Getting intimate: consumers are more interested than ever in creating cozy, intimate backyard settings. Savvy retailers not only carry the products that help them do it, but also show them how

Pool & Spa News, April 5, 2002 by Pamela Mills-Senn

Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part retail series showing how to make consumers' backyard dreams come true.

Call it cocooning, retreating, or a re-embracing of family and friends, hearth and home. Whatever you call it, the trend toward intimate settings in the backyard translates into a strong consumer interest in products and accessories that create that feeling.

But it's not enough to simply sell the products necessary for intimate surroundings--lighting, waterfeatures and a variety of backyard accessories such as candles and statuary, to name a few. Successful retailers also must be able to show buyers how to use those products in ways that fit both their backyards, and their tastes, according to design and retail experts. And when it comes to intimacy, helping consumers create their ideal backyard can be harder than it sounds.

For instance, ask 10 people to define intimacy and you'll get highly personalized versions that run the gamut from "spaces that allow family and friends to gather and talk," to "spaces that allow for quiet relaxation."

Consequently, the first step in helping customers create an intimate backyard setting is determining how they define intimacy, which activities they want the space to accommodate and what kind of lifestyle they have, says landscape architect Terry Broussard, owner of Broussard & Associates, a landscape design firm in Clovis, Calif.

Next, you must consider the space you have to work with, as well as the environment, says Brian Quint, president of Aqua Quip, a company that builds and sells pools, spas, hot tubs, and a full line of accessory products and outdoor furniture through eight retail outlets in Seattle and Tacoma, Wash.

"People have very grandiose design concepts, but if they fail to consider the realities of the environment, the design won't be as effective and the backyard won't get used as much," Quint explains.

"For example, the fact that it rains so much here means you have to think about creating structures that will allow you to use the backyard even when the weather is bad," he explains. "You also have to think proximity. People may want to locate a spa far away from the house, but if this means that they'll be running out the back door in the rain, yards away to the spa, the reality is, that spa isn't going to get used very often."

It's also important to keep scale in mind, says Broussard. The subjective nature of "intimacy" aside, small spaces are generally thought to be more intimate than large.

"When I think of intimate, I think of conversation areas," says Broussard. "So if you're faced with a large space, you need to determine how you're going to break this into smaller areas and rooms. This can be done in so many ways, through furniture arrangement or screening; planters or pots with plants; hedges and other type of plant materials; or structures such as gazebos, arbors or other overhead structures. You can even use different paving materials to delineate areas from one another."

You also have to consider scale when accessorizing, he continues, making sure that items do not overwhelm the space, or leave it too bare.

In addition to smaller spaces that impart a sense of security and enclosure, other "universal" elements are key to any intimate setting, says Broussard.

"You need some sort of running water to provide a gurgling focus," he says. Another universal is lighting. Intimate lighting is soft and inviting. Music or some sort of soothing background noise is another element--although this can come from the waterfeature--along with smells from flowering plant materials, for example, from roses, jasmine, gardenias or citrus trees.

"What you want to create," Broussard concludes, "is a design that engages all of the senses, one where all the elements work together to create and sustain the mood."

Here's a closer look at some of those elements and what you need to know to help sell them:

* Lighting

Backyard lighting is crucial to achieving a feeling of intimacy, says Ann Duckett, marketing director at Paddocks Pools, Patios & Spas, a pool and spa building company and "full-service" backyard retailer located in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"What you want is wonderful lighting that creates forms and shadows, and plays off the walls and trees," Duckett explains. "Candles are key. We have many wonderful decorative candles and candle holders that stand up to the elements. Floating candles are lovely, and we also have huge candelabras that are absolutely beautiful. Torches can also be a very good touch. And you can't discount party lighting. You can create a very nice effect by weaving party lights through the trees, or around the patio or up in an umbrella."

Light from other sources, such as free-standing fireplaces, wood or gas fire pits, and chimineas also can create a sense of intimacy and encourage conversation, says Rita Rowlen, co-owner of three Ultra Modern Pool & Patio stores in Wichita, Kan.

"It's lovely to sit around a fire and talk or roast marshmallows with the kids," says Rowlen, who retails spas, aboveground pools, patio furniture and other accessories. "These become not only a source of light, but also give a very cozy, warm feel, and encourage friends and family to linger and communicate."