Having an area in your lot where you can relax is undeniably a pleasant experience. Transform your side yard that way by trying various designs you’ll love.
Many people forget to make use of the remaining space beside their house. Instead, they usually use it for the storage of some gardening tools and the like. But, there’s much potential in that side yard to tap into. By applying landscaping techniques, you can beautify and transform your side yard.
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There are many ways to landscape your property. If you have the budget and means, contacting and working with a professional worker would be for the best. Of course, the online web holds plenty of material on how to do the work yourself. Regardless of your plan, here are some side yard landscaping ideas that you would want to try.
Table of Contents
- Sloping side yard landscaping ideas
- Large side yard landscaping ideas
- Simple side yard landscaping ideas
- Landscaping ideas for side yard privacy
- Shady side yard landscaping ideas
- Low maintenance side yard ideas
- Side yard ideas without grass
- Modern side yard ideas
- Side yard gate ideas
- Side yard patio ideas
- Cheap side yard ideas
- Side yard pathway ideas
- Side yard deck ideas
- Side yard driveway ideas
- Concrete side yard ideas
- Side yard parking ideas
- Side yard seating ideas
- DIY side yard ideas
- Side yard hardscape ideas
- Side yard gravel ideas
- Long narrow side yard ideas
- Outdoor side yard ideas
Sideyard ideas#1 Sloping side yard landscaping ideas
Image Source: Houzz
Chances are that your side yard may be a bit small, which is the case for most people. It’d be pretty hard to build patios and similar things in such a small area, but there shouldn’t be a problem if you want to make it a garden of sorts. What’s more, you can try making a terraced garden bed to make the most out of the space.
In the photo, it is noticeable that the plants are arranged in layers from the bottom to the top of the slope. The sloped garden beds are beside a concrete pathway (which may also be made of other materials depending on your preference). Some rocks are also placed on the slope for design.
Sideyard ideas#2 Large side yard landscaping ideas
Image Source: Yardzen
On the other hand, there are a lot of things that you can explore if you have a large side yard. For instance, you may transform it into a resting area with a bed, table, and sofa set, just like the one in the photo. You may notice that the side yard is enclosed in tight fencing, which is great for maintaining your privacy. Find more big side yard ideas for your inspiration!
The designer of this side yard ensured that people can hide away from too much heat with the roofing. Plants were placed around the area for good fresh air circulation as well. If you’d like, you may also put some decorative lights for better visibility and style at night. Most importantly, pay attention that the colors used for the overall design are in harmony.
Sideyard ideas#3 Simple side yard landscaping ideas
Image Source: Buzzfeed
If you think that side yard landscaping needs to be too extravagant-looking, you may have to reconsider. As modern styles emerge, you can achieve a simple but elegant side yard by keeping things minimal. Just like in the photo, the space features a pathway of concrete and pebbles, with various plants on each side.
What we liked about this design is that the pathway leads to a small deck, where you may place a chair and table for relaxation. The said deck is under a matching roof as well. Notice how there are not many things placed around, which highlights the simplicity of your yard.
Sideyard ideas#4 Landscaping ideas for side yard privacy
Image Source: Pinterest
One thing that people value the most is their privacy, and you want your space to be kept private too. When designing your side yard, the best way you can ensure that outsiders cannot easily peep into your home is to invest in fencing. Ensure to have the right set of fences that go hand in hand with the overall look of your side yard.
If you plan to have many plants in your side yard, using fences made of wood would be a good idea. The wooden color would be compatible with the greens you have. As shown in the picture, the side yard features low flowering plants beside a concrete walkway, paired with wooden fences.
Sideyard ideas#5 Shady side yard landscaping ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
Most side yards are uncovered, but if you want an outdoor place where you can rest, you can try investing in a shady side yard landscaping design. For instance, you can install a roof over your side yard to block the sunlight or take advantage of the shade provided by plants and trees. Take a look at the design that we have included above.
It is noticeable that pillars made out of wood were placed on the sides of the brick pathway. They are then connected at the top by wood lumbers, upon which vines and crawling plants are attached. The leaves make up for the shade while ensuring that the air you can breathe is fresh. To make the design more beautiful, you can add fixtures like a miniature fountain, side yard gate, and other plants on the ground.
Sideyard ideas#6 Low maintenance side yard ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
Many homeowners face the problem of maintaining their houses. While others have the budget to pay cleaning agencies to do the work for them, some people tend to save the buck. Having a side yard filled with plants and many other pieces of furniture may be hard to maintain. However, there are some low-maintenance side yard ideas you can try without too much maintenance needed.
The space in this photo shows a pathway of concrete placed on the bermudagrass. They are lined along with the house with some spaces in between each other. Some grass boxes can be found on the side of the fence too. You can see that the overall look is pretty good, but the cherry on top is that it requires little maintenance. All you need is to water the plants whenever needed and trim the grass when they get too long.
Sideyard ideas#7 Side yard ideas without grass
Image Source: LawnStarter
Speaking of low-maintenance side yard ideas, you may want to completely remove the presence of grass too. Commonly found in modern-style homes, grassless yards can also be stylistic too with the right set of designs and colors. The photo above is such an example.
With the white fences, you may notice that instead of the typical gray-colored gravel, brownish ones were used for covering the ground. We have the walkway there in a contrasting light gray color. You can also add some plants if you want, just like the cactuses in the photo. To boot it up, adding walkway lights would be optimal for safety and appearance.
Sideyard ideas#8 Modern side yard ideas
Image Source: Houzz
Modern designs tend to focus more on minimalism, natural colors, monochromatic themes, and similar styles, which often make up a stunning and elegant look for your home. As many houses designed by contemporary architects tend to feature modern styles, opting for a matching side yard appearance would be optimal.
Take a look at the photo and see that it uses earth colors, particularly brown, for most of the surroundings. Hence, it is reasonable to use wooden seats and tables to match. The concrete floor with dissimilarly-sized squares also goes together with the other colors. Plants were also placed around.
Sideyard ideas#9 Side yard gate ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
The side yard gate isn’t really that difficult to decide upon. Aside from considering your preferences, you want to make sure that its design matches your fencing. For instance, you can try wooden gates of various appearances as long as your fences also use wooden material.
Sideyard ideas#10 Side yard patio ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
When you have guests, such as your friends and relatives, around, the most common place where you can entertain them is your living room. While there’s certainly no problem with that, talking with them in a side yard patio would be better in some scenarios.
Setting up a side yard patio is pretty straightforward. You just need to bring a table and some chairs to your yard, and be done! But, that wouldn’t really look good without some design in place.
You can try the style above where a concrete fire pit is made in the middle, surrounded by black-colored seats, and covered with wooden fencing. Decorative led lights for room aesthetic were also placed to set the mood.
Sideyard ideas#11Cheap side yard ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
Achieving the good-looking side yard dream doesn’t really need to be expensive. If you have no budget, you can try opting first for simple side yard designs before gradually upgrading them. For example, you can make concrete walkways in your lot and cover the spaces with pebbles. That’s absolutely much better than just seeing a patch of unmaintained grass in your yard!
Sideyard ideas#12 Side yard pathway ideas
Image Source: Decor Renewal
One of the most common designs for a side yard is to make a pathway. This may be because of the fact that people often walk on the sides of the house, so making sturdier and more stable footholds is important. For instance, these said pathways would help avoid slipping when the land becomes muddy due to rain.
As there are many designs you can try to make your side yard pathway, we have included the photo above as an example. The pebbles used are brown-colored, paired with footholds made of concrete. Both sides of the pathway feature potted plants, which are optional depending on your preference.
Sideyard ideas#13 Side yard deck ideas
Image Source: Yardzen
Building a deck in your side yard is also an excellent idea. Looking at this photo, the overall ambiance translates to relaxation. The deck installed is made out of wood, surrounded by pebbles. Plants can be found around the deck as well, alongside woven lamps and other features. A carpet is placed on top of the deck, with wooden recliners above as well.
What we liked most about this side yard deck design is that a pool is built at the back part. It perfectly fits the overlooking view of the mountains in the photo as well, pushing the sense of relaxation to the extreme. Of course, you can also try other side yard deck designs depending on the space you have.
Sideyard ideas#14 Side yard driveway ideas
Image Source: Home Decor Bliss
Your side yard driveway may be looking like a typical driveway — made of simple concrete or asphalt. While there’s no problem with that in terms of functionality, you can decorate it with a few additions to make it look better. Just like this one, you can add low flowering plants on the edges of the driveway.
Sideyard ideas#15 Concrete side yard ideas
Image Source: Casa Haus
You may opt for concrete among other materials like bricks and gravel when landscaping your side yard. Not only is it easier to apply, but it also makes up for a simple but elegant flooring design. Plus, it’s easier to clean and maintain over time.
Try the idea above, where the spaces not taken by plants were covered in concrete. The crafter may have used a mold to make the floor look like it’s tiled, but other designs are out there for you to apply. You may also place some chairs and seats like the one in the photo to take advantage of the fresh air by plants and the shade.
Sideyard ideas#16 Side yard parking ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
You can also make use of your side yard as a parking lot. Grass-covered parking may not be optimal since the land may break and dirty your car, so covering it with a stronger material like concrete would be better. You may use concrete molds to have a patterned parking lot as well.
In the photo, it’s noticeable that the parking area’s edges are lined with a differently-colored lining. If you want to, you may also add some plants on the sides. Lastly, installing a gate that goes well with your house’s paint would finish the work.
Sideyard ideas#17 Side yard seating ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
We’ve been talking about the idea of using your side yard as a place to rest, from building patios or decks and more. Having a table with seats in your yard would be good when you want to feel close to nature as well. If you have filled your side yard with vegetation, placing a table in the center of all of them would be great.
Before placing the table, making a concrete floor may be for the best to avoid dirt and mud. You may add a hanging light on top to ensure proper illumination too. If there’s no tree around, building a roof made out of dried wood would also be great in terms of cost and design.
Sideyard ideas#18 DIY side yard ideas
Image Source: Plant Care Todayd
The greatest thing about side yard transformations is that you do not have to pay workers and designers to do it for you. Instead, you can take matters into your hands and make your dream side yard idea by yourself.
Would you believe that the photo above is made through DIY? The DIYer’s side yard is a slope, so making a terraced garden bed would be appropriate. The crafter even included some steps beside it! The amazing design made use of wood, configured to hold pebbles and soil. You can read this excellent guide for more details.
Sideyard ideas#19 Side yard hardscape ideas
Image Source: Bob Vila
In landscaping terms, hardscape refers to the artificial structures used alongside plants and other kinds of natural features. As a matter of fact, we have been featuring various side yard designs with hardscaping earlier, but this stunning and mesmerizing design in the photo really defines what side yard hardscape ideas are.
With the look of nature, the middle part features a pathway of rocks, which can be made of concrete as well, and pebbles. The edges are lined with small rocks as well, with plants on both sides. What we liked most about this design are the lights included, which really escalates its overall appearance.
Sideyard ideas#20 Side yard gravel ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
If you’ve got no budget, opting for gravel and wooden planks to use for your side yard would be for the best. Just like in this design, wooden walkways were placed surrounded by gravel. The walkway leads to a small deck made of wood as well. Bamboo is placed on the side of the fence too, with some other grasses planted on the ground.
Sideyard ideas#21Long narrow side yard ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
For long and narrow side yards, building a pool that follows its shape would be a novel design. However, this could be a bit expensive. Just like in the photo, the pool doesn’t have much extensive width, but it is indeed long. The poolside is made of wood, where chairs and tables may also be placed atop.
Notice that the walls make up for good privacy features when you’re swimming. Some plants are also placed on the sides for more decoration. Having a narrow pool in your side yard is pretty unique compared with the typical pathway designs of others, but be ready for the expenses.
Sideyard ideas#22 Outdoor side yard ideas
Image Source: Pinterest
This is another outdoor side yard design that you can try. The designer installed a table on the two wooden pillars in the photo, beside which is a row of high chairs. The said table and chairs are placed just right in the side yard as they are under the shade of the big tree. The floor is also made of concrete with some concrete garden boxes on the side.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, transforming your side yard into a fascinating one is all dependent on your preferences and budget. In this article, we have compiled several side yard designs of various categories. Try them and see if it works for your home!
For more amazing ideas you can have, visit Guy About Home today or you can check the related blogs:
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Guy Keenan
Hi there! I’m Guy, the guy behind Guy About Home (that’s a lot of guy’s). I’m just your average guy (ok, I’ll stop) living in the USA who is really interested in making and doing.
