Backyard Makeover (Planter Wall, Travertine, and more!)

Summer is in full swing here in Arizona . . . we are talking 100+ degrees every day! We have a pool in our backyard, but we wanted to do even more to make our backyard a place we wanted to hangout. 

The first big change was spray painting this patio furniture set. I got this set for $50 from a nice older lady when we first moved to AZ! Found the listing online and picked it up. I wasn't loving it as much recently, until I decided to spray paint it black. It looks like a whole new piece, and it goes so well with our new outdoor rug from Rugs USA. 

We also added some backyard curtains to the table area, with some Better Homes and Gardens pots I found on sale for $7 at a nearby Walmart. We have four of those ceramic pots, and I actually filled them with fake plants! They're under a covered area so I'm hoping they don't fade or go bad. 

Then, Jonathan built a little side fence to block our pool pump and stop our toddler from going back on the side of the house into the dirt. He use fence posts from Home Depot and built the wall himself! It works like a charm. 

                     

Next, we ordered some travertine and are finally getting that installed! This project we decided not to DIY, since we wanted that professional look. We decided to go with "Light" travertine because the old area was full of rocks and weeds, and we wanted a space our toddler could ride around on a scooter or bike. Plus, she was really into eating the rocks, and we didn't want those around anymore. 

The travertine is finally done (after 3 weeks and a lot of hard work!) I'm sharing soon on our Instagram, but if you can't wait, there's a sneak peek on our TikTok account! Here is the BEFORE pic:

                 

And here is the AFTER:

We're so happy the rocks and weeds are gone! Next step is decorating and getting the backyard back to normal.

Finally, we worked with CMPC wood to add a backyard plant wall to cover the existing CMU/cinderblock wall. I wanted to paint the cinderblock initially, but then I saw some fun ideas for a wood covering wall, and Jonathan made it happen! It brings a fun and fresh look to the backyard. We are adding one more section of the wall, a few more pots, and then it will be complete!

For the planter outdoor wall, I went with faux plants again, for the low maintenance. I may have to switch them out every few years, but I didn't want to deal with dirt, bugs, or keeping plants alive. Jonathan cut out a round foam insert that we stuck the fake succulents into, so we wouldn't have to fill the entire pot and have it hang heavy on the wall. 

                  

We have a fun Bluu Patio umbrella that just arrived, and I surprised Jonathan with a Traeger grill for Father's Day, so the backyard really got some major love this year! We love the pool, barbecuing, and hanging out with family and friends in our backyard. Come down and hang out—the pool is open!