It has already started to heat up around these parts and I am looking forward to using more and more of our backyard again. We built the benches two years ago creating an outdoor living room/lounge area that we love. The benches are still looking great however the grass to the left of the lounge area did not survive long after this photo was taken. So I started thinking about how we could claim that part of our yard, which turned into a muddy mess, back again.

You may remember this baby shower I threw literally days after the new sod was put in and the grass glorious and the bougainvillea served as a perfect backdrop for the dining table. That space was always meant to be out outdoor “dining room” but the grass never took because, shaded by the bougainvillea, the corner never gets any sun and we were left with a squishy muddy mess.

 

You can start to see the the mud taking over here.

So, I made a plan. Mostly in my head but I threw together a quick sketch so Rupert was on board and off we went. I wanted to create a modern pergola that would not only be framed out by the bougainvillea but also with patio lights for extra ambience during those long summer evening dinners. I kept the structure simple using only 4×4’s (make sure they are treated because they will be going into the ground) and cut the cross beams flush to the support beams to keep it modern. We dug down about a foot and a half and anchored each post with cement before adding the cross beams with 6 inch bolts.

Here is a snap of our work in progress and speaking of snaps… I have been snapchatting lately (I still still slightly like a granny with new technology when I use it but I’m @sarahssamuel where you can see more behind the scenes (and lots of Archer) on the daily). We bought 2′ x 2′ paver stones for the base which we plan to fill the spaces with river rock.

Next we covered the entire ground area with plastic, so no stray grass starts growing between our new pavers (no one likes that), and then covered that with sand making sure all is level and good before placing the pavers. That’s as far as we’ve gotten but hopefully we can finish before the weekend as we have a double header birthday party!

follow along for more progress on instagram (I’m @sarahshermansamuel) and snapchat (I’m @sarahssamuel)

Pavers and 4x4s from HD Supply