4 min readOutdoor design is no different from indoor design: You should incorporate what you want and love, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Still, there’s something to be said for maintaining a unified palette, not just throwing together a bunch of random elements. There are also a few popular backyard upgrades that may not look as good as you envisioned, especially as they wear over time. And we can all agree, there’s nothing worse than spending money on a project that turns out looking cheap or tacky, instead of charming and inviting.
While you may want to jump right into a new backyard upgrade, there should be a strategy to guide your vision. “Your space should be planned and intentional,” says garden designer Joshua Allan of Top Tier Greenery. “The first thing to consider is that new garden features should coordinate with your home’s style to maintain a cohesive appearance that fits the architecture and feel of your home and neighborhood.”
That includes choosing colors, much as you would do inside your home, to ensure the design flows seamlessly. “You should play off the color schemes of your existing home,” says design-build landscape contractor Bobby Krull, founder of Bobby K Designs. “For example, if you’re trying to modernize your garden and have a traditional-style home with earthen tones, you don’t add a grayscale patio with a contemporary vibe.”
It's also smart to consult a garden designer before launching into any project. “My job is to visualize the space and evaluate whether something is practical, not just trendy,” says Kristian Thiem, landscape and outdoor living designer with Tidal Creek Designs. “You need to be sure the feature is going to work for your lifestyle and time commitment. A designer helps you evaluate how you live on a regular basis and how you think you’d like to live. Homeowners also often underestimate the amount of maintenance some garden elements require.”
Ahead, here are the most common backyard upgrades that designers say you’ll regret installing.
Built-in Fireplaces
A big stone fireplace may seem like an idyllic backyard retreat, but it’s not typically a good investment. “I talk people out of fireplaces all the time,” says Krull. “If you change your mind, you’re stuck with it. It’s expensive to build, and if you add a gas insert, it costs another $5,000 to $6,000 to hire a plumber.” A better, more flexible choice is a high-quality portable fire pit, such as a Breeo or a Solo Stove, which won’t permanently eat up valuable backyard real estate.
Water Features
Built-in water features, such as ponds and waterfalls, are a hard pass. “Unless you stay on top of them with cleaning and maintenance, they’re a nightmare of algae and leaks,” says Allan. If you do have your heart set on the sound of running water, which has an undeniably soothing feel, do some research so you know what you’re getting into—it’s a lot of work and requires loads of effort. Or choose something that’s plug- and-play that recirculates into a basin, such as a fountain.
Large Expanses of Hardscape
Overdoing the hardscaping is a big miss. There’s no specific rule on how much you should install, but base it on functional zones, such as walking paths, conversation areas, or a dining spot. “You don’t want to have a whole concrete backyard that overwhelms the space,” says Krull.
Too Much Lighting
Outdoor lighting is meant to add a soft warmth and ambience to a space, not to make your yard look like a landing strip. Stick with path and entryway lights for safety, uplight a few trees or a boulder or a seating wall, and that’s about it. “Anything more just looks tacky,” says Krull.
Pre-fab Spas
Wellness spaces are booming in popularity, so you may be tempted to add a prefabricated hot tub or spa to save money. “Aesthetically, they look awful,” says Thiem. “But if you can’t afford a custom build, try to incorporate a pre-fab somehow into the design, such as countersinking it into the deck, so it looks more like a built-in.”
Waterslides
Your kids may beg you for a waterslide on the new pool, but pros suggest taking them to the water park instead. “Pools with water slides and other add-ons have a very short lifespan,” says Allan. “Kids may use them for three or four years, and then they’re not into them anymore. They’re unsightly and aren’t worth the investment in the long-run, especially as you move into a different life stage.”
Ginormous Playsets
Ditto on these money pits. Kids use them for a few years, and then you just have a giant swing set that no one ever uses anymore eating up your backyard. “The materials also tend to deteriorate, especially fabrics, in extreme conditions,” says Allan.
Randomly-Placed Landscape Beds
Adding a garden bed is not a bad thing, but there needs to be some rationale for placement. “If it’s just placed somewhere in the front yard without having a purpose or reason, it looks bad,” says Thiem. “And if there’s no upkeep, it soon becomes unruly. I’m all for growing gardens, but there needs to be intentional design and maintenance, not just a bunch of beds here and there.”
Specialty Cooking Appliances
Outdoor kitchens have been popular for decades, and they’re still a great addition if you love entertaining or spending time outdoors with family. But just because certain features are trending (Argentine grill, anyone?) doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your backyard, especially if it never gets used. “For example, if you want a smoker because everyone else has one but you’ve never smoked meat, maybe a built-in smoker isn’t right for you,” says Thiem.
Colorful Mulch
Just…no. “Red mulch should not exist,” says Allan. “It doesn’t look like cedar. It doesn’t look like anything in nature. It just cheapens the look.” The same goes for black mulch, which uses dyes that leach into the soil, and it loses its color anyhow. Stick with more natural alternatives such as natural brown, cypress, or pine straw.
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Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
