I know what you’re thinking…are we there yet? Guess what? The answer is yes! I’ve enjoyed making progress as much as working my creativeness to find solutions to some tricky spots in many of my 3o Days To Fabulous DIY Backyard Makeover projects. But everything has to come to an end, and me working outside in close to 100 degree humid temps for about a month definitely had to come to an end! When you’re done checking out this reveal, head over and check out my newest Coastal Home Tour (2019).
So without further ado, let’s get started….drumroll please!
Let me refresh your memory of what my backyard looked like a month ago. I had the gorilla concrete table that weighed 800 lbs to get rid of, lots of yard clean-up and huge list of projects and ideas in mind.
After working on the big stuff in the project house for the last 3 years, it was finally time to make our backyard step up to it’s potential and a place we could be proud of.
The entire back of our home was sorely lacking attention. To make it worse, it’s very public. The back of our house faces the water, which is like a street with boat traffic every day. Many people around here have prettier backyards than front yards.
Clearly, that wasn’t us 🙁
I’ll bet the neighbors started doing a happy dance when I finally started working outside! The first thing I did was finish painting the house. Yes, I only painted the front and back when I painted originally. I share the story of why, and a really good video tutorial here.
My goal for all my DIY backyard makeover projects was to create an outdoor area that not only was comfortable to be in but also looked good from the moment I got to the back door or even as I looked out a window.
All of my DIY backyard makeover projects were done on a budget.
A few of the pre-existing outdoor DIY projects I finished before my 30 Days To Fabulous Backyard Makeover are still favorites of mine. The Key West DIY Wood Planter Boxes I made and my DIY Outdoor Sofa Table that you can see in this picture below do a lot for the area.
My quick and Easy Spray Painted Doormat fills the big space by the backdoor well. Plus the outdoor spray paint is made to hold up and should weather well. It was a crazy good deal too. I recently (May 2018) created a beautiful Wooden Lantern for indoor or outdoor use and I love how it looks on my outdoor furniture.
I weeded my palm garden bed and added a DIY Coastal Rope Garden Border. It wasn’t a hard project or too expensive and totally changed this area. I also showed you guys How To Easily Hang Outdoor Wall Decor Without Nails in another project in this series.
I made a DIY Outdoor Standing Towel Rack to hold the beach towels and bathing suits that used to be laid out across the furniture after a day at the beach. This works so much better! A complimentary Easy Privacy Screen to hide our trash cans and makes the area look much neater too.
Our troublesome umbrella that would take flight during strong winds is now firmly anchored with a hidden 50 lb bucket of concrete disguised as a pretty planter. See how I did it in my DIY Umbrella Stand Planer Tutorial. Our outdoor wood furniture looks better than new. I should have done it a long time ago and share how in my How To Restore Outdoor Teak Furniture. You furniture doesn’t have to be teak, it will work on any type of outdoor wood 🙂
I added more color to the backyard and shared my easy 3 Tips For Spray Painting Outdoor Planters tutorial. These bushes were re-homed from the front yard:) They look fabulous with my favorite orange painted Adirondack chairs, another one of my DIY backyard projects from last year.
This is another favorite spot for morning coffee 🙂
The troublesome side yard found a new purpose…
…and now has a fabulous hammock with a view. I shared How To Build A Hammock Stand from Posts, it was much easier than I thought it would be.
I used leftover red and orange Lantana around the border of the DIY garden edging like I used in my DIY Butterfly Garden to add some color.
It’s small, but hasn’t died yet so I have high hopes it survives our sandy soil that’s more sand than soil 😉
A walking path in crushed shells goes around the back of the house which is now our new kayak storage space. I love the contrast of the shells against the mulch, it fits right into the new landscaped area.
Now all the spaces blend well together.
We’ve used the backyard more in the last few weeks than we have all year. We’ve even had friends over and I didn’t cringe from embarrassment!
I feel like my work here is done 🙂
I finally have exactly the space I envisioned. A relaxing and inviting place to read a book or have friends over. One that looks pretty from inside or outside the house. A view that invites me to stop and enjoy as my eyes travel from one place to the next.
A place where I can go to get away from it all and simply be at the end of a long day.
Friends, now that I’ve shared with you what creativity, a little vision and some DIY ingenuity will produce. I’m hoping I’ve motivated you to to take a good look at your own backyard and realize you too can create a fabulous place to relax and enjoy.
Don’t forget to pin it or share on Facebook!
You’ll find my project linked up to these fabulous parties!
Love a good dose of DIY home decor, home improvement, the challenge of woodworking and creative ways to make your home look fabulous?
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Disclosure: I may have been compensated, given product or tools that I used in this DIY post. All opinions that I share are always 100% my own. I use affiliate links in my posts. If you should make a purchase I will receive an itty bitty commission at no cost to you. Thank you in advance for supporting my blog and two fur-ball cats who believe they are privileged.
Julie Briones says
Wow… what a crazy amazing post! That was a lot of work, but it was REALLY worth it! Beautiful!
Wendi says
Hi Julie and thank you so very much! Yes, the back yard makeover was a huge project. I have no doubt my neighbors thought I was nuts working outside in the crazy heat the entire month of June. This year, I’m getting all of my outdoor projects finished early, before the Florida heat sets in! Thanks so much for your visit and sweet note!
Alicia Sell says
Wow – this is such a great transformation! I am very impressed and totally jealous of your beautiful backyard and views. You did a wonderful job!
Wendi says
Hi Alicia and thank you:) We fell in love with this plce because of the backyard and it’s potential. It’s taken a lot of DIY elbow grease and patience to get to the point where we could enjoy the house and 3 years to get to the outside! Thanks so much for your compliment and your visit:)
Tina says
Beautiful transformation ! Where did you get the outdoor fireplace ?
Wendi says
Hi Tina and thank you! It was a labor of love..with lots of labor! LOL I found the fireplace a few years back at Home depot on clearance. I haven’t seen any others like it since. Maybe do an online search? Thanks so much for taking the time to visit and leaving a sweet comment:)
Shannon@Belle Bleu Interiors says
Your did a fabulous job! Your backyard looks beautiful! It looks like a wonderful place to hang out. I know that you are enjoying it. I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday!!!
Wendi says
Hi Shannon & thank you so very much! The backyard was a big undertaking but so worth it. Yes, we all enjoy relaxing outside a lot more now. The hammock gets more use than I imagined it would, which is just fantastic:) Thanks so much for your visit and very sweet note:)
Shirley Wood says
Wendi, you did such a fabulous job out there! It’s awesome and I know you and your neighbors are enjoying it. I’ve enjoyed your projects. Pinning this and will be sharing it to my FB page.
Wendi says
Hi Shirley & thank you! We are definitely enjoying the new space and I’m pretty sure my neighbors are happy it doesn’t look so sad too! Especially since our backyard is open to the water which is like a road with boat traffic:) Thanks so much for your visit and sharing my makeover!
Nikki Gwin says
You did such a fantastic job! I know you are really enjoying it. I will spend the next few days catching up on all your DIY projects out here to find out how you did them.
🙂 gwingal
Wendi says
Hi Nikki & thank you! I am enjoying the new backyard, immensely! Seriously, I s=till look out the window and feel surprised it doesn’t look like it used to. Thanks so much for reading my blog projects and your very nice comment!
TwoPlusCute says
So, are we invited yet or, this is just to make me green with backyard envy? 😀
It came out fabulous, Wendi! A relaxing place with a lot of interest, the neighbors are definitely loving it (and I wouldn’t be surprised if you notice other yard makeovers around you), a great place to gather with friends and – from a blogger perspective – a fantastic area full of photo-perfect nooks and crannies.
Great job!
Wendi says
Thanks so much:) I’ve completely enjoyed looking out the window or giving myself a reason to walk through the backyard just to enjoy looking at it. It was worth the month of working outside in the crazy heat!
Debbie says
You’re back yard is amazing! Love it all!
Wendi says
Hi Debbie and thank you so much! A major makeover was a long time coming! Thanks so much for stopping by, I know you have a lot on your plate lately!
Serena @ Thrift Diving says
You did such a great job, Wendi! It looks inviting and you just added a bunch more living space to your home! This makes me excited to get mine done!! It’s nice that you had a great patio set. I went to Home Depot today and found 5 wooden Adironack chairs and can’t wait to put them together! So jealous of your nice set, though! Way to go, my friend! And thanks for adding the patio makeover challenge plug!!!
Wendi says
Hi Serena! That’s a good way to put it, the makeover did add a lot of new space to our home. I’m looking forward to seeing your makeover, I know it’s going to be awesome! You can’t go wrong with Adirondack chairs! They are the most comfortable chairs ever! Thanks for your visit!
handmade by amalia says
The backyard looks wonderful! Like a magazine spread! Good for you.
Amalia
xo
Wendi says
Amalia Thank you! That is a huge compliment. After spending a month working outside it’s such a treat to look out the window and see the transformation:) Thank you for your note and stopping by!
Tami @ Curb Alert! says
Beautiful job Wendi, I’m sure you will enjoy it for many years to come!
~Tami
Wendi says
Hi Tami. Thanks so much for the sweet compliment! After a month in the heat just about every day working in the yard, it’s a thrill to be done:) Thank you for stopping by!
Mary-the boondocks blog says
Congrats! You did it and boy was it a big job. These were major projects. Kudos to you for having the stamina and energy to do all this in the summertime. I am wilting as I write to you, all I can handle it tiny little projects in the shade. Now you can relax with a cold drink in hand and enjoy the fruits of your work. Pinning in case I get inspired.
Wendi says
Hi Mary and so funny, you are constantly inspired in so many ways! Yes it was a huge undertaking, but honestly I don’t think it would have gotten done if I haven’t have buckled down and taken on the beast of a yard. The heat was awful but the improvements were motivating. Thanks so much for following along with the journey!
Kathryn Jarboe says
Too many advertisements to continue reading your 30 day backyard makeover. Would love to have seen it, but all the adverts were too distracting.
Wendi says
Hi Kathryn. I’m so very sorry. I know they can be annoying, especially on a mobile phone. Plus, some are required like the cookie notice, and others are independent. I hope you’ll try and visit again.
Patty says
Wendi, you did an incredible job on your back yard, it is beautiful and just makes me want to slow down and relax just by looking at it.
I love everything from the landscaping to the seating and especially the hammock (would you rent me that space this coming winter?).
The towel rack is amazing, I can’t think or anything more handy when you live in Florida or anywhere you have a pool, or little ones that love to play and run through a sprinkler off and on all day.
Great job, love it.
Wendi says
Hi Patty! Thank you so much, and thank you for following along with me on the crazy journey. I’m thrilled it all turned out so well. Next time I have a big idea I probably should plan around the season better though!
Julia says
Wendi, you did a beautiful job! It makes your already stunning view that much better!
Wendi says
Hi Julia and thank you! The view is much better now that we can comfortably relax in the yard. Thanks so much for your visit and very nice comment!
Marie, The Interior Frugalista says
You did good girl! What a difference between the before and after. I can appreciate the back breaking hours you put into your back yard refresh. Enjoy every single second of your new inviting outdoor space. Have a great summer!
Wendi says
Hi Marie and thank you! It was a long month but so worth it. I can relax so much better now that it looks the way I wanted it to be:)
Sandy says
Wendi, It looks great! Kudos to you for finishing it in the heat we have had! Oh to be younger! I need a major redo of my front and backyards!
Wendi says
Hi Sandy! Thank so much, yes the heat was a killer this year. I think next time I have a grand idea for the outside I’ll plan around the seasons better! Thank you for your visit:)
Vanessa D. says
Everything looks so nice Wendi. I love your teak furniture stained back to it’s proper color and the hammock with the palm trees looks like such a nice space to relax with a book or just lay there and look at the stars at night.
I like your turtle planter too!
Wendi says
Hi Vanessa, Thank you so much for following along on my crazy DIY journey! It’s finally a place I can relax in, especially on the hammock;) Yes, my turtle, he’s not as creative as yours, but will have to do for now…LOL