I wanted to get this up while it’s still the beginning of summer so you have time to place orders and zhush up your own outdoor space.

I failed to include any photos of our back yard in the before tour of our home largely because I didn’t take any before photos.  I had zero vision for this space; to me it was pretty hopeless, and that’s saying something. Half of it is covered in astro turf, the other half is made up of broken, uneven concrete, and the fences, which were covered in dead ivy vines, resembled the upside down world from Stranger Things. I had no plans to make over our backyard; I was just happy to have a space to sit and drink rose in the summer, regardless of how it looked.

Then when we got back from our honeymoon in April, ivy had started filling in along the fencing and the back yard–broken concrete, astro turf, and all–started looking like it had some potential.

Our landlord said we were welcome to use any of the furniture back there – which is nice except that just about everything was broken or rusted. 🙁 So we did a major clean-out, and threw out the table and dining chairs.

Here’s a before photo once the ivy started coming in. See the brown viney parts where it isn’t filled in? That’s what the entire thing looks like in winter. Stranger Things-esque, right?

We swept everything, painted the plastic Adirondacks black as a temporary fix, and picked up a bunch of planters and plants to fill the back half of the yard with. Disguising the ugly with pretty flowers and greenery!

The new plants definitely helped. But the real transformation took place when new furniture started arriving. I partnered with Wayfair on a few of the big pieces, including the sofa you all love. All of the products are linked below–pretty much everything is now on sale! We also made the trek out to Ikea to pick up the $79 dining table.

I’ll show the final reveal along with the home tour (still waiting on new side chairs to arrive), but a sneak peek and the entire design plan is below!

So many of you were asking about the sofa! It’s so comfortable, the frame is metal, and it definitely fits 4 people. And this firepit coffee table?! The greatest thing ever! It’s fueled by a gas tank that nestles under the matching concrete side table so it’s so easy to use (and much safer than our previous wood burning fire pit that took forever to get started). I also know ya’ll love gold rim glasses, and World Market is currently selling an acrylic version – perfect for pools and patios! I’m waiting on my new Sunbrella striped pillows to arrive from Pottery Barn (super super super durable), but I got these tassel striped pillows from Target which will eventually go on the side chairs.

1. thin black white French stripe pillow
2. thick black white stripe pillow
3. three-seat sofa (that technically fits 4 people!)
4. woven lounge chairs
5. fire pit coffee table
6. globe string lights
7. wooden dining table
8. brass watering can
9. gold rim acrylic glasses
10. cement container citronella candle
11. striped outdoor rug
12. galvanized charcoal planters
13. brass lantern
14. black French dining chair

Have a great weekend everyone! And thanks for following along!