Re-creating Global Destination Vibes for a Backyard Oasis
The idea of the 'souvenir' has advanced in the era of contemporary travel. Where we used to return with trinkets and postcards, today's visitor returns something way more permanent: design inspiration.
The backyard serves as a major canvas for 'destination design'. The art of re-creating the particular aesthetic and emotional vibes of the international escapes you adored or would love to experience.
If you were getting cabin fever in your Tennessee home when the COVID pandemic was at full tilt, people started looking for holiday modes in their own backyards. More time was used to cultivate and transform your home into something more than a lawn and a BBQ. This new vacation at home might last a long time, and who knew if something like the pandemic would hit again soon.
In this article, we'll go over a couple of vibes that feel as if you were traveling somewhere nice. And the best thing of all β you get to create all of these right in the comfort of your own backyard!
Let's see how to turn your outdoors into a vacation!
The Jungle Retreat
Tulum, Mexico, is famously known as a boho-chic destination. The Mayan history, natural beauty, and rustic luxury blend for an eco-conscious lifestyle and inspiring spiritual wellness.
You can adopt some of the features in your backyard:
β Thatched-roof cabanas for jungle vibes.
β Vibrant beach club vibes with poolside refreshments.
β Create artisan shop vibes by encompassing the bright colors and music.
β Embrace the flowing dresses of the native Mexican people and recreate them in the light, airy curtains, bold colors, and artworks (crochet art on the wall or doilies on the side table.
β Rustic luxury gives you the best of nature, as raw as you can get, but you feel like you are going to get a rich, organic, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Ambiance Is Everything
You want to give the illusion of 'being there', so include these key elements:
β Reclaimed wood, bamboo privacy screens, woven jute rugs β things like that.
β Don't forget to add greenery β large leafy plants that give off jungle isolation and privacy, with plants that can survive in a Tennessee climate.
Here are a couple of options:
β Japanese Fiber Banana (Musa basjoo) is the most cold-hardy banana variety, surviving in the ground down to -15Β°F (zone 5), especially with a thick layer of winter mulch over the roots. While it produces small, seedy, inedible fruit, it offers dramatic height (up to 15 ft in a season) and large leaves.
β Elephant Ears: Various Colocasia varieties are excellent for the Tennessee climate.
β 'Pink China' is perhaps the hardest Colocasia.
β 'Black Magic' is hardy and has dark foliage.
β 'Mojito' (not the cocktail) has striking green leaves with black speckles.
β These plants thrive with plenty of water and can even be used as aquatic plants.
β Tetrapanax (Tetrapanax papyrifer' Rex'): Also known as the rice paper plant, this provides large, bold foliage for a strong jungle statement.
β Color Palette: Neutral tones are best here (e.g., sands, charcoals, wood tones, etc.); you want that vibrant green that's coming from the plants to pop in a natural way, especially so if you go for a specific detail color on the pots, a few pillows, a random item here and there. This really does make everything stand out.
The primary goal of a Tulum-inspired space is to be grounded. To get there, it's best to go with a low-profile lounge. Equip it with a couple of oversized floor cushions. And it's nice to have a fire pit made from natural volcanic rock (use it as an anchor for the entire room).
You want to capture the tranquility of Tulum and leave you (and your guests) feeling like yoga on the spiritual sand meditation area of the deck beside the water feature is all you need for a full life. If you can imagine it, it can be there in your backyard.
The Amalfi Coast Terrace
The Italian coast is pretty much defined by dramatic cliffs and multi-level architecture that take advantage of the views that are offered. The Amalfi-style backyard is all about 'La Dolce Vita' (sweet life), and it's perfect for people who love to enjoy long, sun-drenched lunches.
Imagine if deck builders could mimic the coast with a multi-level deck:
β Masonry and Stone: This is a hardscape look, with Terracotta tiles, limestone paths, and white-washed stone walls.
β The Pergola: The solid, wooden or white vinyl pergola covering the main level, dressed in faux lemon vines or wisteria (possibly celmentis as it might survive the climate).
β The Color Theme: Crisp whites, lemon yellows, and Mediterranean blues.
To truly replicate the Italian coastline, think about the topography of your backyard. Varying levels of your deck can go from an open-air cafe-style eating space to a mulched area with a water feature. Maybe even get yourself a wine bar for warm nights with friends.
But to get there, it very much depends on the terrain and the elements.
Here's a quick example: Deck builders in La Vergne TN usually work with flatter inland lots. So if you want to get such an Amalfi-style backyard deck, you'd need to intentionally create elevation and design the deck to compensate. At the same time, a deck builder in Malibu, CA, will have plenty of lots with steep coastal terrain and ocean exposure, so that a multi-level deck will be much more easily replicated.
Terrain plays a huge role when it comes to building particular styled structures in your home.
The Kyoto Zen Garden
If you see your beautiful backyard/garden as a place where you like to get a bit of mental clarity and where you usually meditate, then the gold standard should be the Japanese Zen aesthetic. There's not much better out there.
It places a heavy emphasis on 'Ma', which is an emphasis on empty space, plus it gives A LOT of respect to nature.
You basically want clean lines here. To achieve that, use minimalist decking with hidden fasteners. This will create a smooth, uninterrupted surface.
Another thing that will bring you closer to that Zen feel is a water feature. And we aren't talking about water fountains. A pond, or a little stone basin with a small trickling bamboo water feature, will do the trick. Even one of those makeshift waterfall features is ideal. The sound of running water soothes your nerves, especially when you close your eyes and really listen to it.
As for colors, go with deep forest greens, slate grays, and dark-stained wood β all colors you'd find in nature.
Conclusion
These are but a few places you can fully recreate in your backyard. It depends on your yard, really, but it also depends on how skilled the craftsman and the decorators/designers are, and which plants you might have available near where you live.
And don't forget the cost β the fancier it is, the more expensive it is (usually).
If you want to remember a ski trip in Norway or the hot springs of Banff, Alberta, just find the theme and go for it.
Your plain old Tennessee yard can be changed on a whim, so if you are in the heart of the Volunteer State or in the coastal suburbs, you don't need a passport to feel the peace of an international break.
With the knowledge of what your favorite travel destinations' design language is, a solid foundation and unique pieces will convince you that the best place on earth is just on your back doorstep.