6 Small Backyard Layout Mistakes You Should Avoid This Summer, According to Designers

• Choose the right plants, shrubs, and trees so you don’t deal with fast-growing types that take over your space.
• Create a focal point to balance your outdoor design. Opt for appropriately sized furniture so it doesn’t look overcrowded.
• Carve out spaces that will provide you ample shade during the day and install nighttime lighting for a cozy ambiance.

The backyard should be a welcoming place in which to dine, relax, and play, no matter how large the area is in size. However, people fall victim to common layout mistakes that prevent their outdoor space from being fully usable or aesthetically pleasing.

If you’re wondering how to make the most of your small backyard, keep reading to learn about six key mistakes that you will want to avoid during the design process.

Overlooking Plant Species

When thinking about the layout of a small backyard, it is important to be thoughtful about your greenery choices so that plants don’t totally take over your yard as they grow, Jordan Clough, principal at Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, explains.

“Make sure that cute shrub you pick up at the garden center won’t totally overwhelm your space in five years, creating a maintenance headache and crowding the space,” he says.

After all, you want to be able to enjoy leisure time in your backyard, not spend every weekend pruning and trimming plants and trees.

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Overcrowding the Yard

You will also want to be mindful not to overcrowd your backyard with furniture and accessories galore, Michael Winn, the founder and president of WINN Design + Build, says.

“Trying to fit too many features—like a fire pit, outdoor kitchen, dining area, and hot tub—into a small yard is one of the most common mistakes,” he says, noting that the end result will simply appear chaotic, not multifunctional.

Winn is still a proponent of being able to use a small yard for a variety of activities, but he recommends that people pick their top two priorities and design their space around those, rather than trying to make too much happen all at once.

Lacking a Focal Point

Just like indoor spaces, outdoor spaces need focal points as well to help anchor the design, Winn explains. The focal point that you select is entirely up to you, he adds, noting that it may be a sculptural tree, a custom water feature, or a fire bowl.

Not Considering Furniture Scale

If your backyard is on the smaller side, you will need to shop for appropriately sized furniture so that your space doesn’t appear overcrowded or poorly designed.

“That plush sectional might look great in the showroom, but in a tight backyard, it can dominate the space,” Winn says, noting that paying attention to scale is essential.

In small backyards, sleek, low-profile pieces make for great choices, he adds. Mary Gordon, the co-founder of InSite Builders & Remodeling, shares similar sentiments and agrees that oversized pieces are only going to make a small backyard feel cluttered.

As such, keep your prints and patterns to a minimum in a small space in order to create a cohesive, welcoming design scheme.

Not Considering Sunlight or Lighting

The backyard should be a comfortable place in which you can relax at all hours of the day, and you should have a plan for dealing with excessive sunlight during the day and a lack of natural light in the evenings, Winn shares.

Be sure to carve out a shaded area that you can enjoy during the daytime.

“In small yards, even limited sun exposure can make a space uncomfortable,” Winn says.

He notes that a pergola or awning may be too sizable for such a space, but there are other routes one can take, such as umbrellas, shade sails, and tall plantings that can provide some relief.

All too often, Winn finds that people don’t consider nighttime lighting when laying out their backyard, either, and he stresses the importance of combining accent, task, and ambient lighting outside, just as one would indoors.

Keep in mind that there are many routes one can go in terms of nighttime lighting solutions. Gordon is partial to a mixture of path lighting, accent lighting, and twinkle lights.

Forgetting About Storage

Any backyard, no matter how small, should incorporate some sort of storage element, experts say.

Winn notes that there are many options that will help to keep you organized without interfering with your design scheme, citing hidden storage, including benches and slim outdoor cabinets, as viable options.