In the last post I shared the why behind our backyard overhaul, which means it’s time to share the how and some details on where this wonderful, muddy mess is headed.
To recap, our core objectives for the project include:
Gaining more usable, grassy space for play,
Leveling the area as much as possible,
Creating a patio that’s roomy enough for a grill, dining area and conversation space with chiminea or fire pit,
Adding pathways on either side of the space to bridge the front and backyard, and
(Of course) building something that's attractive and durable.
As we began taking bids for the project our scope grew. We tacked on an additional patio space on the side of the kitchen. When we realized we would be planning for a path to the backyard from a space that was pretty rough, it felt like we were planning for a nice great room that you enter from a shoddy foyer.
There it is. You may be familiar with the Four Corners as a great, U.S. landmark. But we're very lucky to have the less-memorable Three Corners of the United States at our own home, where different concrete styles come together.
This area bridges the carport, side door and backyard, and gets a TON of traffic. The space is small, so (thankfully) the additional cost seemed well worth adding to the scope.
The Layout
I don’t know how many iterations of the backyard layout we went through on our own. We came up with several versions and then, when we showed our sketches to professionals and had them walk the property with us, there were versions that they provided.
After three iterations from the landscaper we ultimately contracted with, this is the design we’ve committed to. We decided to have the patio curve around the side of the house so that when we’re getting things out of the shed we’re wheeling a lawn mower or bike out on a solid surface and not into mulch.
And here’s a plot twist you probably weren’t expecting. In several years we would like to re-do our kitchen—that’s the addition with siding on the back of the house that juts into the yard. We anticipate not wanting the double doors where they currently are. We'll likely opt for cabinets and windows along that wall and a stair directly to the patio from the side of the kitchen.
This means we wanted the plan to be flexible for an eventual phase two where we would remove the steps when we shift the door and re-do the siding.
The Materials
Our home is made of an old, varied brick, which I love. But, when we started talking about materials, I knew right away we would never be able to match the brick on our house and I wanted it to be clear that we weren’t trying to. That means we wanted to stay far away from any dark browns and reds in favor of cooler greys and light tans for our materials.
I am also a huge fan of natural materials like fieldstone for patios and stacked stone walls. But the more we spoke with landscapers about natural materials the more I became concerned about cost and durability. While a stacked stone wall would be beautiful, I could also envision the boys sprinting across the top of the wall with me yelling or cringing every step of the way.
With brick already off the table, it was time to discuss pavers. Historically, I have not loved manufactured "stone". I think pavers can look really commercial and sterile. Sometimes the color options are too flat and other times too varied, and the 5 or 3 piece mix patterns can sometimes feel like a game of Tetris. But when our contractor said a block wall will be ridiculously sturdy, allowing the kids to jump off or kick soccer balls against it, I started to come around.
For the wall, we’re going with the Brandon wall by Techo-bloc in Champlain Grey, which has light grey and a little tan in it. We’re hoping the style isn’t too modern. It also isn’t pretending to be a natural stone, but the color should jive with the natural field stones we’ll be using on the walkways.
When we discussed the paths, I had initially thought we’d do a cleaned-up version of what was already there: A large piece of blue stone set in gravel/stone dust.
But our contractor suggested we could go with a much larger and thicker piece of rough fieldstone for the same cost. The fieldstone is beautiful and so heavy it just settles in the grass or mulch. While the stone pieces are more expensive, you're not paying for the labor on leveling, or additional materials like stone dust/gravel and edging, making it cost-neutral. This sounded like a great alternative, so we’re going for it.
Finally, the field of the main patio and side patio are going to be a very simple cobblestone. Usually for a large area you’d go for a much larger scale paver, but most of the large pavers were more modern and didn't match our overall look. We also didn’t want something like a 20” square paver sitting next to a large natural stone piece leading off of the patio. They’d be a similar scale with a completely different feel.
We’ll be using the London Cobble by Belgard, but only the 6”x9” pavers rather than the mixed pattern shown above. The color is a medium/light grey called Sable Blend. It will be set in a chunky herringbone with a soldier border.
All the Add-Ons
Of course, we have many other pieces that need to come together even after the patio is constructed. There’s going to be power washing to clean up the side of the addition where soil was cut away. We’ll have to install a new fence and solve our privacy challenge in the backyard, now that we removed our large Holly.
The back stairs from the pathway to the kitchen will be handled on our end, as well. These will be wood and stained to match the steps coming off the kitchen on the side.
We’re also starting to research sheds and are on the fence on whether to build or purchase one constructed. Right now we're gravitating toward a style kind of like this but are having a tough time finding something spot on.
We also mayyy have promised a fort or play feature for the kids along the way. So, stay tuned for what we come up with on that front. Right now, we're inspired by little A-frames and natural playscapes that use rougher materials.
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