Here we go, the long awaited (or was it just me?) Before and After…although I like to call this Before and “In the Middle but we’ve come a long way!” There is still so much to do, but looking back at these photos really has got me feeling pretttty darn good! I’ll share some of the things we’d like to do after these 4 images:
BEFORE: we had this terrible tree growing into an old iron fence, no fencing at all for privacy and no patio! But you can see the door is the same. AFTER: Patio, fence, pretty place to sit, grill out, and becomes an extra room in the summer!
BEFORE: Can you believe there was dirt up to the door and only after shoveling, thinking I was going to lay more pea gravel, did I find this broken up payment! AFTER: The path of my dreams!
BEFORE: Old garage, piles of sticks, no garden, and a bunch a junk left from the people who lived here before us. AFTER: Cutey shed and new garden! Same tree on the right hand side of each image)
BEFORE: Well, the fence was new then, but the garden sure wasn’t what it is now! AFTER: Gardens and Tallie (and our hot tub back there!)
There is still so much to do. This summer was replacing the garden border stones with Belgian Block (I have long desired Belgian Block and so we saved and I am now thrilled!) The fence will also be replaced this summer but materials are behind due to COVID so at some point we will have a lovely, bright, shinny, new fence! It’s funny how the fence looks so good in all of the BEFORE photos but everything else looks like crap.
Once the fence is replaced, it is time for the real fun: a new shed! That will likely become a project for 2022 complete with a deck that runs the back right side of the fence to tie the hot tub together. I’ve been sketching it out and really think it will change everything about the yard when you walk out the path and the yard opens up. Another dream is to replace the back door on the patio with a sliding door so that it is easier to be a part of the kitchen (which is right inside that door) when people are on the patio, not have the door swing inwards inside our extremely tiny kitchen and provide double/triple the light into the kitchen (think double glass sliding doors – hell, let’s just knock down the whole wall and make it a wall of glass, shall we!? That might be pushing it. And after all of those things, you know what I’d really love to do, sod the yard! Can we say ULTIMATE LUXURY!!??
I’m going through tons of old photos and will be putting up more images of the patio transformation. It was a huge job and it took a lot of time and love.
Whadya think? Wanna come over and have a drink in the backyard? I’d love to have you. xoxo Sarah