Hi again!!! This blog post has nothing to do with Stampin' Up! or crafting. This is about our backyard and the massive transformation it has undergone over the last number of months. After lots of delays and a few setbacks it was completed about a month ago. And at the end of all of this we have nothing but high praise for Bromar Landscaping, JWS Woodworking and Design, SolarWave and Paradise Pools for what we now consider our backyard getaway. The planning process and lining up who would do the work began last summer. And my recommendation for a job like this is to get your tradespeople, plans drawn up etc, months in advance. Especially if you want things done right. If you wait until spring, you might be disappointed, these guys get booked up really fast once the snow melts.
First are the "before" pictures. These were taken a couple of days before they broke ground, the first week of April. You can see the stakes marking what goes where. And how cold and desolate everything looks. Bye bye grass.
During the process Mother Nature had other plans. When they were digging the pool it snowed and snowed. Then when the landscapers started excavating it rained and rained and rained. We had a wicked freezing rain storm, and lots more rain. I think we broke a few records in terms of how much rain we got. And we expanded the job even more. Since they were doing the walkway on the garage side of the house, why not re do our front steps and driveway as well. I will have to post those pictures later. The pool was filled with water and completed while I was in Salt Lake City, just in time for the hottest week of the year around here.
And below is the completed project. New gardens, that I will add on to as time goes on and I see how these current plants do where they are. Next year we will get some container gardens set up. Maybe some hanging baskets etc. And of course some decorative accessories. Right now its a blank canvas, and I will use this coming off season to plan and figure out what I want.
First is our pool house. The pump etc is behind it and inside is the breaker panel, a bench and storage shelves. We will use this house to store toys and cushions when not in use, pool chemicals and gives people a space to change as well.
View from the back of the property. The cabana off the house has a series of solar panels on top that we are using to heat the pool. And gives us shade since our backyard has all day sun. We also had them dig the deep end a few feet deeper for safer diving.
Dave's skyshed works perfectly with added pool and patio elements.
The lounge area with the (now closed) cantilever umbrella for shade when needed. I have spent a few days out there getting some sun while I was sick.
The fireplace. And you can tell by the towels etc., we getting lots of use of the patio. Love the seating area here.
The BBQ/bar area under the cabana, we can now BBQ 12 months of the year hopefully.
View of the yard from the back door. Ahhh paradise.
One of the setbacks occurred when we had to fire the original fencing company. The chain link needed remeshing for the pool by-law code so it is no longer climbable. And we decided to do a cedar privacy fence from the gate area to just past the hot tub. The original company made promises and never showed up. So we fired them. We contacted JWS, who originally built our cabana, and they showed up within a few days and finished the job within the week. And they did an amazing job, including custom lattice and archway.
Hot tub area.
Fireplace is ready for some s'more making. This has been getting used at least a few times per week so far. And the nights have been unusually cold for this time of year.
Hot tub at night, the lights change color. Kids love the lights.
The pool lighted at night. Two spotlights in the pool itself and lights sunken into the patio around the pool.
We also had lights installed underneath the step going from the lower patio to the upper pool patio, can't have our guests tripping up the stairs at night. And it makes a gorgeous statement.
And these are the solar panels. So far they have kept our pool warm, anywhere from high 70's to mid 80's, depending on the sunlight we get during the day. We haven't had to use the gas heater at all yet. Which is a huge savings for us considering how big of a pool we have.
And that is our little piece of paradise in our own backyard. We are more than happy with the end result. Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little corner of the blogging world.
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