Connor McDavid has a spa at each of his three Canadian homes: The rise of backyard bliss - National Post
Luxury home designer Lauren Kyle McDavid, of Kyle & Co., says the majority of high-end homes they are doing are adding saunas, which have replaced hot tubs as a backyard amenity. The designer is married to NHL superstar Connor McDavid, and they have saunas in each of their three homes.Article contentWhen Anu Asikainen planted a birch tree in the backyard of her postwar Montreal home several years ago, an uninformed passerby might have assumed it was for aesthetics. But Asikainen had an entirely different purpose in mind. She intended to harvest its pliable branches to make a Finnish vasta — a bundle of leaves and twigs used to gently beat one’s skin during a sauna session.
Over the pandemic, Asikainen installed a personal sauna in her backyard, purchasing a used one online and organizing its transport across Montreal. About three times a week, no matter the season, she can be found engaging in an hour-long heating and cooling ritual, a process she said has had a profoundly positive impact on her mental health.
This summer, her birch was finally mature enough to use.
“It was so, so nice. I can’t describe the smell. It has a certain smell. The feeling intensifies the whole experience of being in the heat,” she said.
Asikainen is hardly alone when it comes to creating a backyard wellness space. Homeowners nationwide are reshaping their outdoor living spaces not for aesthetics, but for health and wellness, with a suite of amenities such as saunas, cold plunges and relaxation rooms.
Calgary-based backyard outfitter Backyard Canada said sauna sales have increased by an average of 28 per cent year over year through the past three years. Meanwhile, luxury home designer Lauren Kyle McDavid said virtually all of her clients are requesting saunas in new homes.
“The majority of the new homes we are doing have saunas,” said Kyle McDavid, who runs the design firm Kyle and Co. “Most people are doing a sauna versus a hot tub.”
