When we were looking for our first home the backyard area was not a high priority on our list, but as our family has grown the backyard has become one of our happy places! We have come so far since we bought this house in 2018 and I wanted to show the entire journey from start to now. There are so many small things we have done over time that have added up to make an incredible impact.
Where we started:
Can you believe that brick? I used to call it the Halloween house because who in their right mind thought orange and black brick was the way to go?
There were a couple of things about this backyard that immediately didn’t make sense to us. The first is the gate enclosing the patio near the house. It cut off the space and made it feel SO SMALL, plus it left once of the doors open to the water which would be totally unsafe for kids. There wasn’t even room to really put chairs or a table back there so we knew that would need to come out. The second was this massive shed that they had built right next to the pool. So much pool potential dedicated just to a storage shed (that was completely falling apart might I add).
First Round of Renovations:
When we did our first round of exterior renovations we tackled quite a few things in the backyard to bring it more into our style.
- We removed the awkward pool fence and gate
- Clad the patio exterior in cedar siding
- Added black trim
- Painted the brick
- Laid stone over the patio area
- Added lights
- Replaced the windows
Of course… we immediately had some issues with the stone tiles that we laid. In the midst of all of our contractor drama the stone didn’t get grouted for over 6 months. Water got trapped under the stone and then they started popping and cracking. I had been covering the broken stone with a rug. Not a long lasting solution.
Covered Patio Upgrade:
Earlier this summer I decided on a whim to cover the existing cracked stone with deck tiles from Costco. It made the space so much safer, was a cheap fix (as opposed to demoing out all the tile and laying new stone), and was completed in just a few days.
Tackling The Fence:
Our fence was starting to fall apart and after years of pushing the gate manually open/closed we were dreaming of a replacement. We also wanted to fence in our side yard to give us a little more privacy and create a small space for our son to play in. I started gathering estimates for how much it would cost to replace and promptly threw up. On the high end I was getting quotes upwards of 30k and on the low end it was around 20k. We wanted a 8ft cedar fence and needed our motorized gate replaced. I threw a hail mary asking for recommendations on instagram and y’all delivered! I ended up finding someone that would do everything all in for 22k. Michael and I talked about whether we should wait and see if wood costs would go down, but after owing less taxes than we thought, we decided to go for it. We applied for the permit and next thing we knew they were FLYING.
They did this job so incredibly fast and were complete artists. At one point I contemplated replacing this fence myself and after seeing them work, I knew that hiring it out was 100% the correct decision. Instantly the backyard was elevated. I asked them if they could demo the shed while they were here and they offered to do it for $150. Yes please. Check out a timelapse of the shed removal here!
Shed Removal & Foundations Issues:
Unfortunately it left us with a foundation issue that had to be addressed by pouring a new patio. Look at all the crumbling concrete! What is happening there?
After we poured the new patio it was go time. Finally we could bring our poolside dreams into reality. I was sourcing some pergolas earlier and found one that both opened and closed.
Are you ready… here is the before…
New Pergola and Patio Furniture:
And here is the after! The final Perkins On Parkway Patio Oasis. We found this pergola on Amazon of all places and decided to pull the trigger. It is so solid! Weighs over 400 pounds. We went with the 10×13 size and love that we have the flexibility to open or close. We are so happy with this result and can’t wait to spend some time out here. Lucky for us we still have a couple months of Texas summer left!
Shop this post:
- Pergola
- Outdoor Sectional & coffee table (The color I have is discontinued but I have linked a different color for you!)
- Rug (Similar here)
- Chair
- Side Table (Similar here)
- Green Pillows
- Orange Pillows
Here are some additional patio/pergola options to help you complete the look:
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