Create a backyard oasis on a budget

You’ve surely heard the saying, “there’s no place like home.” Given the vacation season and the beleaguered loonie, the staycation is becoming even more appealing. Why don’t you extend that staycation by creating your own backyard oasis to enjoy all summer long? It can be done inexpensively, and you don’t need to go anywhere else to relax and retreat.

The outdoor living room

You can create and elevate a space simply by defining its function. By creating an outdoor “living room” similar to what you’ve got indoors, you not only have a lovely place to relax and entertain, you are effectively increasing the square footage of useable space in your home.

Work from the ground up, starting with an outdoor rug. Check out your discount or grocery stores for those. Designer shops are pricey, and this particular item will likely need to be replaced in a year or two anyways.

Arrange your outdoor furniture (you can use what you’ve got) as you would indoors. Surround the area with hanging lanterns and citronella torches to keep those bugs at bay.

Create an outdoor kitchen

You may be thinking of those super fancy outdoor islands with built-in seating. Those are definitely nice, but pricey.

If you’ve already got a BBQ grill, what you really need is an extended counter space. Buy a cheap moveable island, so that you can prep cook and serve all outdoors.  Don’t forget to cover it when not in use to protect from rain and wind damage.

Shady spots

Wouldn’t you love to idle away the afternoon with a book in your chair? That’s harder to do with the sun beating down on you. Invest in some pretty sunshade umbrellas. If you are handy, construct a simple pergola, which won’t provide total shade, but will detract the sun depending on the time of day. And they look fancy too. You can plant vines to grow on them, which will provide shade as the season goes on.