I missed the deadline for the One Room Challenge. But our backyard project is 99% complete. Woo hoo! Read on to see what remains on the to do list and more importantly, what is done as part of the One Room Challenge Belated Backyard Patio Reveal.
We had so much going on during the final week of the One Room Challenge! My husband started work travel again, our internet went out and the technician appointment got mixed up, a crazy heat wave set in, and mother-in-law came into town in the midst of all this. Then the following Monday, our car got hit! It was parked and no one was hurt thank goodness. We were due to head out of town for a family getaway and had to rent a car due to the damage of our own car. So many things!
Before I go further, let’s look at some before photos. of the backyard.
When we first moved in.
It was really a blank slate and we did a few projects like creating a planter bed, and staining the fences, but we just scratched the surface.
When we started the ORC.
When we started the One Room Challenge, we had already contracted out replacing part of our fences, a back retaining wall and a gravel path install. It is hard to tell from photos, but the backyard is on a slope and parts of the ground were very un-level, and we needed a solution to prevent erosion and create level surfaces. The concrete patio slab was also cracked and starting to lift in places.
Back to the update!
In that eighth and final weekend, sweet husband pitched in to help unload mulch, topsoil, rolls of sod, pea gravel, and did work on the electrical. The team worked so hard through the record breaking heat. It got up to 108 degrees, which is unheard of in the Seattle area!
Also, have I mentioned the stairs that lead up to our house?
Imagine carrying bucket upon bucket up these steps!
Once the main work was done, hubby and I got to do some fun stuff. Well we think of it all as fun lol.
Here’s what we did:
Planting and mulching along the retaining wall.
We also did some planting along the fence and back retaining wall. In the Week 5 post I discussed landscape options.
Add rock border to one section of flower bed.
There is a bit of a drop off to the flower bed, so I moved these rocks to create a border and barrier. These rocks had been used in various areas of the yard previously and I wasn’t so sure how they would work in the renovated space, but now they have a home! In Week 4 I shared what this area looked like with our DIY step stones and moss and how to plant moss between pavers.
More patio furniture staining and placement.
During Week 6 I shared my staining process for the IKEA outdoor couch that we debated giving away. A little cleaning and staining did the trick to get us through at least one more season with it. During winter we had purchased new gray replacement cushions from Amazon; I linked them at the end of the post. We also have some chairs that my husband stained and we used them to flank the fire pit table.
During Week 7 I shared tips to paint a fire pit and now you can see it in place. We haven’t actually lit a fire though because it has been too warm! It will be great to gather here in fall.
We have been hanging out here as much as we can. Eating dinner, sprinkler time for my son, running our toes through the grass- you get the idea!
What is left to do?
- Attach 4 more capstones (you can some of them stacked in the background on the wall above). By the way, I scored these lion head concrete planters off Craigslist! They fit the space just right and they go with our Tudor Revival style house.
2. Connect irrigation system to plumbing. We’ve been hand watering in the meantime.
3. Add woodchips under the trees. We had originally planned to do pea gravel but the arborist recommended wood chips.
Next year we would like to move the shed and create a fire pit area, dining area, hot tub space (my husband is pushing for this one!), or maybe a combination. What would you choose?? We also would like to add a pergola over the patio to protect from bird droppings, sap and all the rest of the items that drop from pine trees!
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Some items are exact links and a few others are similar, like the lion planters and a few of the pillows. These are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if you make a purchase via clicking a link, but there is no additional cost to you. Feel free to read our disclosure policy.
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So happy you visited. Hope you enjoyed your the backyard patio reveal!
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