Home is much more than four walls and a door. The backyard itself is an extension of your house, the perfect place to gather family and friends for both lounge and play—especially in the mild climate of San Diego, where temperatures hover in the 70s seemingly year-round.

Having a backyard fit for hosting completes your San Diego home design.

Outdoor Living Space Designs in San Diego

Fireplaces, backyard pools, and lounge areas are all great design elements to consider when designing your luxury home in SoCal or when working with a designer to craft your luxury home interior.

If your goal is turn your backyard into a luxury getaway— remember these three design elements for creating the perfect outdoor living space.

1. Outdoor Fireplace For Warmth

No matter the temperature, bring the family around the outdoor fireplace for conversation and fun. Fireplaces are warm and inviting, creating spaces that just beg loved ones to gather for a glass of wine or to roast a few s’mores. Their gentle glow and radiant heat let you linger long into the night and ward away chilly evenings. 

This storybook fireplace features a castle-like design fit with plenty of seating all around. Contrasting brick detailing creates a rustic look—nearly all the brickwork is different, from the sides to the hood to the flooring around. While bench seating is built in, a large footprint allows for various outdoor furniture to be brought in so everyone has a seat. 

Related Article: Read our article on San Diego Architectural Styles for examples of the many types of homes located in America’s Finest City.

2. Party-Time Backyard Pool To Cool Down

Nothing says “party time!” quite like a pool. Kids and adults alike look forward to cooling down at the end of a hot day, or lounging around the water in the evening or stepping into the spa when days grow chilly. A backyard pool can also increase the value of your home. And, with the right design, can contribute beauty and luxury to your outdoor space. 

This large pool and spa in a San Diego backyard is suited to entertain both kids and adults, alike. A shallow platform is perfect to wade and dip your toes in, or add a lawn chair for a cooled-down sunbathing retreat. Attached spa spills over into the pool for a pleasant waterfall-like feature. Stonework, rather than tile, keeps the rustic, craftsman style of the home inspired down to the very detail. 

Pools don’t have to be flush with the ground to be classy. The long pool in this Tuscan-style backyard starts from the top deck with a spa spilling down and over the edge into an elongated rectangular pool. Rather than leaving it recessed into the ground, stonework and slate tile create an upper lip bordering the pool for a more dramatic look. Grassy lawn surrounding the pool lets nature and color encroach while still leaving room for lounge and play—further transporting you back to the Italian countryside, even in the midst of the San Diego hills. 

3. Outdoor Lounge Spaces are an Absolute Must

Outdoor lounge areas create a unique space for family and friends to gather when the weather is nice, setting a more casual ambiance in the fresh air.

The indoor-outdoor flow of this Indonesian-inspired home’s lounge brings a sense of vacation to this San Diego backyard. Whimsical umbrellas scattered about create a playfulness, adding pops of color to the space. Multiple clusters of dark wicker chairs and couches invite friends and family to stay a while, while in the corner a grill stands at the ready to get dinner started. Since this spacious back porch is covered and safe from the elements, it can be used as an extension of the house, standing ready for hosting rain or shine. 

Creating areas of rest and respite around the backyard pool is a smart way to use deck space—even when no one is venturing out for a swim. Multiple clusters of chairs scatter the deck surrounding the backyard pool of this San Diego Spanish-style home.

Bringing together smaller seating areas around a larger outdoor space creates a sense of intimacy and helps to break up larger surfaces for better flow. A built-in firepit in one such cluster invites conversation and storytelling at any time of the year. This backyard is now ready for entertaining, lounging, dining, and play.

Outdoor / Indoor Design in San Diego

Craft a space that is more than just traditional interior design, by working with the San Diego climate, to create an area that flows in and out of your home. Contact us  to get started with the design of your perfect backyard oasis.