Inside Our Most EPIC Backyard Build Ever (6 Design Secrets)

>> What's going on everybody? Welcome back to the channel. In this video we're going to be touring this awesome backyard that we completed and talking about six design tips to turn your backyard into the ultimate oasis. Let's check it out. >> Design tip number one, focal point. So when we came to this backyard, we identified [music] that the focal point was going to be this koi pond. This was existing, everything else was going to be changing, but this is the centerpiece to the backyard and it's the centerpiece to the entire design. >> [music] >> So the koi pond being in the center of the backyard and just being an awesome feature, we decided to highlight that with everything going on around it and really making that the centerpiece of the whole backyard. You've got the sound of the water, you've got the fish, it's super relaxing and we wanted to lean into that as much as possible. So everything we've done around it just helps emphasize and draw you towards that focal point, which is the koi pond. So look at your backyard, decide if you already have an existing focal point or what is it going to be? It doesn't have to be something like koi pond, it could be a living space, it could be a fire pit area, but identify what's going to be the focal point of your design and lean into it. >> [music] >> Design tip number two, color palette. This backyard, it's a serene setting. It's very close to nature, so we wanted to lean into that with our color palette. We decided [music] to go with some natural wood tones on the deck, so we've got Decorators Costa, Kaya, and a little bit of an accent of dark slate, which [music] is that black border, to just help emphasize some of those lines in the deck, [music] and it really plays well in this setting. You really can't go wrong mimicking a natural wood tone, and we kept that same idea with our pavers here. >> [music] >> Again, it's a natural setting, it's very serene. We wanted to pick up some natural stone colors here, so we've got gray, we've got dark gray, we've got some black, so it's going to mimic what a natural stone would actually look like, and it works really well with everything else here. The trees, the bamboo, the rocks, the pond, everything [music] works together really well, so make sure you're considering your color palette and how it's going to blend not only with your house, but with the surrounding area. >> [music] >> Design tip number three, intentional zones. So, there's nothing I hate more than wasted space because that means wasted budget, and it's just pointless, so be very intentional with your layout and what that space is going to be used for. Obviously, right here we've got our sitting area, we've got the TV here, fire table, nice cozy intimate vibe here. Perfect amount of space [music] for the furniture that's here. Right behind it, we've got a bar, so we can add four extra seats here. [music] It's super functional, great use of space, and it has an intention, so make [music] sure you're thinking about that with your layout, where the furniture is going to go because otherwise you're going to end up with a ton of wasted space [music] and that means wasted budget which we don't want. We've got an intentional zone here with the dining table, fits perfectly [music] here within the inlay, leads you out into the yard. Over here we've got our grilling area and one thing that we leaned into a little bit extra with this project was some open areas that you can just [music] kind of chill, sit, and get a view of the backyard from a different perspective. So we've got some seats here. We decided [music] with this section, it's just kind of an open area to welcome you towards the pond. [music] You spend a lot of time just standing here staring at the pond. It's very peaceful. I did a lot while we were building this project. It's awesome. [music] And then over there we've got the fire pit area. So it's removed from the house a little bit. It kind of [music] creates an intimate zone back there. It makes you feel like you're transported to another area when you're back there. It's disconnected from the rest of the space. [music] So it feels like you've moved into another zone of the backyard and it's all very intentional. Design tip number four is flow. Works perfect [music] with intentional zones. You want to connect them with a flow that works and leads you into each of those zones. >> [music] >> So one of the things that we did here for flow was create this circular pathway all the way around the koi [music] pond. It connects all those different zones and it gives you a nice path to just meander around the pond. You can look at it from different perspectives. It feels very natural. It's a perfect circle. We've got a 54-ft radius around [music] the center point of the pond. So it's very nice and clean. It flows easily and it just lends itself to probably the best thing about this backyard which is just kind of appreciating the nature around here, [music] appreciating the koi pond, appreciating all the trees around. Got a lot of deer back here, a lot of animals. So it's really cool to just have that flow [music] that leads you around and lets you enjoy every inch of this backyard. [music] >> Design tip number five, visual interest. We've got a really cool unique house here. We've got an entire wall of glass windows across the back. [music] We wanted to really lean into that and add as much visual interest as we could so that you can not only enjoy it while you're out here, but from inside you can [music] see it from every angle, from every room you can see the backyard. So, some of the things that we did to add that visual interest and differentiate this project [music] from just a regular boring one to something that's really interesting is things like the privacy wall. It's one of my favorite features here. It's really super unique and all we did [music] was take the material that we used. We used the modern mill uh acre, same thing that we used on the ceiling and we created this really cool interesting slat wall detail with floating shelves. It's one of my favorite things visually on this whole project [music] and it adds that nice little unique touch that's completely custom and you're not going to see in everyone else's backyard. Another thing that we did to add a lot of visual interest was our paver design here. We used that circle around the koi pond, 54-ft diameter circle >> [music] >> and then we picked it up with three circles along that to really just pick up that shape, helps round it out, helps balance the shapes across the whole backyard and we did [music] some really cool inlays with it. So, we've got a lot of different products. We used this mosaic detail around the circle. [music] We've got some big slabs, got some smaller pavers and they all work together really well to create a lot of visual interest. All those little visual details are going [music] to be what separates just a regular project from something that's really special and really unique. So, we always try to add something that is completely custom that you won't see on another project [music] and that's just unique to that house and that project. So, visual interest, [music] make sure you do it. It's going to separate your project. >> And last but definitely not least for number six, [music] we have lighting. When the sun goes down, that's when the party really starts back here. That's when you're going to do most of your entertaining, so making sure that you have everything illuminated not only increases the functionality of the space. [music] Obviously, we've got the ceiling lights in there, helps illuminate that whole space, the whole structure. [music] And then we've got a ton of landscape accent lighting that just make this so vibey, so [music] functional. It gives you enough light to safely make your way all the way around the backyard, but it also just makes it feel so cool, so intimate, has such a vibe to it, and that's all because of the landscape lighting. >> [music] >> So, make sure that you don't skimp on that. It's the number one thing that I see people skimp on thinking they'll add it later or they don't need it, but nighttime is when you're going to do most of your entertaining, [music] so make sure you plan for that. If you have to take other things out of your budget to make sure that you can do lighting, >> [music] >> make it happen because it's going to make the biggest impact during the times that you're entertaining the most, which is [music] at night. So, that's it for this project. That's our six design tips for you. I hope you enjoyed it. If you like this video or this project, [music] make sure you hit subscribe. We do a ton of projects like this. Hope to see you in the next video. And until next time, this has been Premier Outdoor Living.