Planning a backyard you'll use in all four seasons

In Middle Tennessee the pool season is generous but not endless. The evenings get cool in April and October, and January doesn't care how much you spent. Backyards that get used all year are usually the ones planned around more than the water. Fire, shelter, a place to cook and a spa turn a three-month yard into a twelve-month one.

Start with the cold evenings

Most people design a backyard for the best day of July. Try designing it for a clear October night at 45 degrees. Where do you sit? Where does the wind come from? How far is the walk from the back door to a warm spot? Answer those and the rest of the layout falls into place, because everything you add for the cold months also makes summer evenings better.

Fire: pits, fireplaces and chimneys

A fire pit is the easiest way to pull people outside after dark. Gas pits start with a switch and leave no ash, which is why a lot of pool patios use them. Wood fires smell great and crackle, though local rules on burning vary, so ask about yours before you plan one. Either way, the pit works best set into the same stone or paver work as the patio, with seating built around it so people have somewhere to be.

A chimney changes the scale. A covered porch with a stacked-stone fireplace beside the pool gives you a room that works in drizzle and in cold. Natural stone and brick are both options, and the chimney matters more than people expect. It's the tallest thing in the yard, and it should look as good as the pool does. Four Seasons Pool & Spa builds chimneys in natural stone and brick as part of the same design as the hardscape, so the stone, the porch and the pool edge agree with each other. Keep the seating a comfortable distance from the opening, and give the fire a wall or a corner to sit against so smoke and heat go where you want them.

An outdoor kitchen that earns its space

The outdoor kitchens people actually use are the simple ones, placed well. Counters, a grill, a spot to prep and a bar where guests can stand and talk. Dining and hardscaped seating nearby keep the cook in the conversation instead of exiled to the corner of the patio.

Placement is the whole game. Keep it near enough to the house for quick trips and far enough from the water that splashing doesn't wander across your cutting board. Think about smoke and where it blows. And plan the utilities early. Gas, electric and water lines are far cheaper to run before the pavers go down than after.

The spa is your winter pool

Warm water is what draws people out in February. A spa attached to the pool, raised a step or two with a spillway into the main water, looks good and works hard. It's also where a lot of fire pit conversations end up in cold weather. Position it so the people in it can see the fire, the view or both.

Pull it together

• Walk the route from the back door to every zone: pool, spa, fire, kitchen. Keep each walk short and dry.
• Give each zone its own seating so one gathering doesn't need the whole yard.
• Run gas, electric and plumbing lines before hardscape goes in.
• Put lighting on the plan from day one, so you can enjoy the fire pit at 8 p.m. in November.
• Think about shelter: a pergola, a covered porch or a roofline that blocks the wind.

None of this has to happen at once. A backyard can be built in phases. The trick is drawing the whole plan first, so each phase fits the next and nothing has to be torn out to make room. One Nashville customer had Four Seasons build a custom pool with a waterfall plus a custom deck with an outdoor kitchen, and wrote that they might never leave the backyard. Another came away with a beautiful pool and fire pit, and said picking a contractor turned out to be much easier than they'd feared after meeting Kirk and Jody.

If you want to sketch out a backyard for every season, call Four Seasons Pool & Spa at (615) 219-5770 or use the contact page. They build pools, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, chimneys, decking and lighting, so the plan stays in one set of hands.