If there ever was the perfect place to staycation, it would be in beautiful San Diego in Southern California. San Diego’s average temperature hovers in the mid 60s to low 70s all year-round and boasts over 260 sunny days a year, making it a perfect place to staycation. Seriously, why would you leave?
Some of these design ideas could be had for the same cost as a few family vacations and add curb appeal to your home. Here are few of our favorite backyard staycation ideas that will not only turn your home into the ideal vacation spot, but also make for the perfect outdoor entertaining area to enjoy all year long. Instead of that next out of state family vacation, keep the vacation at home with a landscape worthy of a backyard staycation.
Design Ideas To Make Your Home A Staycation Paradise
USE FIRE
A firepit or fireplace are great ways to take your outdoor living space to the next level. While Southern California isn’t known for its cold nights, a warm fire can easily extend your winter daytime parties into the evening in comfort and style. The kids and older “kids” will love making smores after that killer afternoon barbecue!
OUTDOOR SHOWER
What could say vacation more than taking an outdoor shower on a hot summer day? Outdoor showers are not only relaxing, they can also keep your house clean too. Outdoor showers are great for cleaning up after yard work, returning from the beach, or coming home from a beautiful hike up Cowles Mountain. They are great for washing the dog too!
CABANAS
Remember your partying days in Las Vegas? If not that’s ok too, cabanas are not only for bottle service, but they are great for hanging out in the summer time. They are great for relaxing and lounging while still being outdoors. Consider utilizing a curtain for those extra hot days and you can even install a television when you want to watch the big game outside. It’s time to bring the cabana home
OUTDOOR KITCHEN
Outdoor kitchens are a must for if you love cooking outside. Whether it’s a custom grill, a brick pizza oven, or an island; an outdoor cooking area is a great way to keep the whole family outside when the weather is nice. Forget running in and out of the house getting your floor dirty to grab something and instead keep everything outside with an outdoor kitchen.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Your plants and hardscape are the centerpieces of your staycation worthy backyard. Make them shine with a proper outdoor lighting setup. This will also help you highlight your favorite and most architecturally appealing areas of your landscape. This can be a huge benefit to your curb appeal. You’ll also get the added benefit of deterring criminals from robbing your home. Positioning lights towards areas where a burglar could enter increases their chances of being seen and caught. Market string lights are also great for creating a cozy atmosphere.
FOUNTAINS
Outdoor fountains are a great addition to any backyard landscape design. Not only do they look great, but they also have a soothing sound for relaxing moments. Many fountains even offer the ability to control the water flow providing for just that right sound. This can help drown out street traffic or a noisy neighbor. Along with the aesthetic and relaxing benefits of a fountain, they also attract wildlife. Birds will have a new-found love for your backyard and you’ll soon have birds playing and bathing in your fountain. Most fountains utilize re-circulated water, so don’t worry about wasting water or an expensive bill.
OUTDOOR DINING ROOMS
Thanks to San Diego’s amazing weather, outdoor dining is possible all-year-round. Outdoor dining rooms are meant to be an extension of your home. We love creating outdoor dining rooms that become your favorite place to eat in your entire home. Al fresco dining can create both an intimate dining experience for that special date night or a fun and casual one that’s great for parties. Outdoor dining is a must for a true staycation experience at home.
BACKYARD PATIO STEPS
Seating during a big staycation party cans be difficult to accommodate. Backyard patios or amphitheater style steps are a great way to make your backyard unique, but also provide seating for large parties. If you are looking to stand out from the crowd and potentially have a slope to work with this can be your solution. Steps can range from as little as one step to a several as shown below.
OUTDOOR SHADE STRUCTURES AND OPEN AIR PAVILIONS
San Diego’s moderate temperatures all year make for perfect backyard weather all year, but shading is vital to protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun. There are many different types of shade structures for you to chose from in a design. Whether it’s a gazebo or a pavilion, we can customize a solution for your needs.
HAMMOCKS
What can be more relaxing and vacation-like than swaying in the shade between 2 trees in a hammock? Hammocks are great for reading, resting, swinging or taking an afternoon nap. Relive your summer youth and be a kid again!
ZEN GARDEN
Japanese gardens, commonly referred to as Zen gardens, are often small, and surrounded by a wall. They are typically miniature carefully arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees, and utilize either gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water. They were originally designed to aid in mediation and moments of reflection. Japanese gardens originated in Japan in 794, and are still very popular today, existing in many countries outside of Japan and are still believed to be great for mediation and relaxation.
We hope these 11 ideas for your staycation worthy backyard landscape ideas have inspired you to design the outdoor living space you’ve always wanted. Whether it’s the dream outdoor kitchen, a cozy fire pit for cooler spring nights, or a Japanese garden for reflection, your dream landscape is closer than you think. We can work with projects like this and more and we love designing landscapes that suits the customer’s needs.