…On such a winter’s day.
It is much too cold to spend too much time outside right now, but our bleak and boring backyard is begging to be spruced up first thing this spring.
I got my #1 inspiration when I saw this heavenly back patio from Prudent Baby.
Click the photo to be taken to Prudent Baby for the whole backyard.
I am crazy about the colors, the different styles of furniture, the textures… everything!
I’m not delusional–I know that to dream about a yard like this in Kansas isn’t exactly, well, Prudent given the extreme winters, summers, wind, rain, etc. So, if I went in this direction, certain aspects would have to be enjoyed in the spring, summer, and fall, and safely stored in the garage during the winter.
The great thing about patio furniture is that due to its exposure to the elements, it is the perfect opportunity to take previously-loved items, give them a little refurbishment (and some weatherproof coat) and put them in the yard to see how they do. I’m talking picked-up-off-the-side-of-the-road stuff. Take a coffee table, turn it into a bench. Take an end-table, close it in and make a doghouse. Hmmm… not a bad idea! If I get my way and we have new dining chairs sometime in the distant future (that is, after Europe) I bet you know where the current chairs will be destined!
If you said “they’ll go on your new flagstone and grass patio,” you are correct.
I love the idea of flagstone and grass because it doesn’t have to be perfect. The stones just have to be big enough and even enough that chair legs and table legs don’t sink into the grass. The look they lend themselves to is elevated from a plain concrete slab into something more resort-like.
As for the fence, I would like to use wood and wire (wire is cheaper) in a variety of directions and configurations to create “zones.” In the “back forty” I am envisioning a garden zone, a dog zone, a dining zone, a grilling zone, etc. Let me tell you. Growing up in a Southern California tract home community with a low-maintenance strip of grass in the back, I almost can’t get over how HUGE the backyard is here. Big enough for a separate structure, as I’ve mentioned before, but this space could really be a clubhouse, studio, or just “hang out” covered zone.
For more backyard brain dump, make sure to
check out my Out Of Doors Pinboard.
My Friend Staci 
Cute ideas! How much more/less expensive is flagstone than a concrete slab? Our backyard now is huge, too! I should post a pic of it so you can see it. It currently is all grass with some unusable sheds and wicker furniture :/ Our BBQ isn’t even back there cuz there’s no shelter for it.