· · · · · · · ·

Modern Ranch House: Phase 1 Backyard Reveal and How to Install Pavers

A backyard renovation can be a big undertaking. We totally transformed our backyard by laying some new pavers. I am going to show you exactly how to install pavers and how much of an impact pavers can make.

We have partnered with the Home Depot for this project but all opinions are my own.

Today is a really big deal! We have been working on our backyard for MONTHS. I am so excited to say that phase one of our backyard is done!!! The backyard renovation was a big DIY project. Like SO SO BIG we have transformed our backyard by Doing it ourselves and we have done some major backyard upgrades. We have made some major changes and how to install pavers was the biggest project of the backyard so far.

Our Pavers and How to Install Pavers

The pavers we choose for our backyard renovation were these amazing Pavestone Taverna Bluestone Pavers. These pavers are perfect. They are such a great color and I loved that they are a bit larger of a paver especially because we had over 1200 square feet of area we needed to cover. These paver have such a great texture to them and I did a full step by step tutorial on how to install pavers over on Home Depots Blog and you can find it HERE. A full material list and everything you need is over there and I even did a video on this major DIY project.  You can find my How to install pavers video on our YouTube channel HERE.

First, this is where we started

Before I get into more detail on how to install pavers I want to show you where we started.We changed up a ton of things in our backyard. You can see the whole backyard plan HERE. You can see how we add a concrete path HERE. There are a few different spaces in the backyard where we were adding pavers and the first space was our pool area.

Pool Area Before

Our pool area was not working. We did not have any lounge space. We did not have anywhere in the pool area to hang out. When we moved into the house there was a very large raised planter. Which means that the plants were always getting into the pool. We decided that this space would be a great lounge space. But before it would be a great lounge space we need to change up a few things. We extended the pool area to the right of the plant box and added a few steps. I went into in more detail on this on my post about all our concrete work which you can see  HERE.

By adding the steps we were able to start transforming this wasted space into more useable space.

The pool area needed a major facelift and it needed to work better for our family. Added pavers to the pool area transformed this space for us. For our pavers we used these beautiful Pavestone Pavers from the Home Depot. By adding these pavers we were able to actually use the space in the pool area better.

Now this is the Pool After

Paint and Prep Before Pavers

We did a ton of work in the pool area before the pavers. Like I said before adding the step was a huge step in the right direction. After we had the step concrete poured we did add cool deck to the steps so that it would match the rest of the pool area and I will have a tutorial for that coming soon.

We also painted all the pool deck area using a pool deck paint from Home Depot we used Alpine white color. In Arizona this white pool deck color keeps the ground nice and cool for the kiddos.  Then we painted the brick trim with a Behr Masonry Paint in the color Carbon. I loved that it added a bit more of a modern edge vs. the brick boarder that was there before. The black also matched my house color scheme and I loved that it tied everything together.

 

 

Our Pool Furniture

The Home Depot has some amazing outdoor furniture. When I was picking out my pool furniture I wanted to make sure that it matched the clean and simple vibe of the new pavers and the color scheme. I wanted something that was classic and that I change up every year with a new pillow or two. The furniture I picked out for my pool area is the Hampton Bay Oak Cliff Custom Metal Outdoor Chaise Lounge I did the covers in the color Pewter. It is such a pretty grey color. The pewter cushions are classic and I could pair it with so many colors.

 

 

For the summer I wanted my pool area to be more fun and bright. Like a palm Springs vibe. For a pop of color I added these beautiful yellow umbrella and I love that it brings such a fun element to the pool area. This umbrellas are nice and made with a heavy duty material.

 

 

After we removed the plants from the pool area when we first moved in we realized that we had two different tiered sections. Since we had two different areas we wanted this pool area lounge space to be multi functional. We added this fire pit and chairs and we have already used the fire pit several times. The fire pit is also awesome because it has like a little table around it so the kids can sit and eat here.

I am loving how the pool area is so much more functional now. We have loved it already so much this summer.

Our Covered Patio

Another space in the backyard that was n0t really working is our covered patio. I went into more detail on this when I was talking about the backyard game plan HERE.

Covered Patio Before

You can see from these before pictures that our patio concrete kind of just stopped and that we had these random spaces of dirt and old pavers around it. We wanted to extended the patio out more and by install the pavers we made our covered patio way bigger and way more functional.

Not to mention on the back patio it also had old green carpet. For me, that was a have to go ASAP.

The back patio got a MAJOR makeover when we did these new pavers.

Covered Patio After

Patio Furniture

For our patio furniture we wanted to match the pool furniture so we went this the same line of amazing Hampton Bay Oak Cliff Custom 4 Piece Metal Patio Conversation Set with the Pewter Cushions. I love this line of furniture and I know it will stand the test of time.  It’s also really nice because the cushion covers can be removed and washed which is a big deal since we are a family of six and plan on having all kinds of parties in this space.

Patio Dining Area

Our friend Ty Bennett from @Finderswoodco made our dining table and I love how it turned out. I am not sure what stain colors he used on it but you find him on instagram and he can tell you more details on his customs table and his farm table rentals.

Brick Pillars

If you can see in the before picture the brick pillars did not have the white grout. I added the white grout and it was so easy and does not take very long. I have now done this to all the brick at my house and you can find a full Step by Step tutorial and video on how I did it HERE.

 

The pavers have changed everything about this backyard. It has changed the way it functions and I just love how everything turned out. Can you even believe the transformation. A lot of hard work has gone into this backyard and I know that we can now enjoy it for many years and create all kinds of memories here.

Do you follow us on YouTube?

We did this complete paver job on our own. It really is a true DIY. I have a full YouTube on how to install pavers and you can see it right here.

Check some more of our DIY Projects

Similar Posts

9 Comments

  1. Like I said on your post amazing!!! You guys are really talented and incredibly hard workers. How you had this vision for this is one thing, even down to the grout on the bricks every little detail is just beautiful ??

  2. This is an absolutely amazing transformation! Reclaiming the planter for functional use is brillant! I would have never guessed it was previously a planter. Love, love, love the pop of color! It has been so much fun following along with the process via your Instagram stories. Thanks so much for sharing!

  3. So I almost never comment on blogs but WOW! This is absolutely gorgeous! Super inspiring as I’m taking on a backyard reno myself. Great work and thanks for all the helpful tips. Seriously love it so much!

  4. This is such a stunning makeover and a beautiful space that I’m sure you’ll all enjoy for years! You did a ton of work. Now go enjoy it 🙂

  5. Was the drain between the pavers and concrete already there? If not, what did you use? We are about to undertake something very similar. Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *