Backyard DIY Series Part 1: An Introduction

Our New Favorite Place

First off, let me just preface this backyard DIY post with 1. This project was NOT done in a weekend! and 2. I did little to no work. I picked out flowers and pots… and that’s it. Ryan did this whole thing by himself with the exception of two days when he had a friend help him move rocks. So when I say this was truly a labor of love, it was.

For the last 2-ish months, Ryan has spent every spare second he had in the backyard shoveling gravel, moving pavers, re-sodding, building planters, wiring and moving electrical outlets, power washing, planting, and all around being manly. I should also mention this was all his vision. So, as much as I want to take credit for this gloriousness, I cannot. 

Disclaimer on the Before & After photos..

I debated for a LONG time whether or not to show you the before photos because they are BAD. Like, embarrassing, truly terrible, like-who-even-are-these-people bad. We had seriously let the backyard go. Between a busy travel schedule and being overloaded at work, we quite literally couldn’t keep up with it. But one afternoon, Ryan had enough of me calling our backyard “The Land Before Time” and decided to bring it back to life! And that is just what he did. 

Before:

^^^ Notice the random garbage can?? Not sure where that’s from.

^^^ This was an old gravel bed filled with large river rocks. Last year, we had hauled those out but never quite finished the job!

^^^ Note the hammock stand with no actual hammock. And, it’s sitting in a dead flower bed. I really shouldn’t be showing you all of this! It was soon taken over by weeds.

After:

I honestly cannot believe what he pulled off. It’s so incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and comfortable. We practically live out here now. It’s hands down my favorite place in our home. I’m so thankful for Ryan’s serious handiwork and the 100’s of hours he put into this project because our house really feels like a home now.

Backyard DIY Series

So, since Ryan DIYed the heck out of this and he’s always an absolute perfectionist, we have the step-by-step instructions ready for you to make this happen in your home! And don’t worry, he’s going to walk you through some really fun and easy projects that will change your backyard in a snap. Even though our backyard as a whole took months, he finished each project a weekend at a time. 

So have no fear, this is totally doable! Plus he/we already made the mistakes… so we’ll let you know how not to make the same ones. Again, did I mention he’s a perfectionist?! You are in good hands!

Next Week’s DIY: How to Hang Canopy Lights

Next week, I’m going to let him take over on Wednesday and show you how to DIY your own backyard canopy lights the right way! I’m serious, these things aren’t going ANYWHERE. Plus this is one of the first projects he finished, and it made suuuuch an impact! You’ll be doing dinner alfresco in no time! 

Details:

Outdoor Furniture Joss & Main c/o // Garden Stools Joss & Main c/o // Picnic Table (Craig’s List, similar here) // Umbrella, Pillows, & Pillows Pottery Barn // Anthropologie Earrings // H&M Skirt (Similar) // Draper James Top

Keep Reading Our Backyard DIY Series:

Part 1 – An Introduction (before & after pics included!)

Part 2 – How to hang String Lights

Part 3 – Backyard Entertaining (three best Summer cocktails!) 

Part 4 – How to Build a Cedar Wood Planter 

Part 5 – How We Installed the Pavers & Gravel

Photographed by Gregory Daniel