Backyard Part Deux

There was a slight fall breeze in the air yesterday. The older I get, the more I look forward to this cooler season. Gone are the days of religiously lounging poolside with girlfriends. Summer days now are full of sticky yard work and equally miserable long hours at work when the air conditioning is being naughty. Personally, I think it has still been a bit too warm here in the South to linger outside for too long...

Brian and I love our backyard and we really wanted a space where we could not only entertain family and friends, but also enjoy quiet evenings to ourselves. We had this really awkward corner right by the staircase that I was stumped as to what to do with it. The ground was really unlevel and difficult to place furniture on. I have been eyeing beautiful pergolas and canopies across the web, and wanted a cozy little spot that we could relax in and feel like we were on vacation.

Here is what the area looked like before. You can see the exhaust pipe on the right that is really quite an eye sore.

Progress!

Completed!

 

This was a lot easier than I expected it to be! We purchased the wood for the deck from the Habitat Restore at a steal (75% off!). The canopy is made out of a few posts, 2 x 4's, scroll brackets, and curtains. To cover that odd pole, we purchased two sets of bi-fold doors (salvaged from the Re-Store) and attached them together to make a screen. I then painted them in the same color as the front door and distressed the finish to make it look a bit more weathered. The candles are actually from Kmart and are insect-repellant which is a must down here!

I am so excited for slightly cooler weather and look forward to many hours on our new outdoor living area with a glass of wine in hand.