When our realtor brought us into this home, it was the backyard that got my attention! I feel like you have to be able to envision yourself in a home to really believe it could be yours and when we walked out to the backyard, I could instantly see the potential memories to be made.

This last summer it has been a labor of love (and some frustration – aren’t all home projects that way!) as we’ve worked to make our backyard our own. We started with this vision board and then got to work. I feel like we’ve completed phase one (we only anticipated one phase but again, isn’t that the way of home projects?). There is still more we want to do (gas fire-table inside the sectional, cement planters, gazebo paint job) but we are definitely entertaining and enjoying the yard! So in the spirit of Labor Day and Back to School BBQ’s I thought today was the perfect day to share what we’ve done so far.

My vision was all about entertaining! I was dreaming up outdoor movie nights, plenty of opportunities to sit and get cozy and lot’s of seating area for big summer dinner parties. But I also needed low maintenance plants. I don’t  have a green thumb so flowers and complicated gardening is not an option. And to think, we owned a Christmas tree farm before this!

We kept everything simple and green (perfect for the great northwest). I love those European gardens so it was a perfect to go along with nature’s color palette with lots of greens, browns and tans. To keep things inviting, I added just a nod to mod with some black and white accents and little pops of color and glam. And who wouldn’t feel welcome with one of my fave finds, my ‘WELCOME TO MY HOOD’ door mat?!

I’m a sucker for detail. So it was in the little things that I really wanted to bring our backyard together! My aunts are all amazing gardeners and one of my favorite things about their yards is that there are these secret little discoveries to be made as you walk and explore. I wanted to create that, so I used whimsical touches like the glass sun catcher flower and the ceramic wood chime to offer opportunities for discovery. And of course there were existing elements that helped like the fountain and gazebo.

My absolute favorite elements of our backyard are the two things that my amazing husband built for us! Our sectional was inspired by this one from Restoration Hardware and our beautiful 10-person Farm Table was inspired by Pottery Barn. Can you go wrong when your inspiration comes from RH and PB? I think not!

Our farm-table has allowed us to now have two eating areas (think grownup and kids) because there is also a round table in the gazebo.  The table and benches took about 6 hours to build and then we gave it a nice dark stain. To break up the area of the deck and make it feel a little more purposeful, I got an 8×10 Natural Fiber Rug from Overstock (see it here).

The Gazebo has completed Phase 1 but I definitely want to continue to freshen it up. I’m thinking a fresh coat of pain but can’t decide on a color (any ideas?). The two things I knew I wanted instantly were light and ambiance. To bring light back into the gazebo we found this amazing Mason Jar chandelier. It’s a plug-in fixture so we were able to just route an outlet under the dirt and back to the gazebo!! For ambiance we added two wine bottle tiki torches (one for each side of the entrance of the Gazebo). Now we can continue to stay out late into the summer and early fall with plenty of light, ambiance and bonus: bug repellant!

These are just a few final details just because they make me so darn happy! So many amazing creatives out there… It’s been so fun finding these beautiful pieces to make our yard truly feel like home!

I hope you’ve enjoyed our little backyard tour! Thanks for being here!!

– – –  S O U R C E   L I S T  – – – 

Built in Sectional 

• ‘S’ Monogram Pillow by Kess
• Tommy Bahama Green Palm Pillow by Mica Blue
• Black & White Wavy Check & Plus Pillows by Fresh Workshop
• Black & White Stripe Pillow – Ikea
• Tan Sectional Cushions – Allen & Roth at Lowes

Lawn Activities 

• Big Roller Lawn Dice by RH2 Creations – This brings family Yahtzee to whole new level!
• Juggling Bags from Once I was – Our juggling skills are still in question but for those from the 90’s, we did get to show the kids hacky sack.

Accessories/Details

• Garden Stool – Home Goods
• Welcome to My Hood Mat by Eryn Makes *these are such a great price with so many funny options!
• Sun Catcher Glass Flower by Statements By Design
  Glass Geometric Terrarium by Sandhill Shores
• Air Plants by Sea & Asters *these things are so cool, you can put them in anything because they are completely dry.
• Ceramic Wind Chime by Earth Wind Stoneware
• Mini Air Plant Cube by Sea & Asters
• Mason Jar Chandelier by Boots N Gus
• Green Wine Bottle Tiki Torch by Great Bottles of Fire