Outdoor Space: The Plan
UPDATED: May 29, 2020
Hi there! I wanted to update you on some additional details for our outdoor space! If you followed on my Instagram stories (also saved on a highlight!), we completed the hardscaping the first week of May. Now we are just waiting on the last few decor items to come in the mail and then I’ll post the final reveal!
Many of you asked about the dimensions, cost, etc. for the project. Below, I’m sharing a more detailed outline so you can get a better picture of what we did.
We opted to keep the gravel area and decking the same lengths (10’ each).
For the decking, we used 10’ boards. Initially, we were going to offset the dimensions so that the decking was a bit smaller than the stone area. Rather than having to cut all the boards to a shorter length, we were able to use the 10’ sized decking boards which worked out well. The boards were placed on pressure-treated 4x4s.
In in the stone/gravel area, we placed several 24” x 24” pavers that were spaced about 5” apart. They were H U G E and heavy (80 lbs. each)! In order to get the ground level, we had to remove all of the grass that used to be in the area and level it off. Once we did that, we laid landscape fabric down and shoveled in the stone before placing the pavers. Each paver had to be leveled with the ground and with each other. Once the pavers were in place, we filled in the remaining space with more stone so that there weren’t huge gaps.
The firepit area took a little bit of tweaking. We initially thought it would be much larger so that chairs could fit around it comfortably. However, once we used the marking paint to map out what a 5’ radius would look like, it was completely overhwhelming for our space. So, we kept it to a 3’ radius which worked out well for the overall sizing.
We edged the entire space with a black metal edging to keep the stone in place.
material cost breakdown:
Lumber + edging: $372.67
additional lumber: $45.00
additional edging: $88.97
pavers (22 total): $215.52
stone + delivery: $261.23
total estimated material cost: $983.39*
Keep an eye out for the full reveal!
*Some items were returned due to excess which is not reflected in pricing. We also opted for a more expensive stone option due to availability.
We recently bought a shed for the backyard to store all of Matt’s tools and outdoor things. When we were looking for a shed (took us awhile!), we knew we wanted something that would be incorporated into our outdoor patio. Our backyard sits on a small lake and our goal is to make a patio space that feels inviting and a spot we can lounge. Today, we’re sharing some before photos of our backyard prior to us getting started on our outdoor project!
This is the view from the back of the shed wall looking at the rest of the backyard. Our plan is to utilize the sidewall of the shed and create a patio space that includes a lounge area, firepit and possibly another small table. We have string lights hanging closer to the lake and plan to move them above the patio space.
THE inspiration
We love the thought of mixing textures between wood and concrete. Our overall vision is very Mexico-inspired; concrete, black, terracotta, natural tones and planters. We vacationed in Tulum last May and loved the style. Since we don’t have our yard fenced in, we’re aiming to create a border with planters and thinking of adding in shade sails or something similar for above the space. Here are the mood boards for the space:
the plan
We’re likely going to get rid of the adirondack chairs and opt for something more modern and not as wide. These dimensions have been adjusted slightly due to material specifics, but overall we’re going for a concept that will have the decking be a step down to concrete pavers (similar to top left inspo photo in the mood board).
We are sourcing a few of the lounge and decor pieces but going to wait until we have the main foundation pieces down to purchase. We are stoked for this project (once social distancing passes) and can’t wait to host friends and family!