Key Takeaways:
A wellness-focused yard works best when recovery and relaxation are built into the design from the start.
— Design for daily use. Wellness features should be easy to access and naturally part of everyday routines.
— Integrate, don’t add on. Saunas, spas, and cold plunges feel most elevated when they’re prioritized as part of the overall design, not just added on as an afterthought.
— Make relaxation effortless. The strongest wellness spaces feel natural and unforced, with spas and quiet zones that encourage you to unwind.
Why Wellness Is Becoming a Core Part of Luxury Outdoor Design
Over the past few years, we’ve watched the backyard take on a new role. It’s no longer just a place to entertain or unwind at the end of the day. It’s becoming part of a daily wellness routine. Cold plunges tucked beside the pool, outdoor spas designed for real relaxation, quiet courtyards designed for morning light and movement. These aren’t trends. They’re reflections on how people want to live and use their outdoor spaces.
Built-in wellness features are growing in popularity because they change how a yard gets used. When wellness is designed into the landscape, it becomes part of everyday life instead of something you schedule or drive to. The yard becomes a place to reset, whether that’s after a workout, a long day, or a long week.
For us, wellness-driven outdoor design is about intention. It’s about creating environments that support balance without calling attention to themselves. The projects below highlight yards where wellness is fully integrated into the architecture of the space, showing how thoughtful outdoor design can support daily rituals and long-term well-being.
If you’re thinking about how wellness could be built into your own outdoor space, our design process starts with understanding how you want to live.
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Designing Saunas You Actually Want to Use
Saunas are one of the wellness features we’re being asked to incorporate more and more into our projects. A sauna works best when it’s placed somewhere you want to sit and stay. When it’s positioned to take advantage of the surroundings, the experience feels calm and intentional instead of enclosed or disconnected. Clients are drawn to saunas because they create a simple, repeatable routine and add a quiet, personal layer to the yard.
Cold Plunges Integrated Into the Yard
Cold plunges are another wellness feature we’re seeing growing interest in across our work. Cold plunges make wellness part of everyday life when they’re designed into the yard. By integrating them near other water features or circulation paths, they become easy to use and easy to return to. Clients are drawn to cold plunges because they want a dedicated place to reset outdoors that feels as considered as the rest of the landscape.
Spas Designed To Help You Relax
Spas continue to be one of the most requested wellness-driven features in our projects. A spa changes how a yard gets used. When it’s designed as a core element rather than an add-on, it becomes a place to relax, gather, and spend time well beyond the pool itself. Clients continue to request integrated spas because they create moments that feel separate from daily life while still being part of the home.
A Sauna With A View
This yard has a prominently featured sauna with a gorgeous view of the entire yard. It’s the perfect place to unplug and unwind, and enjoy the entire outdoor space.
A Cold Plunge In An Ultra-Luxurious Yard
This yard has a cold plunge tucked away near the outdoor kitchen. It’s not part of the main design, but the layout makes it possible to integrate the client’s wellness routine into the space.
A Hidden Spa With A Candle Wall
This Santorini-inspired yard has a hidden spa that feels cozy and secluded—complete with a candlelit wall, Santorini-blue tiles, and a slatted shade structure.
Designing a Backyard That Supports Real Life
More and more, we’re seeing clients ask for wellness features as part of the initial vision, not something to add later. Saunas, cold plunges, and spas are becoming core elements because they change how a yard gets used.
The projects in this post all reflect the same idea: when wellness is considered from day one, the result feels natural, elevated, and fully architectural.
If you’re thinking about how wellness could be built into your own outdoor space, our design process starts with understanding how you want to live.
If you’re ready to build a yard that looks incredible and actually gets used every day, book a design consultation. We’ll talk through what matters most to you, what belongs in your space, and how to design it in a way that feels intentional from day one.
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Outdoor furniture should never be an afterthought in your backyard design. The right furniture can completely transform an outdoor space and the way you use your yard. In this video, luxury exterior designer Nate Fox of Foxterra Design shares expert advice on:
-The biggest outdoor furniture mistake that can make your yard look cheap
-How (and how much $) to budget for outdoor furniture in a luxury backyard
-The essential furniture pieces every outdoor space should have
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are more homeowners adding wellness features to their backyards?
A: Because people want their outdoor spaces to do more than entertain. Wellness features support daily routines and give the yard a purpose beyond weekends, making it a place that gets used consistently.
Q: What makes a sauna work well in an outdoor space?
A: Placement. A sauna should feel connected to the yard, not hidden away or dropped in as an afterthought. When it’s positioned intentionally, it becomes a place you actually want to spend time.
Q: Why are cold plunges becoming part of everyday outdoor design?
A: When a cold plunge is built into the landscape, it becomes part of a routine instead of a separate destination. Having it outdoors, in a space you already use, makes it easier to return to regularly.
Q: How do you integrate a cold plunge without it feeling out of place?
A: It needs to live near other water features or along natural circulation paths. Integration is what makes it feel intentional and keeps it from reading as a standalone element.
Q: What makes an outdoor spa feel different from a standard hot tub?
A: Design. Materials, lighting, and layout can completely change the experience. When those elements work together, the spa feels immersive and separate from everyday life.
Q: Why do integrated wellness features get used more than add-ons?
A: Because they’re designed into the way the yard functions. When wellness features are part of the original plan, they feel natural to use instead of being optional.
Q: When should wellness features be considered during the design process?
A: At the very beginning. Planning for them early allows the entire yard to be designed around how it will actually be used, rather than trying to make space later.
Behind The Blog
Justin Fox
Founder & Creative Director
Founder Justin Fox grew up with a passion for landscaping. After 15+ years building luxury yards and pools as a licensed contractor, he saw the limits of the design/build model. Homes get detailed, architect-led plans, so why shouldn’t yards? In 2019 he convinced brother Nate Fox to join him and launched Foxterra Design to focus on immersive, luxury outdoor spaces.
This story highlights how wellness-focused outdoor design is becoming a core part of modern living, a shift reflected both in Foxterra’s recent projects and in the growing national attention around the studio’s work.
Nate Fox
Designer
Nate Fox helps shape Foxterra’s creative vision, blending architectural detail with a designer’s eye for proportion and flow. His work redefines the backyard as an extension of modern luxury living.
In recent features, Nate’s perspective has been quoted across leading design publications, including Homes & Gardens and Luxury Pools + Outdoor Living, where he shares practical, design-forward guidance on everything from integrating sculptural moments and sightlines to creating “living wall” effects that soften hard architecture and make compact spaces feel more expansive.
