19 Modern Backyard Ideas That Are Sleek and Inviting

Giving a classic backyard a modern makeover will complement the architecture of a newer home or give a more traditional home an updated feel. You can give your backyard a more sleek, refined look with carefully chosen landscaping, hardscaping, furniture, lighting, and decor. Check out these modern backyards in a range of settings and sizes that will inspire you to give your outdoor space a refreshing new look that feels as current and stylish as your interiors.

Zone It Out

This modern backyard from Tidal Interiors includes a balance of manicured open lawn and a multi-functional concrete patio with zones for dining, cooking, and lounging around a large fire pit.

Minimize the Lawn

This Northern California backyard from Cathie Hong Interiors minimizes the lawn space in favor of a large concrete and gravel pool patio. With minimal landscaping, the space is anchored by a teak-and-metal pergola-style pool cabana outfitted with a large outdoor sofa, giving it a modern feel.

Add an Outdoor Yoga Room

This modern backyard yoga studio from Brophy Interiors has an indoor-outdoor feel thanks to bifold glass-and-steel doors that make it feel like an extension of the neatly manicured lawn.

Add Levels

Ashby Collective and Furman + Keil Architects gave this 1950s ranch house backyard in Austin, TX, a modern update with a mix of lawn and gravel that is designed around existing mature trees. Two-tiered patio decking and a hot tub and plunge pool give it a quietly luxurious feel.

Add Sustainable Elements

BASE Landscape Architecture designed this modern San Mateo, CA backyard with sustainability in mind. This included installing hidden rainwater and gray water tanks that collect and recycle water to use throughout the outdoor space, bringing it close to net-zero in its demand for water usage.

Add an Outdoor Fireplace

Kendall Wilkinson Design added a large contemporary patio in this spacious Northern California backyard that is covered with a dramatic black free-standing roof structure. A spacious seating area outfitted with modern lounge furniture around an outdoor fireplace creates a perfect spot for a night cap.

Hardscape the Patio

This NYC townhouse backyard from PJCArchitecture mixes classic white lattice fencing with concrete hardscaping. Built-in benches and landscaping around a central tree give this outdoor space a streamlined, elegant modern feel, creating a peaceful haven in the middle of the bustling city.

Create a Pool Patio

This backyard pool patio from Brana Designs is shaded by an oversized pergola that mixes painted white, black, and natural wood finishes. The structure defines a square-shaped seating area with matching outdoor furniture on all four sides adjacent to the swimming pool.

Add Landscape Lighting

Landscape lighting spread evenly throughout this contemporary backyard from Brophy Interiors highlights the modern landscaping and connects the spacious outdoor patio and staircase to the lawn below. The landscape lighting scheme creates a pleasing ambient glow that makes the space as inviting after dark as it is when the sun shines.

Zen Out

This modern backyard from Cathie Hong Interiors has an organic, zen feel with its minimalist patios, thoughtful landscaping, and watering hole-style pool that complements the modern asymmetrical design of the Northern California home.

Make It Sculptural

This Palm Springs backyard from Michelle Boudreau Design is landscaped to the nines, with palm trees and drought-resistant xeriscaping at the sloped edges, and a mix of large cement slab pavers and manicured grass accents around the pool. A fire pit area includes sculptural seating and a partial border of cacti to define the space. An installation of contemporary sculptures stands in another corner to give the space a modern sculpture garden effect.

Carve It Up

Michelle Boudreau Design modernized this Palm Springs backyard using a mix of desert landscaping and hardscaping. A circular fire pit area surrounded by modern seating complements the architecture.

Add an Outdoor Rug

In this suburban backyard from Mallory Wackerman Design for Emily Henderson Design, a colorful patterned area rug is layered over the artificial turf to anchor a convivial seating area that includes a large sectional outdoor sofa.

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Mix Old and New

Tyler Karu Design + Interiors used the bones of an original 1700s waterfront home in Maine to create an updated home built for modern living. The backyard includes a clean-lined, modern open deck decorated with comfortable outdoor living room seating that creates an indoor-outdoor feel built for lingering over a view of the sloping green lawn leading to the water.

Mix Materials

In this backyard from Cathie Hong Interiors, a rough-hewn concrete and unfinished wood bench sits on a paver patio finished with modern armchairs and a weathered metal fire pit. The yard is landscaped with organic grasses for a natural look and warmed up with knotty wood fencing around the periphery.

Use Black and White

This L.A. backyard from Home Consultant has a modern feel, with green grass spotted with citrus trees, and a pair of wooden decks outfitted with black furniture that matches the window and door trims and outdoor sconce lighting. The dark color of the furniture contrasts with the crisp white paint of the home.

Use Indoor-Style Furniture

One way to create a modern feel in your backyard is to outfit it with outdoor furniture that is designed to look like it belongs inside, like the upholstered sofas around a concrete fire pit in this spacious New York State backyard pool area from Tina Ramchandani Creative.

Add Pattern

Michelle Boudreau Design updated the backyard of this Palm Springs midcentury modern home with sleek all-white poolside lounge chairs that blend into the light-colored patio, allowing the sparkling turquoise water and vivid green lawn to shine. A palm-print upholstered outdoor sofa on a raised detached fire pit patio in the corner of the lawn adds a modern touch with retro flair.

Keep It Simple

Home Consultant turned a small Los Angeles backyard into a private and tranquil place to unwind thanks to natural wood fencing, minimal planting of aloe and olive trees, and a simple hammock that gives it a modern vacation house vibe.

How do you make a backyard more modern?

You can make a backyard look more modern using landscaping, hardscaping, furniture, lighting, and decor choices that create a current feel that is sleeker and more contemporary than traditional backyards. This may include everything from xeriscaping to contemporary patios furnished with indoor-outdoor furnishings and lighting that wouldn’t look out of place in a living room.

How do you make a backyard look luxurious?

You can make your backyard look more luxurious with attention to detail in everything from landscaping to your choice of materials for everything from hardscaping to furniture. Creating a focal point with a backyard fountain or outdoor fireplace can create a luxurious feel that elevates the look of your backyard. Sticking to a single color choice for flowers; adding a privacy fence; and keeping your backyard tidy and well maintained will create a sense of luxury no matter the size of your space.