Backyard Design (1 Viewer)

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Lemonzest

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Everything in our backyard is falling apart just due to normal wear and tear which comes with living in the PNW - wet coast. The fences, sandbox, and cedar decking are all dilapidated.

I am starting from scratch and really willing to entertain any ideas. I just want to make it a warm and comfortable place to hang out. The things I am toying with are:

-gazebo
-sauna
-hot tub
-Pool (above ground)
-sandbox
-raised garden beds
-rock garden / waterfall
- new fence

Anyway, what I really need is some inspiration and ideas. Feel free to post pictures of your backyard good or bad. I can post some pics of my current yard later.
 
Last edited:
Bird feeder!
I could watch the birds most of the day. I’ve hand feed chipmunks and blue jays. Seen tons of babies grow up. You can always tell the babies.
if you want any information on that feel free to PM me. I’m a bird nerd!
 
I'm a big fan of outdoor pavilion's.
There's a lot you can do depending on your budget. Fireplace, bar, couches, grill, poker table, etc....
This is not my yard, just a picture I grabbed off the internet.

1630529965410.png
 
GetUrShineBox said:
I'm a big fan of outdoor pavilion's.
There's a lot you can do depending on your budget. Fireplace, bar, couches, grill, poker table, etc....
This is not my yard, just a picture I grabbed off the internet.

View attachment 768414
Click to expand...

Yes for sure. This is something I am toying with and forgot to add to my list. I like the idea of having a covered area where we can: hot tub, bbq, sit down and eat, and also a lounge area - not sure how this would work out space wise.
 
BBQ gazebos are a nice addition I think. Keeps the sun (and possibly rain and snow) off you when cooking. If you are going to add a water feature, I cannot stress enough to make sure it is running water (i.e. waterfall or fountain of some kind included). Standing water is terrible for producing bugs (mosquitos especially).

I would personally choose a screen room over a gazebo for the lounge area. It still can let light and air in, but keeps the bugs out and can be covered up easier (to block out direct sunlight in morning/evening and for protection from rain). Here's a pic of mine after just getting put up (a few years ago):

screen room.jpg
 
This was one of the first projects my wife and I did with the house we moved into 6 years ago.
There was a bunch of 24" x 24" sidewalk blocks originally that the previous owner put on their sides, wrapped 2 x 4's around and filled it with dirt as a raised garden. That being said there was nothing but weeds in it when we moved in, the grass around the perimeter was terrible and there was no useable space.
We dug, we semi leveled, we added road crush, added sand, leveled it and placed the porcelain tiles you see along with the decking. Last year we built the fence/privacy screen. It is a little oasis for us in the back yard.
The other side of the yard is getting a new deck built over the next week or so. Wanting to add a two person hot tub and some kind of pergola or enclosure so I can have poker under the stars.
Good luck with the project.
 

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trigs said:
BBQ gazebos are a nice addition I think. Keeps the sun (and possibly rain and snow) off you when cooking. If you are going to add a water feature, I cannot stress enough to make sure it is running water (i.e. waterfall or fountain of some kind included). Standing water is terrible for producing bugs (mosquitos especially).

I would personally choose a screen room over a gazebo for the lounge area. It still can let light and air in, but keeps the bugs out and can be covered up easier (to block out direct sunlight in morning/evening and for protection from rain). Here's a pic of mine after just getting put up (a few years ago):

View attachment 768458
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Trigs, where did you find that? I love it and it might be exactly what my wife and I want on the new deck.
 
Lemonzest said:
Yes for sure. This is something I am toying with and forgot to add to my list. I like the idea of having a covered area where we can: hot tub, bbq, sit down and eat, and also a lounge area - not sure how this would work out space wise.
Click to expand...
Zest, how much space do you have? My wife loves to do a scale dwg of space we are wanting to work with, whether indoor or outdoor.
She always uses graph paper then cuts scaled furniture out of more graph paper so we can place it throughout the area and help determine how things will fit.
 
i'm nobody said:
Trigs, where did you find that? I love it and it might be exactly what my wife and I want on the new deck.
Click to expand...
I got it from Costco but just looking at their site now (for Ontario) they don't have any anymore. Mine has doors on all 4 sides which is pretty convenient. It also came with a "sun blocker" (basically a curtain that can open and close along the inside of the roof to completely block out the sun) but I found the roof panels were decent enough that I never installed it. I also bought some curtains for the sides so I can close them for privacy from neighbors or to block out direct sunlight.

EDIT: And I have played poker in it during covid when it was allegedly getting better for a time but we still couldn't have people indoors together.
 
@i'm nobody dims are 29' x 48' - basically just a big rectangle.

20210902_084205.jpg20210902_084221.jpg20210902_084253.jpg20210902_084307.jpg20210902_085405.jpg

I took a pic in each direction so you can get a feel for the area.

Getting out there finding the dims gave me a chance to get at my tomato harvest!
 
Lemonzest said:
@i'm nobody dims are 29' x 48' - basically just a big rectangle.

View attachment 768907View attachment 768908View attachment 768909View attachment 768910View attachment 768911

I took a pic in each direction so you can get a feel for the area.

Getting out there finding the dims gave me a chance to get at my tomato harvest!
Click to expand...
That is a big piece of property. And nice that it is a rectangle. Pretty simple to lay pencil to paper and start the creative juices.
Following with interest and good luck.
And the tomatoes look fantastic. Time for bruschetta!
 
johnjohn said:
fire pit next to your rock garden/waterfall.

+ 1 nice tomatoes

View attachment 769048
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Fire pit is awesome, as long as you have the proper space. I know people who have had to remove them because some dick neighbor complained it's too close to their property. Might want to check the bylaws in your area before putting one in.
 
trigs said:
Fire pit is awesome, as long as you have the proper space. I know people who have had to remove them because some dick neighbor complained it's too close to their property. Might want to check the bylaws in your area before putting one in.
Click to expand...

I would definitely recommend talking to neighbors on all sides before starting anything.
 
trigs said:
Fire pit is awesome, as long as you have the proper space. I know people who have had to remove them because some dick neighbor complained it's too close to their property. Might want to check the bylaws in your area before putting one in.
Click to expand...

I don't need to check the bylaws. The fire department has been here twice :). I removed the existing fire pit last year since some PITA decided to call it in... no fires allowed in this area.
 

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