In today’s blog post, I’m sharing a closer look at the backyard design plans our landscaper put together for our remodel.
This is a series and if you missed my first post where I shared a look at what our back, front, and side yards look like currently, you can find it here. Fair warning…it’s a mess.
Our Backyard Remodel | A Look at the Before
To say I’m excited about this project is the understatement of the year. Not only will this remodel make a huge difference in the look and presentation of our home but it will bring us all so much joy. Expanding our living space outdoors just in time for the warmer months.
Yes, I’m excited to have a lush front yard again and I’m even excited to add the retaining walls we need to control the flow of rainwater.
BUT
What I’m REALLY excited about is the fence we plan to add to our backyard and the first day I get to open the back door and let these pups of ours out. Together. At the same time. Without leashes!
So, let’s dive in and take a look at the backyard design plans. Before we dig into each element, here’s a look at the overall plan our landscape designer put together for us.
An Updated and Expanded Backyard Patio Design
In my previous post, I shared that when we purchased our home there was a metal screened-in patio enclosure on the back. We removed it and were left with a concrete slab. Not the prettiest but it worked for family backyard get-togethers when we had them.
In the new design, the plan is to remove the concrete slab and extend the patio a few feet. There is a natural drop-off that occurs at this point in our yard and we are using this as the guide for the edge of the patio and the placement of the retaining wall.
We’ll replace the concrete with stone pavers but have yet to decide on the color and design details.
Before the new patio is put in, fill dirt will be added to raise the level of our yard where it meets the house. We’ll still have a step down when coming out the back door but I’m told it won’t be as big.
This is one of the ways we are reworking our yard not only to be more visually appealing but to improve the function as well.
Retaining Walls To Control Water Flow
The next step we’re taking to improve the function of our backyard is to add a couple of retaining walls.
As nice as it will be to have a pretty new patio and a fence for the dogs, the retaining walls are the most important functional feature of this whole project.
A portion of our backyard slopes towards our house. Not ideal and important for us to fix it before it causes issues.
We’re using the natural drops that are occurring in our yard as guides for where to place the retaining walls. One will curve around the edge of the new patio and return to the house. The other will be at the back of our property in line with our shed. Both will be made of the same material so it all ties in together.
Even though the functional design of the retaining wall is most important, our landscape designer is also thinking about the form and using this opportunity to create a beautiful design feature.
The first design feature is a set of stairs that will lead to the grass portion of our yard. The second is to use the retaining wall to create 2 built-in benches around 16″-18″ in height. Our backyard isn’t huge and I thought this was a great idea and use of space to add additional seating.
The second retaining wall will align with the back of our shed and run the length of our yard. The plan right now is to add mulch where all the ivy currently is between the wall and the fence. It would be nice though if we could incorporate some plants back there for some softness and color.
A Fence For The Dogs And Privacy
I’ve been wanting a fence for some time now but Mike wanted to hold off until we could do the entire yard at the same time. His thought was it didn’t make sense to spend the money without knowing what other changes needed to happen. A thought that makes total sense but one I had a hard time accepting. Especially with 2 dogs that love being outside running and playing together.
The fence will start at the back of our house and run along our property line. We’re not 100% sure where that line is and neither are our neighbors. One of our next steps is to have a surveyor out. They’ll plot the property line so we can determine exactly where the fence will go.
The backyard design plan calls for 1 gate that will connect the backyard to the walkway. Leading guests along the side of our house to the driveway.
We get along with our neighbors and while privacy isn’t a big concern of ours, it will be nice to control some of the animals that wander through our yard.
There are outdoor cats that run through the back and every year something makes a home under our shed. One year a gopher and its 8 babies took over our backyard. Super cute but also drove our dog Moose crazy. I know the fence won’t keep everything out but I’m hoping it makes it a bit more difficult for them to get in.
I’m not trying to keep all the animals out though. Most of our neighbors have dogs and Roland and Lily have best friends that live right next door. It will be fun to see all 4 of them running around having fun together.
Landscaping And Additional Design Details
It’s important for me to keep as much grass as possible for our fur babies to run. We’ll be able to have a decent amount between the 2 retaining walls. Breaking up all the hardscape and giving them space to roll around and play.
We use our backyard constantly, letting the dogs in and out throughout the day. And because of this, the plan is to lay sod instead of putting down grass seed. It would be difficult to keep the dogs from digging up the seed long enough for it to grow. Nobody’s got time for that plus we’ve been living with dirt for so long we’re just done.
In addition to the grass, there are also plans to add more mulch in a couple of places. The first is at the back of our house where the retaining wall and grass meet and where our AC unit is located.
The second is near where the patio meets the gate. I wasn’t here when the landscape designer pitched his backyard design plan so I’m not sure why he chose this material for these areas. My only concern is that both of our dogs LOVE to roll around in fresh mulch. To them, this could look like the perfect spot to dig and play in.
I’m curious as to why he designed it this way and would love to see if there are other alternatives we could use if needed.
One of the details I didn’t think much about but will really elevate the backyard design is landscape lighting. Our designer included lights along our retaining wall and our walkway leading to the front of the house in his quote. This is something I figured we could add in the future but I’m glad we don’t have to worry about it now.
The Next Steps For Our Backyard Design
We have a few things left to do while we wait for a start date. We need to take a look at the materials our landscape designer suggested and select colors for the main pavers, retaining wall, and any details like borders or accents we want to add.
Want to see what I’m saving as inspiration? Check out my Backyard Pinterest Board here.
I mentioned above that I wasn’t here when our designer presented his plans and I have a couple of questions I’d like to go over with him. I’m curious about the mulch and how the retaining walls will terminate. I’d also like to see if we could add a second set of stairs to the grass where one of the benches is.
Mike also has an idea in his head for the design/style of the fence that he shared with the designer at our first meeting. It seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem to execute but we need to confirm we are still good to move forward with it.
I’m hoping to get all these details figured out in the next couple of weeks and share the final design plans here on the blog. If you’ve gone through a backyard remodel before, what tips do you have for us? What do you wish you’d done that you didn’t or what do you wish you could change?
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