expanding your options for entertaining allows for larger events or outdoor-focused gatherings that require less indoor prep and cleaning.
Adding every element at the same moment allows us to weave in common materials and colors throughout your project. Use the same to build your fireplace and your seating walls. Repeat the tile from the outdoor kitchen poolside. This continuity is difficult to achieve after the fact when your contractor must search for the closest match.
Adding features you decide you want later is almost always more expensive than building them in the first time, when your contractor is already there with all of the tools needed to get the job done, and your building site is already in productive upheaval.
Ready to make it real? Deckscapes designs and builds stunning outdoor features in Northern Virginia like the ones we’ve just discussed. Wondering if we work in your area? Check out our services area here. We’d love to hear about what you’ve got planned and talk about how we can help. Let’s connect today!