Want a Spa-Den? Make the Garden Fountain Your New Backyard Firepit

If you haven’t heard of the term sparden or spa-den yet, this combination of “spa” and “garden” is all about turning your backyard into a relaxing retreat. Water features are a key component thanks to their tranquil sound and rhythmic flow.

More and more, designers are being asked to install fountains, rather than firepits, as a place to gather and unwind, and we’ve fallen hard for these tranquil seating areas. Not only do the gentle sounds and rippling reflections of moving water offer a cooler take on the firepit, they're also a savvy alternative in regions where firepits may pose a hazard.

How to Incorporate a Garden Fountain

Interior designer Peter Dunham arranged low-slung furniture around a basin-style fountain installed by landscape designer Scott Lewis at a Napa, CA, home, where a neat gravel square, a stone wall, and a tree canopy help define the space as an outdoor room. Here's how to set up your own water feature seating area so that it becomes a restful spot for outdoor gatherings.

Seek Harmony

Your fountain’s design should coordinate with and complement its surroundings. For example, landscape designer Scott Shrader chose a classic blue urn to fit in with a home’s Spanish-style architecture and add a note of color amid the landscape’s narrow palette. A low-slung stone bench serves as a place for quiet contemplation and echoes the tone of the pea gravel.

Likewise, the pale wood of the chairs Dunham designed relates to the bark of a nearby sycamore. "The teak and rush elements felt very rustic, and the house is partly a farm, so it gives it this natural vibe," he says. Dunham also pulled in turquoise accents with ceramic garden stools. "You can move them around easily, but they also don't topple over easily. You can sit on them or use them as little side tables," he notes.

Dial in the Volume

“Fountains add an element to a garden like no other, but you’ve got to get the sound perfect,” says landscape designer Kennedy McRae, cofounder of Earth Inc. Look for styles with adjustable flow control so you can tweak the strength of trickling water. “You want it gentle enough that it sounds like a babbling brook,” he says.

This is especially important the closer your seating area is. For a noisy downspout-style fountain, McRae suggests putting a screen over the water to break up the stream. "It dissipates the water," he says, "so when it hits the actual reservoir, it's a little bit more like a shower."

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