Patio Get's a Makeover with Pavers


~ A labor of love! ~

In the springtime we get this thick lovely green moss growing between some of the pavers.
~ Concrete Patio ~
 Before and then after pictures:
It was a big project from start to finish. I'd rate it as 8 out of 10 on level of difficulty. It can be done by homeowners who are willing to take on a labor intensive task. We had a quote of $14,000. The estimate did not include the tree  removal. We built the patio for $2,500 + tree removal. of $1,200 for a grand total of $3,700.  A 'huge' savings with money still left in our pocket.
It took a few years to finish the patio. One reason was my husband wanted the tree in the middle of the patio to stay and I wanted it to go. Guess who won.  :-)
It's so much better without the tree! When the wind blew the branches would tap on the windows.
How do you like my window?
 I don't miss the old patio at all!
How many men does it take to take down one tree?????

* Nothing exciting about this yard.... Tree is finally gone!!!
 We had to start from square one to get our backyard sexy looking. It had no appeal what so ever!!! It was downright scary looking.
Behind the gray picket fence are our pets. Our trees keep breaking our sweet picket fence with all the storms we have had.
The gothic fence was installed when we moved in. We decided we needed a lush backdrop instead of looking at the fence. We added the lattice along with boston and english ivy.
 Now you’re thinking why would you cover the gothic fence. I completely understand your logic but we really needed to add some visual interest by our patio. Our backyard is part shade to shade. It's about 15 to 20 degrees cooler from the front. Certain plants and vines are just the ticket for a shade garden. The ivy was the best choice for our backyard and much needed color.
 Do you see how high my husband had to build the wall of the patio? We raised the patio height so there were no more stairs coming out of the kitchen.
Here we are deciding how to lay the pavers.
Back breaking work but so worth it! It's was very labor intensive. We added a lot of different elements to fill it in first. Then I carried the pavers back and forth from the driveway and stacked them while my husband hammered them in. It made the job go so much faster.

You see the kitchen window with wood. My husband has been putting new glass panes in all the windows. 100 year old homes take a lot of upkeep. I'd love to just decorate but there is so much more to do before that can happen.
Here is a picture of my husband's handy work. He still had pavers to cut on the sides of the patio.
Of course I had to decorate all the lower windows with planter boxes.
  My husband did not understand why I needed to decorate the back of the house.
Do you remember the window all boarded up? The windows did get a good washing after this picture.
I think our vision was a wonderful success!
 We had our work cut out for us! I'm so glad we did it!
Here you can see my husband taking down the pool that we then turned into a planter box. So many changes have been made since this picture.  
Thanks for stopping by.
xo,
Dee

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30 comments:

Gina said...

Your backyard is wonderful & the paver patio turned out beautifully! You should be proud of taking on a project like this.

This is a future project for us as well, but we may have to hire out. I hate to say it but I don't think my husband or I have the talent or patience needed to get this done ourselves.

Ika Verunica said...

Draga moja, napravili ste krasnu preobrazbu.Velik je to bio posao ali ste ga odradili super.
Sve je P R E K R A S N O!!!!!
Vrt, prozori sa krasnim košarama i cvijećem,travnjak, vaši ljubimci, sve,sve je lijepo.

Anonymous said...

Its beautiful just beautiful, I love what you've done, I think its wonderful how you're maintaining the look of building, the windows look beautiful everything does, I love the critters best though! lol,,

Anonymous said...

All I can say is, WOW! For one thing, you saved a freakin' ton of money! And you totally transformed the space. By the way, I love, love, love, those black iron planter boxes!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

Well worth the time and hard work you put into it, Dee! I'll bet he looks at the back of the house now and thinks it looks great! I'm going to show my daughter some of your pictures for ideas for her backyard. There's not much going on but a deck back there.

Debbiedoos said...

Boy that is one gorgeous job Dee! You are going to enjoy it so much. Looks so good!

Pam@OurAdventuresInHomeImprovement said...

Dee, you guys did an amazing job! We put a paver patio in last summer, so I know how much work it is. Boy were my muscles big after that. :)

I love how you've transformed your backyard. It is beautiful! And I love your window boxes!

Have a great day.
Pam

The Polka Dot Closet said...

Oh, I love it!! And you saved so much money! I am so going to steal you lattice to cover the fence idea! I love that! I have an area right off the patio that I look at ugly wood fence!

Carol

Barbara F. said...

Wow, that was some job you did! And, I just found out you have a goat!! Oh I love goats!! xo

Terriea Kwong said...

What a huge job done with you both. I admire your big house and wide patio. The window and flowers are just so pretty. I live in urban apartment. Such spacious of patio is luxury.
Thanks for stopping by.
Terrie from Hong Kong

Rhissanna said...

It all looks lovely and I enjoyed scrolling through the pictures, but I was brought up short by the photos of your pets. That's the cutest bunny i ever saw! The one that looks like a snowball with ears? Gorgeous!

Marti said...

It looks fantastic! I love the stepping stone pavers too, they really complement that great patio. I've always wanted a paver patio but the leveling part has always intimidated me.

Jan@southernjunkin' said...

Wow, soooo lookin' good!! And of course all areas need to be decorated! I think that may be written somewhere...haha

Gypsy Heart said...

It is beautiful!! Wow, it was truly back breaking work but so worth it. I absolutely LOVE the window boxes!! They just make me happy when I see them on houses. I know you're going to enjoy this area!

xo
Pat

nádya said...

How cosy and beautiful your backyard turned out!!! I just love it!!! I can imagine the hard work but from the pictures I can see it was worth it!!! Excellent job!!!! I loved all the details - the window panes, the flower boxes you put under the windows this gives so much charm!!!

Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic said...

great job on that. The patio looks lovely and I agree, the tree had to go. Glad you won that battle. I love old houses and yours is wonderful. The windows are to die for!
Followed your link from catch as catch can at Gail's.

Gloria said...

It's quite a beautiful backyard and looking through the room at the back you've got a view that is lush and tranquil. Your tree was in a bad location, it's a huge improvement and less dangerous too now that it's been removed. Enjoy the fruits of your labor in good health, Happy Thanksgiving!

Unknown said...

All the work and time was sure worth it! Everything looks great!

Chris said...

What a transformation, looks lovely. I love the photo of all the men standing starring at the tree stump. Men are the same all around the world. TFS

Vanessa said...

Hi, Dee

You have a lovely home. Wow, I love just seeing the little I saw. Its big and you have a big yard too. It's very lovely. I'm glad you won the tree need to go too. Happy Thanksgiving friend.

Vanessa

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Hello Dee!

So nice to meet you and happy to know you are also a Jersey Girl! Are you from north Jersey?

I have had a great time perusing many of your posts! Creative and interesting blog you have here :)

Looking forward to visiting again!
Kindly, Lorraine

Kathy@ Gone North said...

Wow!! Just so lovely. All the hard work paid off. A "magazine" backyard...
Great Transformation!!!

Anonymous said...

Your patio pavers are awesome! It is the perfect addition to your lovely home! I love your walkway and garden areas! I would stay outside all the time! It's beautiful!

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

Pretty amazing project! Your patio looks great~you have a nice yard! Thanks for stopping by and for the nice comment!

Jae said...

Your outdoor dining spot is beautiful. I have been wanting to spruce up my yard for awhile!

Cindy Adkins said...

Wow! What a great job! It looks great and I love your pets! The window boxes are SO beautiful!!
Cindy

Honey at 2805 said...

A beautiful transformation! The hard work you put in has really paid off! Your new patio and your lawn are gorgeous!

Thank you for sharing this project at Potpourri Friday!

Unknown said...

You are some HARD WORKERS!!! The results paid off big time! Your backyard is gorgeous {under the windows and all}.

XO, Aimee

RaNae @EweCreekCottage said...

Hey Dee wow what changes!! So beautiful.
I see you added to the farm ... giggle so cute.
RaNae

paula said...

Very cool! Glad to see this patio more beautiful. I know you will gonna enjoy staying in that place. I love staying in our patio too. :)
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