Summer gets the lion’s share of attention when it comes to outdoor activities. But don’t count fall out entirely. When the temperature outside dips, it’s the perfect time for you to dip.
As a transitional season, fall has it all. It’s warm enough to enjoy extended periods outdoors without freezing your fingers off. Yet it’s just nippy enough to offer an energizing hit of fresh air. There’s enough daylight that you can plan afternoon outings that slowly darken into evening parties. But even the overcast days carry a kind of coziness and charm. Then, there’s the foliage: bright, rustic, woodsy, and evocative, covering the trees and ground in yellow-orange shades.
Autumn practically cries out for a cozy backyard haven, centered on family, friends, and a bubbling hot tub. In this article, The Cover Guy explores ways to transform your outdoor space into an autumnal DIY backyard oasis by prioritizing comfort, warmth, practicality, and natural beauty.
Let’s fall right into it, shall we?
Starting from the Ground Up: Resources for Choosing and Positioning Your Spa
The tips below assume that you’re already the proud owner of a home spa, offering tips for how to embellish and augment your backyard feature to maximize its autumn potential. However, if you don’t yet own a hot tub, we can direct you toward a couple of handy articles from The Cover Guy.
The first is all about choosing your first hot tub, in which we discuss how to incorporate your budget, lifestyle, size needs, etc., to determine the ideal spa for you. The article offers a solid rubric for aligning your needs/limitations with various spa types on the market.
The next article tackles finding the perfect location. Basically, you want to find an area that a) affords a decent modicum of privacy, b) allows easy access to and from the home, and c) offers clear views of your backyard’s best features, whether that’s mountain views, ocean vistas, or a particularly lush garden.
If you’re working “from the ground up,” start with these articles. Otherwise, join us in the following sections to start building out your slice of backyard paradise.
Warmth Beyond the Water: Creating a Heated Outdoor Space
As most areas in the US move into October and onwards, you’ll notice the daily forecast making its slow descent into the 60s and below—sweater weather, in other words.
You probably won’t notice the chilly air when you’re mostly submerged against the spa’s warm jets, but you will notice it when you get out of the tub. Therefore, the first step in any fall-appropriate hot tub haven is to create warmth.
Outdoor fixtures like heat lamps/patio heaters offer an effective quick-fix solution that minimizes the “jolt” of moving from hot tub to cold air. Fire pits achieve a similar effect, with the added benefit of adding to the cozy ambiance. And outdoor space heaters can work in a pinch (just be sure to keep all electronic appliances well clear of the tub).
Lastly, consider towel warmers to toast your towels and terry robes for when you step out of the tub. And keep a cache of blankets in a sealed, weather-resistant storage box to hold in body heat.
Craft Seclusion from Screens and Plants
When you picture a “haven,” you tend to think of seclusion. (Few people would consider a frenetic, packed downtown area a “haven”). After a long day, there's something nice about removing yourself from the hustle and bustle of daily life, communing with nature, and letting your stress melt away.
To enhance your spa area’s seclusion this fall, consider a mixture of screens and plants (or one of the two). Barrier solutions like shutters, gazebos, retractable awnings, and outdoor curtains play a functional role in partitioning the space while also providing privacy. Meanwhile, natural barriers like shrubs, trees, and climbing vine trellises promote seclusion while reinforcing the natural elements in your fall backyard oasis.
Lean Into the Season: Embrace a Cozy Fall Vibe
This is a fall sanctuary, after all—you might as well lean into the season with autumnal accents and decorations.
Honestly, you can go as subtle or loud with the autumn aesthetic as you please. For a subtle nod to the season, incorporate brown, orange, and yellow color palettes in your outdoor blankets, custom hot tub cover, seat covers, outdoor pillows, and towels. For a more overt homage to the season, consider table accents in the nearby lounge area teeming with fall foliage, gourds, and pinecones.
Of course, if your backyard area is already lush with fall colors and natural elements, you might not need to help it. Just let it speak for itself!
Covering Up: The Importance of a Custom Hot Cover
At its best, a hot tub cover plays two critical roles: It preserves and protects your investment to ensure your spa withstands as many autumns as possible, and it contributes to your overall aesthetic vision.
The best way to tick both those boxes is to craft your own custom hot tub cover. At The Cover Guy, we help you elevate your spa space into a year-round retreat by offering several weather-resistant options. To start, choose a cover type based on your local climate:
- Our Standard is an affordable model intended for warm to moderate climates that don’t experience freezing fall weather.
- Our Deluxe is a bestseller model whose weightier construction and thicker taper make it ideal for cold climates.
- And our Extreme model covers even the harshest climates with a thicker taper, heavier weight, and reinforcements against heavy snow.
All of our covers come with heat sealed foam, UV-protective marine-grade vinyl, child safety locks, and tough double-stitching.
Next, configure your cover to meet your exacting standards. Input your spa brand/model or enter dimensions to get a cover that fits your hot tub like a glove. Choose which way you want your cover to fold, where you want the straps, how long you want the skirt, etc. Then, the fun part: Select from several compelling color options to integrate your cover seamlessly into your small backyard oasis.
Our dedication to personalization ensures you receive a hot tub cover ideally suited to your outdoor haven. And you can rest even easier in your autumnal escape knowing that your spa is protected against the elements.
Let There Be Light: Establish Mood (and Safety) with Proper Lighting
As the days grow shorter, lights become a more important component of your backyard spa space. They establish an easy-going, relaxed mood. They also ensure that you and your guests find a safely lit passage to and from the tub.
String lights, lanterns and hot tub LED features strike the right ambiance, giving the whole haven a warm, inviting glow. Prioritize soft, warm lights somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 on the Kelvin scale (this range features yellowish hints reminiscent of candlelight).
As for your wayfinding lights—those functional fixtures that help you safely move from the home to the tub—consider pathway lights, pot lights, and flood lights. If you don’t want these bright, white bulbs intruding on your carefully curated spa ambiance, consider opting for motion-activated lights or smart bulbs you can control from your phone.
Don’t Neglect the Other Senses: Soundscaping and Aromatherapy
Following the steps above, you’re most of the way toward an autumn sanctuary. You have a cozy nook, divided for privacy, decorated seasonally, protected against the elements, and bathed in glowing light.
For a final touch, let’s turn our attention to the other senses.
Unfortunately, you can’t control the noise in your backyard. You can’t control when your neighbor weed-whacks their garden or a delivery truck backs out of a nearby driveway. However, you can create an aural landscape to drown out those unwanted sounds.
The easiest way is with outdoor speakers or a waterproof sound system. Have a licensed electrician install a dedicated system; then, craft a playlist centered on calming tunes, nature sounds, or whatever you find relaxing (if that’s a Guns N’ Roses album or the latest Taylor Swift record, power to you). Alternatively, you can create a soundscape through natural water features like a waterfall, or analog decorations like wind chimes. Lastly, some spa owners add televisions to their backyard oasis, because, let’s face it—binge-watching a great TV show can be a form of self-care.
Finally, consider aromatherapy. Studies show that numerous essential oils have varying benefits for well-being. Some calm us, while others energize us. Some promote pain relief, while others encourage clarity. A few drops of a spa-specific aromatherapy blend can go a long way toward transforming your outdoor area into a fall oasis. At The Cover Guy, you'll find an array of liquids, crystals, and spa bombs made explicitly for hot tub use.
If you’re looking to create the ultimate spa experience this fall, consider the design ideas above. If you’re looking to make the investments in increments, start with the basics—like a high-performance hot tub cover and lounge seating—before building out your fall oasis with design accents, lights, and multimedia elements.
For more seasonal hot tub themes, find inspiration on the Cover Guy blog!
