By Dennis A. Olkowski

Designers make the most of vest-pocket size spaces by combining tropical plants with lanai furniture, outdoor fountains and privacy fences. Ocean Pointe/Haseko

Ask Oahu homeowners what they crave most and 9-out-of-10 will probably respond in a single word: Space.

Sure, Hawaii might be blessed with ocean views and a tropical climate that's envied worldwide, but our homes often lack room to move, stretch out and relax in total comfort.

To overcome these cramped conditions, many kama‘aina are turning to an often overlooked part of their property — their own back yards.

Fortunately, you don't have to be a design expert to create an outdoor living area that's both fun and functional.

Begin by asking yourself if you want an area for weekend gardening, raising koi, dining al fresco, gazing up at the stars or perfecting your golf swing.

Maybe you want it all!

To narrow down your choices, local experts can be a wealth of inspiration for creating a cozy backyard retreat in a confined space.

The soothing sound of a water feature can help mask noise coming from nearby homes or passing cars. Neiman Marcus

Ocean Pointe, Haseko's ocean-oriented community on Oahu's Leeward Coast, is a prime example of how to maximize the comfort level of a vest-pocket size back yard.

"When we design landscapes for small spaces we keep in mind focal points such as privacy, scale and proportion, balance, texture, color, harmony and rhythm," explains Richard Dunn, executive vice president in charge of sales and marketing for Ocean Pointe. "All play an important part in the creating a back yard that doubles as a private sanctuary."

Dunn says backyard layouts at Ocean Pointe adhere to a few basic design principles that start inside the home itself.

Backyard views from within living areas are built into the architectural design of every home using very large picture windows.

"These views are enhanced by creating focal points of interest in the back yard that reflect balance, harmony and rhythm," reiterates Dunn. "Screening from adjacent homes gives backyard spaces a sense of privacy and creates a backdrop for these points of interest."

Fences and garage walls and the homes themselves act as buffers between adjacent properties. Landscaping is another useful tool for creating a private sanctuary. Success, however, turns on the careful selection of plants and materials and their match with the local environment.

"Make sure the desired plants can flourish in your neighborhood," Dunn cautions. "Rainfall, humidity, temperature, sunlight, soil type are all factors that need to be considered in designing a landscape that's sustainable for your home.

Landscape architects at Ocean Pointe used hardy, drought-tolerant zoysia El Toro sod for its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic while requiring minimum watering.

The also employ Jathropa and Macarthur palms for a tropical "look" that provides welcome shade and helps cool the house for greater energy conservation. For a lush backdrop, Singapore plumeria and Areca palms are planted throughout the 1,010-acre development.

It's important to remember that plant size, shape, leaf texture and color can be combined to create points of interest without overwhelming a backyard space. However, too many plant varieties create a cluttered appearance within a small area.

According to Dunn, abrupt angles should be avoided in planting beds. The layout of planting beds should have smooth lines to flow within the lawn and hardscape areas.

Ocean Pointe designers used subtle colors — inside and out — to reduce the difference between the indoor and outdoor experience. The result is a sense of balance and rhythm that make a house feel like a home.

"For example, the color of outdoor floor tile can be picked up indoors through subtle variations of the color on inside walls and trim," says Dunn. "When landscape features are balanced, they not only appeal to the eye, but create that private sense of sanctuary that helps people relax and truly feel at home."

Backyard playgrounds

Swimming pools, spas and tennis courts are popular mainstays of upscale homes from Hawaii Kai to the North Shore.

Along with adding value to most residential properties, they also act as weekend meccas for active families who enjoy entertaining outdoors.

However, one of the latest trends to emerge in backyard living is the personalized putting green.

Avid golfers — even those with ballooning handicaps — are discovering that they can perfect their putting stroke in the privacy of their own back yard before hitting the links.

The leading distributor of personalized putting greens on Oahu is Rory Otto, president of Putting Greens of America in Halawa Valley.

His three-year-old company specializes in installing synthetic turf that recreates the look, feel and "roll" of natural grass found on a professional putting green.

"In most cases, the size and shape of a backyard green is only limited by a golfer's budget and imagination," says Otto. "We can install a nylon cross-stitch putting green in a backyard area as large as a basketball court or as small as an office cubicle."

Surprisingly, many golfers aren't content with only a putting green. To recreate the sensation of playing on an actual golf course, some are asking for backyard layouts that include aprons where they can practice their chipping or a small bunker to sharpen their sand shots to the flag, says Otto.

Cost is the biggest advantage of a synthetic green over a real one. It doesn't need to be watered, mowed, aerated or fertilized. On average, an installed synthetic green costs $20 a square foot, compared to ten times that amount for one with real grass. Do-it-yourself installation packages are also available at substantial savings.

Backyard accents

Creating a backyard retreat doesn't have to be expensive and it certainly doesn't require a lot "sweat equity" by a homeowner.

Simple garden accents ranging from water features to comfortable lanai furniture can transform a nondescript back yard into a sanctuary for relaxing in private or entertaining friends.

The key ingredient is creativity.

Glowing candles, for example, are a quick and easy way to create nighttime intimacy. Whether they're floating in a garden pond, flickering from torches around a lanai or lining a garden path, candles create a magical setting.

"Personally, I think candles create a mood you can't get with electrical lighting," says Etta Moseley of Pier 1 Imports. "Candlelight bathes outdoor dinner settings in a subtle, relaxing glow that soothes the senses."

"Versatile is another advantage because decorative candle holders can easily be moved until you find the perfect spot in your garden. Along with whicker, attractive garden torches are now available in brushed metal, including copper, nickel and pewter," Moseley says.

An outdoor fireplace or a free-standing water feature are also design accents for creating intimacy in a small garden court.

The "glowing embers" of a propane-powered fireplace can create a romantic setting on your garden lanai while taking the chill out of the nighttime air at the same time. On the other hand, the soothing sound of water cascading down a vertical fountain helps mask noises coming from neighboring homes and passing cars.

If you're still stumped for ideas on how to create a backyard retreat, pay a weekend visit to any of the new-home developments taking shape on Oahu.

Many on-site models — like those at Ocean Pointe, Mililani Mauka or Hawaii Kai — can provide inspiration for designing a private sanctuary … even when your back yard is short on space. HS