In typical Lauren fashion, I have started my next project (or three) while I’m still finishing the last. Still at work on the One Room Challenge, though getting near the end. But if you follow me on Instagram and have peeped my stories recently, you know I am HARD at work on my yard. We did very little in terms of landscaping last year, mostly because I was very pregnant. I am more than making up for it this year. A quarter of our yard is covered in overgrowth, ivy, so much ivy! There are several trees, many weeds that look like trees, a tiny pond a trellis and an adirondack chair held together by ivy. It’s hard to see, but I have a vision.

We have removed so much of the growth, cleared lots of branches, many weeds are are starting to move some of the good stuff around. It’s obvious to me that this was once a beautiful, well loved garden, we found pots, string lights, and garden statues, along with lovely, thoughtfully placed plants. But the over growth was so bad we have to start from square one.

Backyard Overhaul Plans | Lauren Koster Creative

here’s where we started:

here’s where I want to go.

My goal is to pull out almost all the ivy and anything we don’t pull out, trim way way back. I want lay pea gravel with a fire pit and black lounge chairs. Bring our cute little play house out from under the deck and hang a hammock. Around the pea gravel will be dark mulch and a shade garden. We will define the pathways with crisp edging and try to extend the lawn a little further back.

Backyard+Overhaul+Plans+%7C+Lauren+Koster+Creative

chairs: Target / fire pit: All Modern / hammock: Bed Bath and Beyond

DECK VIBES INSPIRATION

If that weren’t a big enough job to tackle, I want to paint and spruce up the deck. It’s another BIG undertaking as the deck extends the entire backside of our house and is raised up to the second level. As far as we know, it may be original to the house so there are some board that need repair. I also think the previous owners slapped on a coat of paint to try and dress it up to sell. It is currently partially light grey, partially very weathered naked wood. My plan is to use Behr Deck Over and give it a fresh, modern dark grey coat. I also plan to remove the vertical spinals and trade them for stained horizontal slats. Below is a mock-up for my plans.