Note: All products mentioned here were sponsored but the opinions are 100% my own.

In addition to the mud pit, which hasn’t grown grass in the last three years, I want you to notice the exposed roots.  The absence of soil was caused by the lack of grass to hold it in place.  The grass wouldn’t grow because the trees were too lush and shady…but the trees are a necessity bc of road noise…so here we are.

I also want you to notice the slope of the yard.  Not fun.

Also, in the video I you can see that I had a hodge-podge of furniture, but I was able to reuse most of it by staining the wood, adding trim, and sewing cute Spoonflower fabric.

Here was the plan that I made around December/January time period.  My approach was to treat the backyard like I would a huge room in a home by breaking it up into zones.  Pictured in the graphic you can see that the plan was to extend the patio to create two seating areas.  I wanted to softed that space by installing flower beds.  Then, as both a pretty and practical element, I had planned to build out a gravel walkway.  Everything beyond the walkway was to be covered in mulch.

Other zones included a small but very usable patch of imitation grass and a trampoline zone on the far end of the lawn.  Our kids are all big enough that we are now able to put this eye-sore out of site a ways.

As far as landscaping goes, we planned to extended the brick patio out with only a slight slope…just enough to keep proper drainage.  We also intended to leveled off the grass area a little.

One thing that changed from the conception to the completion of the project was the elevation of the walkway.  My plan was to let it follow the natural slope of the yard.  My husband, however, wanted to build it up.  Time will tell how our tree roots like this decision.

It is fun to look back at where we started, what I envisioned, and how close we actually got.  Ready for this?

I can’t even tell you how much fun it has been to have such a lovely and usable space.  Now that you have seen the pull-back images, let me show you the lovely vignettes from each of the zones.

To anchor the two zones I used two 8×10 Ruggable rugs. I love a crisp black and white element in an outdoor space but was concerned about black and white rugs getting dirty until I remebered that Ruggable sells an outdoor machine washable rug.  Now I can give the top part an occasional wash to keep it looking fresh. Save 10% for a limited time by using FUNJEWEL10.

I built a frame and added this white plastic lattice element to the space.  Again, it adds a freshness that wasn’t there before.

Remember that old bench?  It got a face lift.  See how I added finials, lattice, stain, and Spoonflower fabric?  This fabric is such an epic design and I was able to ask Holli to resize it larger for me.  I printed it out on Recycled Cotton Canvas, Spoonflower’s indoor/outdoor fabric.  I hope to spray it in a colorfast spray to make it last even longer.

I faux finished that gorgeous pair of tierra Verde Piazza planters.  They are unbreakable, can be used indoors or outdoors, and come with an integrated water reservoir.

I like the way the two Safavieh umbrellas I purchased coordinate without being a perfect match.

I used Spoonflower Recycled Cotton Canvas fabric on the chairs too. The Shagreen design was made by Danika Herrick, and I’d say she knocked it out of the ball park. Danika has a huge collection of prints on Spoonflower, many of which are classic chinoiserie.

One of my very favorite backyard ideas that we implimented was the use of a curved sectional.  Why curved? Our deck is curved-ished (perhaps octagonal is more accurate), and the trampoline is obviously round.  I wanted to keep with the organicly shaped theme and installed a round-ish brick patio extension.  Then it only made sense to go with a round sectional.

We are obsessed with this Jesvita Safavieh set.  I love how it LOOKS like wicker but isn’t!  That should help it hold up to the elements longer.  Also, the half circle is comprised of three sections that can come apart if you need to social distance or if your firepit gets a little too hot.

I also really like the light color of this Jesvita Safavieh set.  I have seen a lot of dark brown or black patio furniture but this light wicker color is a breath of fresh air.

The ottoman is a great size.  If we ever decide to put a firepit here I plan to move this piece to the sunroom for a much needed coffee table.

I paired the sectional with two plinth base swivel chairs and painted them in Kelly Wearster x Farrow and Ball Palm Green.  Such a gorgous color!  You can see the before images on my DIY chair cushion tutorial

Luckily the grass is pet and kid friendly.  We opted to use Zeolite as infill and it is also advertised as safe, so I have no worries as they play out back.  Our backyard isn’t huge, but this little patch is enough to kick the ball and play around.  If you are considering this option, you may want to check out my faux grass installation tutorial.

My kid’s have been asking for a hammock for years.  My plan is to sew on this fun Hollie Zollinger fabric for Spoonflower.  I was able to ask Hollie to custom color all of the fabrics.

We repainted our deck last summer and made over some chairs and got a new table from Candace Heil.

Brick Mason- Tony Mossomele (703-930-9820)

Holly Zollinger for Spoonflower Fabric (Herons) Recycled cotton Canvas  

Holly Zollinger for Spoonflower Fabric– on Hammock in Recycled cotton Canvas

Danika Herrick for Spoonflower- Shagreen in Recycled cotton Canvas

Jesvita Sectional- Safaviah 

Black and white machine washable rugs- Ruggable 

Palm Green paint on chairs- Kelly Wearstler x Farrow and Ball 

Planters- Smith and Hawken for Target

Tierra Verde Piazza planters (painted with faux finish)

Imitation Grass- Select Surfaces

I purchased the Umbrella 

FYI- (a gift from a good friend years ago) Kate Spade New York Pierrepont Place Serving Tray 17.25”

Thanks so much for joining me on this backyard makeover.  It has been quite a journey and my hope is that you may have been able to find a backyard idea that you can take back to your own home.