*This post is in partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond, but all thoughts, opinions, and selections are my own.
I’ve had a love/hate relationship with our backyard since the day we moved in. I love that we have a pool. Before we moved in I didn’t think I would ever say that. The pool provides entertainment, fun, a place to cool off, and allows us to host lots of people. I don’t love the state of the rest of the backyard. Concrete as far as the eye can see and a small area that won’t grow grass is what we’ve been working with. The large trees offer great privacy and shade, but they make having a lush yard impossible and leave quite a mess every fall. Because of our black lab I struggled to find anything I could plant under them that he wouldn’t trample. So brown and boring this corner of the yard had sat.
Shortly after we first moved in Micah built a huge sandbox for the kids. This gave the area a purpose, but it was still an eyesore. While it got some use the first year, last year saw very few kids building castles or driving dump trucks. Our dog sadly passed away in the spring and this summer felt like the right time to tackle the space. With no real use of the sandbox and no dogs in the house for now we saw it as the perfect opportunity to add on to our outdoor living.
I’ve learned that people who come over for parties either want to be in the water or want to be in the shade. Under the trees is the coolest you can get and away from the noise of the pool. It seemed like the perfect place to create another element to our outdoor entertaining, so we spent the last few weeks transforming it from drab and unsightly to lush and inviting. Micah tore out the sandbox and we used the sand to create a paver patio. I spent time researching, shopping, planting, and mulching thanks mom for the help! and its always so humbling for me to take on a landscaping project. I love to design all sorts of things, but landscaping is a totally different animal, and having to plant and space things out for growth takes a kind of patience and discipline I really struggle to muster up!
Just like indoors, the right furniture is what really makes a space livable. Did you know that Bed Bath & Beyond offers thousands of outdoor furniture and decor items online? I’ve always thought of them as the store to head to when I needed fresh towels or a new kitchen appliance, but it turns out they really are serious about the “Beyond.” I found the most beautiful set of Acacia wood furniture on their website, and it arrived at our door in no time. I mixed in our existing fire pit and used the coffee table with some other pieces I already had. Breaking up the set brings cohesiveness to the backyard living areas while making this set my own. You can never have too many garden stools seriously. I can bring this one inside in the winter to hold a stack of towels in the bath or elevate a plant in the sunroom.
Micah pulled these pavers up on a job site several years ago, and someone else’s trash is our treasure. They have so much character already.
A durable, large, outdoor tray table is the perfect entertaining piece. Its easy to move around and ideal for drinks or snacks.
Beyond the heat of the summer, this will be the perfect spot to cuddle up around the fire come fall. In the meantime it’s a respite from the sun and a place to continue the party past nightfall. It’s safe to say our backyard is slowly transforming into a space I love and look forward to inviting guests into!
FURNITURE SET | GARDEN STOOL | TRAY TABLE | FIRE PIT (SIMILAR)
So how about you? Do you have an outdoor space you spend lots of time in? I’d love to hear about it!
See more here on our poolside.
I love this spot! First, I really missed your posts. I understand why the time away, but I wanted you to know that your writings were missed. This spot has given me some inspiration for a spot I have been trying to figure out. Unlike your yard, ours was already designed out with garden areas. We do have a great patio. We are trying to make it our own. I have a teak set that this would work with. Did you put down weed cloth around the plants? I am having such a time with weeds! I don’t like to use chemicals. Thanks for sharing your great inspiration again.
Hi Tiffany! I actually didn’t. This area gets very little sun, so weeds haven’t been much of an issue. Now, mushrooms on the other hand have, so I probably should have put something down. Best of luck with your area – it took me quite some time to figure this spot out, glad it could inspire another!
Love the outdoor space! Be careful with the wood pile. We also had one in our backyard (we live in Kansas City MO too) near where we entertained and a nest of yellow jackets made their home in it. If you disturb it in any manner, they come flying out really angry.
Yikes! Thanks for the heads up!
I read all your posts, but felt compelled to comment on this post pbecause I work at Bed Bath & Beyond. People don’t realize how much stuff we carry online. The backyard looks so inviting!
So fun, Christina! You’re right. I spent A TON of time searching online through furniture and man, there were so many good options!
Awesome photos of a beautiful space! I appreciate all of the time and effort you put into making this blog post. I hope you and your family will get a ton of enjoyment out of your beautiful back yard in the years to come!
Thanks so much, Sarah!
Hi love your new outdoor space! Is it you that decorates for Lowe’s on their Instagram posts ?
I have admired the art work in some of the posts.
If you do or could assist me in looking for these
particular wall prints. It was a bit ago. It was pictures in a bathroom one was a pair of Mens black dress shoes and the other was a picture of a pair of women’s dress
shoes. I have been trying to locate prints like those for months. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!! Ty!!
Hi Terri,
I love working with Lowe’s and have done several projects with them, but I don’t have anything to do with their Instagram. They’re usually really great about responding on social media, so you could probably just ask in a comment to them or message them directly. Best of luck and thank you!
I really like what you did in your outdoor space. I thought it was interesting that you use garden stools both outside and inside. I know you included that blue and white one in your bedroom too. I didn’t comment on the way you decorated your bedroom but wanted to say that one was one of my favorites on your blog that I have read so far.
That’s really nice of you! Yes, I think they’re super versatile. Great for holding a stack of towels in the bathroom too!
This is so magical! Gwen- I have a question from an old post and can’t figure out how to comment on it. So sorry to post in the wrong place. I have a nursery with french doors like yours and would love to get blackout roller shades for them like you did for domino’s room’s doors. Would you be able to share where yours are from? I see most of the shades are from the Shade Store but can’t find door shades on their site. Thanks so much if you get a moment!! I love your blog and all of your work so much!
Hi Lucy! We actually don’t have shades on the french doors. But, I believe you can use the roller shades from The Shade Store on them because they’re custom. I would think so anyways. The door in the nursery to the upper deck is glass and we used a Shade Store roller on it. Best of luck!