How to Style a Vacation-Like Oasis in Your Backyard

Gathering inspiration from online sources can help you choose your personal style. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to create both an inspiration board and then a mood board. An inspiration board is a collage of images that speak to you and fit the overall theme and vibe of a space you want to create. A mood board is a visual tool to help you gather your design concepts and ideas at a glance. It can help determine if you like the trajectory of your design or if you should pivot to make the overall design more cohesive. Oftentimes we can hyperfocus on a specific detail and we can forget to consider the bigger picture (I’m guilty of this!). A mood board helps you to stay on track, especially when it’s time to purchase the items. Some of the things to consider when curating a mood board that will eventually translate into real life are: your space, the budget, your must-haves, functionality, colors/textures and accessories. Let’s break down each category:

Knowing the dimensions you have to work with is key in designing the space. Having a 12x12 patio vs a 15x30 backyard is wildly different and will help you choose the correct size and pieces of furniture and accessories that will make the space feel cohesive and functional. Knowing the dimensions you have to work with and noting where doors, windows, shrubs, steps, railings, etc. are will also help with placement of everything, especially if you sketch out the rough layout on paper or the computer. Taking note of exterior walls can help utilize vertical space and determine if you have the option to add lighting overhead or if you have space to add DIYs such as concrete string light holders.

Noting what you absolutely need in the space to make it feel like an oasis will help with the overall design and goes hand in hand with the budget you’ll come up with. Do you need ample seating for guests to lounge with you? Do you need a cozy firepit area to enjoy s’mores with the family? Perhaps you want something more calming like an outdoor water fountain to enjoy the calming and zen feeling the sound of the water gives? Whatever you need, it’s good to make a list and number the items from most important to least.

Budgeting might not be the most fun thing, but it will help determine the items you can splurge on your must have list. It can also help determine if you have the opportunity to do an entire backyard overhaul or if you should tackle the space in smaller sections.

Aside from the look of the space, it’s important to have it also evoke a feeling. Functionality comes into play here because you want the space to be curated with intention. If you have a smaller space, you might want to consider multi-purpose items or items that can be stacked and out of the way when not in use (like outdoor poufs which can serve as additional seating and can be easily tucked away). A larger space may feel overwhelming to style and decorate, but asking yourself how you want the space to function helps a lot. Do you need a specific dining area, lounge area, etc.? Creating zones can help break up the larger space and make it easier to style and adds to its overall functionality.

Taking a look at your inspiration images and noting the repeating colors and what looks good together can help you choose a color palette for your space. For example, I created an inspiration board for an outdoor lounge. The repeating colors here are those found in nature: green, orange, brown, white and a little pop of pink. The inspiration also helps determine the textures in the space as well. Note the rattan overhead lighting, the gorgeous terra cotta, the stone walls, the flooring and hanging greenery. Not only does the mood board help me with the color palette, it helps me determine the placement of decor items and gives me ideas on how to style the space overall.

Now that we have the items we absolutely must have in the space as well as some little details, it’s time to accessorize! Plants will always be something that I incorporate into my space. It gives a sense of peace and tranquility and definitely compliments the overall theme of the vacation-like oasis in the backyard. This is also a great opportunity to revisit your inspiration images and see what other components you are drawn to. For example, I love the overhead rattan lights, the wood beams, clean modern furniture and greenery hanging from overhead. Other accessories that I love in general outdoors are hanging string lights and lanterns. They give off a beautiful ambient light that transitions the space from day to night.

Now that the main components have been established, it’s time to put all the hard work together in a cohesive mood board. This will help determine if textures, colors and accessories you chose would look nice as a whole. The outdoor lounge I ultimately came up with incorporated my favorite elements of each photo and made them into my own design.

The Home Depot has thousands of products to choose from and makes it especially easy by being able to filter options by color and price range to help stay focused. I always use their list feature to add items and update the amount I would like, which in turn updates the list total and helps me to stay on budget. Browsing through the items online is so fun and also helps me discover items and patterns I didn’t think of that would go gorgeous with the space (just look at the fun pillows I found in the mood board!).

Keeping costs low is one thing, but being able to find all the products you need under one roof is especially exciting. Gone are the days where you have to search 100 different stores to get all you need. HomeDepot.com is truly a one stop shop whether you choose to shop in-store or online.

If you need inspiration or love some of the products in my mood board, here’s a list to get you started. Happy Styling!