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Outdoor Design Dreaming….Patios, Fire Pits + Hot Tubs Oh My!

Outdoor Design Dreaming….Patios, Fire Pits + Hot Tubs Oh My!

Happy Wednesday friends! We are back home after a great weekend at the #OIBHappy house and I sent my baby off to 4th grade on Monday!!! Insert here…big gulp, long sigh and maybe a few tears! AND…he wouldn’t even let me walk him into school! Such a bitter sweet mama day. Anyway, let’s move on to a lighter subject, shall we? One that involves outdoor living areas and…hot tubs!

I’ve got to preface this post with a little back story and explanation, and maybe even an apology but we’ll get to that in a minute. One of the first projects I completed after starting the blog almost 4 years ago was our back deck. The space was completely bare with only a concrete slab for a patio prior to this project.

BEFORE

Outdoor Design Dreaming....Patios, Fire Pits + Hot Tubs Oh My!

My dad, if you remember, is incredibly handy and can build almost anything and helps with many of the projects that go on around here. And when it was time to address the mess out back he graciously offered to build the deck that I wanted. I decided on the size, the type, the colors, etc and he kindly obliged all of of my wants and it turned out perfect! Like, really perfect. We truly love the space and have definitely gotten lots of use out of it but as my son grows we’ve started to feel claustrophobic in our already tiny yard.

So…the thought of changing this spaces tears at my heartstrings and has me feeling guilty too! Papa would never make me feel guilty of course, it’s definitely self inflicted because I know the hard work that went into it on both of our parts! It also feels a little self indulgent but I know that we would continue to make many great family memories here if we change things a bit to fit our needs now versus what they were 4 years ago.

AFTER

The one X factor that would require a change of some sort regardless is our little family’s dream of having a hot tub! Yep, I know you either love ’em or hate ’em but we love them! It offers us another reason to be outside instead of couch potatoes inside, we can hang out and talk together, have friends over and cure my sore muscles after a long week of Crossfit too! So with all of that said, Dad, I apologize in advance if we decide to make some changes at some point and I appreciate ALL of your hard work. With all that said though this is still very much in the dreaming phase and most likely a long way off! But a girl can dream right?

Since outdoor spaces are what I have on the brain right now – and I like to share with you guys real life stuff – I thought I would show you some of the inspiration images that offer an idea of what we are thinking about. We would definitely be leaning towards more of a patio situation built around the hot tub with room for an eating area as well as a fire pit or fireplace/seating area. With a patio we would also be able to capture more of the unusable space in our yard without encroaching on the space where we can actually play. And with everything being on a lower level I’m hoping it will make the yard feel bigger and more open.

I love the multi-levels here and the curved decking. This is exactly what I’m thinking as far as the hot tub being semi built-in. Because we’re on a crawl space and our back door is pretty high off the ground we will have to go down a few steps onto the first level of the patio then a few steps down to another level. And like in this picture, a few steps up to the hot tub level. In regards to hot tub planning, I found this great site with lots of information to think about if you were interested in putting one in your outdoor space.

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This site has tons of great hot tub information as well as design ideas on their blog.

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The idea of adding pavers is something I am going to explore and we’ll definitely have a fire pit/fireplace of some sort.

{Source – Photo by Jeff Troyer Associates}

I like this image because it shows the use of different elements like the modern decking, pavers, plants and dining area.

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In my search I came across my MyPatioDesign.com where you can find lots of simple plans and seeing them drawn from the overhead view is really helpful!  You can even create your own patio design for a fee.

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This is another image that I keep coming back to because of the simplicity but also because it feels very organic. There are lots of beautiful, modern designs on this site.

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For some added shade I would love to install a similar style canopy over the eating area of the patio like this.

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Okay guys now it’s your turn! I need ALL the advice. What are your thoughts on decks vs. patios? If you’ve designed a backyard space what did you learn or what would you do differently? Oh…and if you’re a landscape designer and would like to let me pick your brain in exchange for coffee, food, beer or even a room design let me know ASAP!

I also need some input on materials. I would love to use some type of composite decking but man oh man that stuff is MEGA expensive so if you have an affordable source let me know. AND if any of you need a hot tub (in good condition) taken off your hands in the Charlotte area hook a sister up…pretty please!

Cheers and have a great week!

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One Comment

  1. The BBQ, the hot tube, they are essential, for sure. But imagine a space where you can ressource yourself directly in the garden, your own tiny house where you can take refuge and have some peace! You need to have a man’s cave or a she shed to complete the perfect outdoor living design! Look at those products : https://www.wiserwood.com

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