Jason Robie: Building a bigger backyard

My fondest memories of living in Rangeley, Maine, are hanging out with mom in the back yard, playing in the garden while she worked on the veggies. My least fond memory was getting stung by a bee in that very same garden. We were fortunate to have a backyard big enough to produce some food and provide a little playground for my brother and I. But what if your backyard is limited by neighbors, fences or even your own stuff. Today I want to explore a few options you have for making the most of your outdoor space. Since you can’t push back the fence without creating a neighborhood land battle, let’s look at what you can do with the space you DO have.

One of the more important concepts to keep in mind when laying out or “accessorizing” your backyard is scale. Although a picnic table or patio table and chairs would be great, they likely don’t make the most sense if they take up a big percentage of your yard area. The same concepts apply from staging or outfitting a living room or bedroom. You want to be sure you are considering the size of the item in question (couch, bed, coffee table, picnic table, etc.) as it relates to the overall size of the space into which it is going.