At NeighborScape, we see no shortage of backyards in the Ottawa Valley region. One of the most common questions we hear about is how to make a smaller backyard feel bigger without adding any square footage to it.
From softscaping design to hardscaping features—a bigger backyard is closer than you think with a little strategic landscaping. Below, let’s explore some of our favourite tips to make a smaller backyard feel larger. Read on!
#1: Divide Up Your Backyard
While open-concept living is popular in home interiors, a little separation makes a big difference in outdoor spaces. Break up the backyard into dedicated, separated areas. A partition for different zones can make an instant difference. Trellises, privacy screens, and stone walls can separate different areas, like a patio for entertainment closest to the home, which transitions to a garden with a few planter boxes, and then leads to a separate lounging area with a firepit.
This optical illusion makes the backyard appear larger because the eye stops at each zone rather than taking in the whole footprint at once.
#2: Build Up Vertical Height
The secret to a bigger feeling backyard isn’t always in front of you. Sometimes, it’s above you. If you’re strapped for horizontal space, adding vertical elements is one of the best ways to add the feeling of more room in your backyard. Softscaping design elements, such as tall shrubs, climbing plants, and hanging potted plants, can help create depth. On the other hand, hardscaping such as tiered retaining walls or raised stone planters can layer height into the design—without crowding the ground space.
#3: Soften Up Boundaries
The less attention your property line demands, the more open your backyard can feel. Instead of letting a hard fence line draw the eye’s attention, layer plantings and other softscaping design features along the edge. Shrubs, garden beds, ornamental grasses, and trees can blur the boundary and soften the overall look without adding any square footage.
#4: Utilize a Large, Multi-Use Structure
The right structure can quietly do the work of three without taking up additional space. A stunning outdoor structure can not only give your backyard some personality, but also combine multiple functions into a single footprint. For example, a pergola can help create a defined lounging area, provide light shade from the sun, contain lighting, and even support curtains for further partitioning.
#5: Embrace Design Simplicity
Overcrowding a small backyard is one of the easiest ways to make it feel cramped. When a backyard is outfitted with too many pavers, water features, lighting options, pots, and flower beds, it can make the outdoor space feel overcrowded and busy.
Instead, focusing on fewer intentional design choices can make a backyard feel larger, effortless, and easier on the eyes. Let’s take interlock, for example. Sticking to one or two interlock designs can help the entire backyard feel more connected and prevent the eye from jumping between too many patterns and textures. Just the same, repeating the same flower bed style in the garden can help create a more unified landscape.
Your Backyard Has More Space Than You Think
Dreaming of more yard space without moving the fence? That’s where we come in, with unique softscaping design and landscaping solutions tailored to your home. With over 20 years of experience under our belt, we’re the Ottawa Valley’s chosen landscaping company.
See our past projects, and get in touch with our team today to learn more about how we can help you create the backyard of your dreams.
