backyard Home & Decor home projects Home: before and afters my home new house

Outdoor Living Space Before & AfterProject: Backyard Garden Planter

backyard living space+patio+before and after

When we moved into this house I noticed a pile of extra bricks placed neatly in a corner of our garage and immediately had the idea to use them to replace the ugly plastic border around the backyard garden planter. And every single time I look out the windows into the backyard I think about it. Last weekend, I finally decided to do it. It may have had something to do with purchasing our new patio furniture or the fact that Summer is right around the corner but either way, I love that it finally looks the way I imagined it would …without too much back-breaking work and zero cost.

backyard garden planter -before

gloves+bricks+little shovel

backyard garden planter progression

maegan laying bricks

. . .are they level? …not really, had to adjust for that

husband relaxing while I work

. . .husband relaxing in the sun

doggie approval

. . .doggie approval

Brick lined garden planter before and after

Brick lined garden planter

Brick lined garden planter 3


While it’s close, our backyard living space is still not entirely complete …but as usual, my impatience forces me to share the process instead of the finished product.

Admittedly, we didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg for patio furniture. We wanted a bit of a rustic but modern, spanish/vacation-ey feel and I think we achieved it. We purchased the love seat & two chairs at Osh {on no tax day for $380 by Pacific Bay “Cabrillo Collection”} which came with 4 throw pillows & a matching little coffee table {not shown}. I had planned on using the coffee table shown which was my husband’s prior to me and really made for indoor use. I will use the matching table {that came with the set} on the pool side of our yard next to the loungers {not shown}. We have a matching dining room table we’ll probably use out here as well …and that little faded green wicker round table is from Ikea {came with a chair that I have since covered in leopard print upholstery} which I bought for my first apartment when I was 18. Who says Ikea furniture doesn’t last? 😉

backyard living space+patio furniture+coffee table

I am still on the hunt for an umbrella for shade, a few cute outdoor tchotchkes & potted plants, possibly a woven rug and a few more decorative pillows in different patterns and shades of blue to tie in the aqua in the pool and the royal in the random decorative tiles on the wall behind the pool {single matching tile on tabletop shown below}.

tile+orchid+tabletop

backyard living space+new patio lounge furniture

backyard palm tree+sun


It’s so nice to finally have a place to sit in our backyard while the weather is warming up but still breezy. We don’t manually heat the pool so we’re waiting for the temperature to warm up so we can swim …and it’s almost there. Oh how I love Summer ..and it’s almost here too.

CLICK HERE to see our entire back yard + updated patio

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Maegan Tintari

LA native & lifestyle blogger Maegan Tintari writes daily at ...love Maegan.com sharing beauty & style secrets, including fashion DIYs, how-to nail art manicures, hair tutorials, recipes & home decorating ideas, as well as a look into her personal life, her journey & battle with infertility & recent relocation to the mountains by a lake in search of a better life with her adorable French Bulldog brothers, Trevor and Randy.

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