If you’ve been here a while, you’re probably wondering “didn’t they already makeover the backyard?!” and you’re right! BUT we realized our team needed a way more efficient space to work and hangout in so here we go again!

the plan

landscape
refinish and move the giant work table over to the other side of the backyard for woodworking projects
add in a round table for laptop work and lunch hangs
up-cycle old bench to make built-in seating around new round table
add two huge umbrellas for shade over both working/hang stations
paint a cool wall mural
build a sitting standing desk
add in potted planters
add a BBQ
have a BBQ!!

Before… AKA the apocalypse * inserts clown emoji *

This space was so overgrown… as you can clearly see *inserts another clown emoji.* and wasn’t very pleasant to look at or be in. It was giving - swimming in a dark lake and ‘SOMETHING TOUCHED MY LEG!’ but it was just seaweed vibes. Plus, we desperately needed some shade because it gets scorching hot back here, and heat stroke is definitely not on the menu this summer. It was time to get to work!

First step was to landscape! We got out our weedwacker and went to town on the jungle. We pulled out all the weeds, levelled out the ground in certain areas, put down some flagstone to carve out a nice walking path, and added mulch to the areas that were just plain old dirt. Adding some mulch overtop can really elevate an outdoor space from basic backyard to an expensive looking oasis.

Once the landscaping was done, we switched up the backyard layout. We moved our giant old work table to the other side and added a surprisingly heavy concrete table we got for free off Facebook Marketplace (it took seven of us to move it—whoops). We wanted to reuse as much of our old stuff as possible, so we cut up our old workbench into three pieces to make new built-in seating around the concrete table. After the big pieces were in place, we brought in two massive adjustable swivel umbrellas for shade. To keep the umbrellas steady, we placed flagstone pieces around their bases and sealed them with sand that hardens when you pour water over it.

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With the main layout set, it was time to paint our mural. To keep that industrial warehouse vibe, we only painted the surface of the wall, leaving the nooks and cracks bare to show some of the bricks behind. We also considered the sitting/standing desk layout and painted shapes that fit seamlessly around it. It's the perfect blend of industrial and playful.

The sitting/standing desk is (of course) a one-of-a-kind Rochelle piece and the PERFECT addition to our mural wall

Finishing touches:

To finish off this space we added in planters with gorgeous greenery and vibrant flowers, the cutest red BBQ you’ve ever seen, comfy pillows on the built-in seating and green foldout chairs for extra seating. Now time to test out this gorgeous set up with a team BBQ!