Well, it only took the apocalypse, but we were thrilled to finish off this little portion of our yard for all things fun and expansion. It was definitely time to work on some landscaping, and we have enough in front of us to keep us busy for years to come, but we were so busy with the inside…
If you’re familiar with our history, then you know that we’ve worked on our home all in phases. It’ll be the same with the yard, {shocker} but you’ll see phase two, very soon. So without further ado: the back yard makeover! {part 1}
{Some of the below products were provided by our friends from Wayfair, check the links below.}
update: check out how to lay and age brick pavers + how to build a privacy wall
Check out our cabana {part 2, if you will} here!
We have loved bringing character to our yard with these fun bricks. Someone asked us why on earth we’d torture ourselves {my shoulder still isn’t the same}. The answer is A. they were something we already had due to an unfortunate incident and B. Since we’re on septic, we can’t have anything permanent in this area. This was our way to expand in the area, without having anything that couldn’t be easily removed.
But we’ve come a long way. Here’s what it looked like before:
I can honestly say that this area started without much of a plan. But it quickly evolved into a full on spring/summer project. {You can see the rough plans for what we have up our sleeves, here.}
There was no way to move this pump, so it made sense to conceal it in an attractive way. We’ve restored the entire pool, from the liner, all the way to upgrading to an {essential in Tennessee} heater. But it would cost thousands to relocate it {the last owner had no care in the world}. So we decided to work with it, instead.
One of the reasons that it took us so long to finish a simple patio, was because our final items took a while to arrive, due to the covad. {No worries, I know it’s covid. I say what I want.} So while we were in that meantime phase, we started on the fence.
Again, you can see an overhead of our plans here, and we’re going to wait to add the paint – we’re going with Sherwin William’s Porpoise {Also, I totally can’t say Porpoise in real life} it was recommended that we wait months for it to dry out. But so far, it looks amazing and has opened up our yard in the most incredible ways. We’re slowly removing the old one.
Here’s the view when we first saw the house. Late winter vs. Mid to late spring, so I get it. But let’s just say we’ve put in a TON of work.
We love the way it’s all coming together! Perfect for that added touch to our entertaining area. I can’t wait until this table, and entire area… is full with actual friends again.
We loved adding the brick pavers, and then giving it a nice mortar wash to give it a great aged look.
We have a tutorial coming up on that in the next week, but I’ll also link back here.
And the polishing touches with fun colorful plates just make me ready to entertain again.
We gave our diy farmhouse table a nice little painted makeover – since stains are really hard to keep clean, we thought this would lighten and brighten, and also add a little character to it all.
We also added a hole in the middle so we could bring in an umbrella from Wayfair. We love the bright little spot of sunshine the yellow brings to the dining area.
Check out our outdoor dining candle holders tutorial, here.
So here’s what it looked like when we took possession of the house.
If you’ve seen the inside, then you know we’ve come a long way. But I think the outside is beginning to testify to that, too.
The fence was tiny and constricting, and we are LOVING the new one. You can see a glimpse of it in the distance with some of the pictures because our back yard really is that large. We’ll be sharing more on that soon, too. But our dogs and kids {because they can play together and chase all the things} absolutely love the newfound freedom.
But we also love this little wall for privacy.
This little mermaid print is free, and available here.
We also loved refreshing our chairs with a new coat of paint, and adding these vertical wall planters with baby succulent gardens. It’s amazing how much light these garden lights brought to the outdoor space. Ever since we pulled down the scary giant light that was out here for years, it had been a little dark. These are a great option.
For anyone who is curious about where our hideaway is positioned with all this {we received a question about that recently}, you can see a glimpse of it here in relation to the yard.
photo via Brian Woodcock, country living magazine
And for our back deck, this was a bit of a part of this project last fall.
All the details for it {outdoor furnishings included} can be found here.
Our planter lady is from here, we love the character that she adds.
The brick was so imperfect, we ended up loving it that way. I was just glad to lighten up those purple hues in the ground – you can’t tell by looking at photographs but it was really dark. Again, tutorial with all the details behind the german smear process, coming next week.
Since we’ve knocked down the old fence, we’re now lacking a little privacy on two sides. The very back is a little too close for comfort with the our neighbors, so we can’t wait to add a cabana for two parts entertainment and privacy. We have planted some trees, and shrubs but it will take a while for them to grow. So we have some plans for in the meantime with all of that.
Speaking of entertaining, have I mentioned that I can’t wait to do that again?
The pups definitely approve. Oh, and outdoor loungers are a previous purchase from Wayfair, as well.
They’ve held up magnificently and have been absolutely perfect for all things pool lounging.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our little tour today! Thank you so much for tuning in. Let us know if you have any questions, and stay tuned for the fun cabana details! We can’t wait to share what we have cooked up for the next phase.
Pssst… Be sure to check out our entire money pit series here + our portfolio for clients, here
Have an inspired day!
Belinda Aguirre says
That adorable umbrella is the best!!!!! It’s the showpiece of the yard. Everything looks incredible…but that umbrella…gasp!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you so much. We felt like it added so much fun color. Hope you’re doing well!
Diane@InMyOwnStyle says
It is looking wonderful. Love all that you have done, the colors and especially doing it all in your own style. I hope you get to spend lots of good times in beautiful space.
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hi sweet friend! Thank you so much for your kind words! Hope you’re well!
Jodi says
Adorable! I really love the colors. It’s so fun. And those pavers are beautiful. Hope your shoulder heals quickly!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you so much Jodi! It is a little better now ;}