If you’ve read my backstory, you know that I used to be in commercial real estate and architecture. It was there that I learned the importance of design and creating an experience (in this case for employees). But of course, the most important place to do this is your own home!

Home should be your sanctuary, and for us, our backyard a destination. A place to daydream, host family and friends, dine al fresco, swim in the summertime, and read and relax.

When we set out to redesign the yard, we knew we wanted a place to entertain. The outdoor living space we built is set in a sunny spot in the yard and has become our happy place!

There is a lot that went into our design, but I wanted to highlight this space as it’s the heart of the backyard.

Zones

The outdoor living area is essentially divided into three zones: the outdoor kitchen, the dining area, and the lounge. Dividing your space into sections helps to create “rooms” so people can experience different things. The hardest part of our project was building the massive pergola to cover this area. Covering it helps to not only define the space, but to provide some shelter/shade! The wood ties into our overall design palette, but most importantly it’s functional. It keeps us cooler and I’m planning to add some potted plants/vines to soften up the concrete patio and further divide the spaces.

Focal Point

In our initial design, we had a fire pit. But my gut was telling me we needed more of a focal point since we were putting so much into this part of the yard. After seeing some inspo for outdoor fireplaces, I was hooked. I’m SO glad we did this. It really is the focal point of the outdoor living area and creates such a cozy atmosphere. I designed the fireplace to have a soft curvature, and it is stucco to match our house. I think it’s my favorite part! In love. If you don’t have the option for a fireplace (and mind you, they do not have to be this grand!), for sure you’ll want some sort of warmth element like a firepit or firepit table. There are tons of options.

Outdoor Furniture

Furniture and decor will bring the space to life. We only recently got some of our items in like these couches from Pottery Barn. I had space to go with the larger size and happy we did. They’re great for lounging. We also just got in these beautiful tables - we’re using two as a coffee table! Pillows are in the works and will further cozy up the lounge area.

Our teak dining table was a steal sourced locally. I fell in love with these McGee & Co. chairs and they really elevate the look. Having an outdoor dining area is key to how we live, and I’m so looking forward to hosting out here! I’ve already got most of my outdoor entertaining essentials; now I just need some outdoor blankets…

We decided not to do a hard-wired fixture here because we may opt for a larger table at some point. Also, we wanted to keep the ambiance so if anything we may do a vintage chandelier with candles. I’d love that!

Fun Features & Entertainment

My husband is really into technology and gadgets so I left it up to him to outfit the space. Having an outdoor TV was a big debate, but ultimately we compromised for this hidden one. I have to say, while an investment, another successful decision. It is SO nice to have the TV tucked away when not in use (and for my aesthetic eye). The contractors also worked with us to build a protective space for the TV (yep, outdoor TVs can still get damaged, especially when you have torrential rain!). And we had them build an additional wood frame to further hide the mount. The space is also equipped with outdoor speakers. We have various zones for this as well (like the bar, the lounge, and even throughout the yard). It’s great for entertaining!

Another consideration is heating. The fireplace doesn’t omit a ton of heat for such a large space so we installed two overhead gas heaters. These are great for evening.

Besides the fun things, our outdoor kitchen houses all the living essentials like a gas grill and small fridge. We also included a sink, trash, and ice maker. We thought about dishwasher but just felt that was over the top for us and so far this has just what we need!

This space has already been a joy of late providing an escape from the inside construction! We also love sitting at the dining area for breakfast on weekend mornings. And the lounge is the perfect spot to read in the late afternoon. I’m excited to continue decorating to bring this space to life. Seriously, becoming my happy place.

To many memories outdoors this season.