Key Takeaways:
A Tennessee backyard like this works when the design takes advantage of the natural landscape. See how we designed a four-season-friendly yard for our client’s in Tennessee.
— Let the view lead. Sightlines are everything. The goal is to pull your eye through the yard and back to the rolling hills, so the landscape is the focus.
— Make it usable year-round. A covered outdoor living room with heaters, fans, and an outdoor kitchen turns this into true year-round outdoor living, not a “summer only” setup.
— Scale it to the setting. In luxury backyard design, proportion matters. Oversized features like the infinity edge pool and spa keep the space feeling balanced against a large home and an open horizon.
Designing a Tennessee Backyard Connected To Nature
How do you design your home to connect with the nature surrounding it? This Tennessee home does exactly that.
We started with a muddy field, and what an incredible transformation. You truly cannot recognize the space. Everything is different. We can’t wait to walk you through every single detail.
Every detail in this client’s yard was designed to reflect back to the beautiful nature surrounding it. This home is located in the rolling hills of Tennessee, and the goal was to create a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. Everything is designed to draw your eye through to the beautiful open nature surrounding it.
Creating An Outdoor Space for a Colder Climate
Another factor to take into consideration is the local climate. Snow falls here. Tennessee is typically considered a pretty temperate climate, but there can be extreme shifts in the winter months. So the space had to be designed to be used throughout the year, not just in the summer.
Outdoor Living Room + Outdoor Kitchen That is Usable All Year
One of the standout features of this entire yard is the outdoor living room. And that word isn’t an exaggeration, because that is exactly what it is: an outdoor living room.
There’s a full outdoor kitchen, a full living space, and it’s equipped with heaters and fans for any temperature fluctuations. This space is fully covered with full shade. It’s meant to be used throughout the year, and it’s spacious.
This was built into the architecture of the home, and it complemented the design so well. It makes the yard so much more versatile, and it can be used throughout the year.
What makes it even better is that the wide openings are almost like picture frames. They set off the space and, once again, set off the beautiful view of the green rolling hills.
A layout designed for colder weather
As you move through the yard, one thing that was strategically located is the jacuzzi.
This is an oversized spa with a beautiful infinity edge. But it’s always important for it to be located somewhat close to the house, especially in an area that has cold winter months.
The goal is simple: you open a door and you come as close as possible to your spa, so there’s no time spent outside shivering before you can jump into the hot water.
Luxury Backyard Design at the Right Scale
One thing to notice about this lot is that everything is oversized, from the spa to the pool to the living spaces. That’s a big part of good design.
When you think about proportion, you want everything to feel like it fits. This is a large home. It opens into what feels like an infinite natural green space. So nothing can feel small given the elements around it.
Louvered Patio for Sun or Snow
Another feature here is the louvered patio. These are used often in our designs, and for good reason. First of all, they are prefab, so they can work in just about any design and any space. They’re also very cost efficient for what they do.
Depending on the weather that day, they can be fully open or fully closed. They’re versatile and, again, super cost effective. Much more cost effective than building a custom patio structure, and you get so much more use out of it.
Lounge Spaces Designed for the View
Next are the lounge spaces. This yard actually has two of them. They’re side by side, and they’re specifically angled out to have a gorgeous view, with the fire pit area next to the sun deck.
What’s especially great about the fire pit seating is that your eye, to take in that whole view, has to skim over the water first. There’s something so luxurious about being by a large body of water and feeling like you can’t see a single building. It feels remote, even when it’s not.
That connection to nature is exactly why the fire pit area is placed where it is.
Infinity Edge Pool + Baja Shelf
This pool has an infinity edge and a massive Baja shelf, which is so important, especially if you have kids, because that is an area they get so much use out of in the pool.
This is a very minimal design, but it’s very effective. Once again, everything in this yard is about understated elegance.
Daytime Views & Nighttime Lighting
One thing we love at Foxterra is that all of our designs have a two-for-one experience: the daytime experience and the nighttime experience.
At night, the space shines. It’s beautiful to be in with all the LED lights, with the lights moving through the pool water and reflecting off of the house. It’s a totally different experience at night than in the day. Even the fire adds that soft, cozy glow. It’s meant to be used throughout the year, and it truly becomes a different space after dark.
Simple, Understated Elegance
One thing worth pointing out about this design is that it’s actually pretty simple, but it packs a punch.
You don’t need a full list of bells and whistles to have a beautiful space. It’s always about taking in every factor into consideration, starting with the architecture of the home and the surrounding environment, and understanding how all of those things work together to create a beautiful space.
Year-Round Outdoor Living
Good design makes it possible to enjoy a luxury yard year-round. This Tennessee yard is the perfect example of a well-designed outdoor space that emphasizes the naturally beautiful landscape and that makes it possible to spend time outside, no matter what season it is.
Wherever you live, our team can help you get the outdoor space you’ve always wanted. If you’re ready to transform your space, click the link below to book a free design consultation call with our team to get started.
Not ready to makeover your yard? Check out the free resources we created below – to help you as you start planning your new outdoor space.
👉 Start Your Design Today
📩 Subscribe for Weekly Design Ideas
💭 Download Our Free Inspiration Guide
See how we took a muddy lot for our clients in Tennessee, and turned it into an unrecognizable paradise, including:
→ How we extended our client’s living space – outdoors.
→ How we used scale to make the space look even more grand.
→ How we designed everything to perfectly frame our client’s stunning view of the rolling Tennessee hills.
→ …and made the entire yard weather-proof for the changing seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes a backyard feel seamlessly connected to nature?
A: It starts with sightlines and restraint. The goal is to draw your eye through the outdoor space and back to the landscape, so the yard feels like an extension of the landscape instead of something competing with it.
Q: How do you design for year-round outdoor living in Tennessee?
A: Design for temperature swings. A covered outdoor living room paired with heaters and fans makes the space usable far beyond summer.
Q: Why place an infinity edge spa close to the house?
A: In colder months, proximity matters. The closer the spa is to the door, the more comfortable it is to use regularly when it’s cold.
Q: Why scale everything oversized in a luxury backyard design?
A: When the home is large, and the landscape feels infinite, the pool, spa, and lounge spaces need to match that scale so nothing feels undersized. Proportion is so important.
Q: What’s the benefit of a louvered patio?
A: It can open or close depending on the weather, giving you control over sun and shade without the commitment of a fully custom structure. A louvered patio cover gives you flexibility.
Q: What is a Baja shelf, and why does it get so much use?
A: It’s a large shallow area in the pool that’s perfect for kids, lounging, and easy entry. This is a feature that’s great for families, especially with young kids.
Q: Why does lighting matter so much in outdoor design?
A: Because the nighttime experience should feel intentional. With the right LED lighting, water and architecture take on a completely different mood after dark.
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.
Today, Foxterra creates resort-style residential environments for clients worldwide, pairing rigorous planning with bold imagination. Their work has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, in Architectural Digest, and other leading design outlets.
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.
