I’m home from the whirlwind trip to New York…completely overwhelmed by the entire experience, not to mention exhausted. In the last 72 hours, I think I’ve only slept 15 of them! How I went from dancing the night away at my sister’s wedding in Montana, to waking up in New York City, is still a shock! I can’t wait to tell you guys all about it later this Summer…if I can keep my mouth shut that long!
But regardless of my sleep-deprivation, the volume of dirty laundry, or piles of work waiting for me…it’s time for the next makeover around Sugarplum Casa! I’m looking at you, pitiful little backyard!
When we unexpectedly fell in love with this new house, the first thing we hated leaving behind was our old backyard. We had put so much work, sweat, and money in to making it into such a fun oasis, and it was essentially an extension of the house! (See it here and here.)
We were thrilled the new house had a pool, and even a little grassy area, but it needs a lot of work. Starting over can be equally exciting and overwhelming. Here’s a look at the new backyard from the upstairs window, just before we moved in.
The iron fence is a great safety feature, but our kids have been taught from an early age to respect the pool and rules we set in place. Not to mention, they both swim like fish now…so it was the first thing to go.
I knew the black fence was visually dividing, but was shocked by just how much it opened up the space by removing it! The backyard feels like it doubled in size, plus it gave us more seating areas. Don’t you love simple, cheap fixes with big impacts?!
Some of the more costly projects the backyard needs include resurfacing the pool, repairing loose border stones, landscaping, and replacing the fence. #moneypit Some of the projects can happen over time since they are mostly cosmetic, but the fence is not only unstable, but not entirely up to city code.
Which is unfortunate since it’s only a year old…but according to our neighbors, the previous owner was swindled by the fence builder.
At first glance, it doesn’t appear too bad…but there are a handful of things going wrong…
* It’s built with pre-treated lumber not intended for outdoors, so the boards are rotting and molding with moisture. It literally has mold and mushrooms growing on it! #ew
* The metal posts are 8-feet apart, instead of 6, so the sections are bowing.
* There isn’t enough space between boards, so they pop off every time they swell.
* Gates won’t latch and lock properly, which is illegal around a pool.
* The height ranges from 4.5 to 6 feet tall. #privacyplease
* The boards were painted, not stained, so the paint is peeling.
We’ve almost lost an ankle a few times with the awkward gap between the deck and the fence, too, so we’re either going to push it back for more landscaping, or move it flush with the deck.
And the pool equipment lives behind this mini fence, which does nothing for the noise…so we’d like to gate that off better.
The fence is also a bit of an eyesore…which is something we could live with for awhile, but because of the safety and city-code issues, we have to bite the bullet and replace it now.
When it came to replacing the fence in our last house, we didn’t give it any thought and went with a no-frills version because we assumed a fence was a fence. But thanks to Pinterest, we’ve since discovered so many options…and realize the fence can contribute to the aesthetic and be part of the backyard’s design.
 |
| via |
 |
| via |
 |
| via |
Can you guess which direction we’re headed with it? #seewhatIdidthere
So I actually had to sit there for about 5 seconds to #seewhatyoudidthere.
Seriously.
Can't wait to see it, it's going to be awesome!!!!
Love those horizontal fences! Can't wait to see what it will look like!
These are the rage in my neighborhood. I live in an older part of Dallas and it is house flip city. Can't wait to see your afters!
Oh I love the horizontal fencing! So pretty!
Ooh I never thought about or seen the horizontal fencing… I love it! I can't wait to see what you do!
I love horizontal fences. This is totally going to transform your yard–can't wait to see it!
Beautiful backyard and I love the horizontal fence! Just FYI – if you live where there is an HOA, make sure you get approval before you have the work done. They can have you take it down and eat the cost if not approved #dontaskhowiknow ;(
I love the direction you're headed!
I love the modern feel a horizontal fence gives.
Becca
http://www.lexiandlady.blogspot.com
LOVING the horizontal fences boards! It's going to be gorgeous š
I can't wait to see your new backyard. I'm just really starting to read your blog so I had to go back and find your original house, they're both beautiful!
liz @ sundays with sophie
i cant wait to see your fence! we just took down a shed in our backyard which revealed an UGLY chain-link fence behind it! ugh. looks like we have a new project on our hands. xo jillian – cornflake dreams
I would love to have a flamingo pillow! I looked at Ikea but no longer instocked…
I love the idea of going with horizontal boards. It's so interesting! We have a similar fence in our back yard that is rotting and falling apart, so I can't wait to see how this turns out! š
I see a horizon in your future.
luv it! esp the top one!
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I absolutely L.O.V.E. horizontal fences and am coveting one for my own poorly-chainlink-fenced backyard. #moneyproblemz Can't wait to see how it turns out!!!
Oooh so excited to see this play out!! š
I cannot wait to see the end result! I am DYING to fence in our backyard. I'm not a fan of having the neighbors so into my business. LOL.
The Mini Skirt
Oooh, I love those horizontal fences – it's going to look great. So sad that a one-year-old fence is in such bad shape. Now cool those heels a little bit before they catch on fire!
It's a beautiful yard!! We need a new fence as well but our HOA has so many stinkin rules on what we can put up- I hadn't thought about horizontal but I have a feeling they would nix that idea in our neighborhood š Can't wait to see yours!!
Oh, yes! So excited for this! I think my backyard/pool area might have started off worse than yours though. š And just be sure you add enough to landscape. We have 15" and our fence is built on a retaining wall, so there's almost no soil for things to grow. It's been a major bummer. I can't wait to see the more modern fence!
We will be needing to replace our fence soon as well… and there's a lot of it so not looking forward to that expense! Seriously, houses in general are a neverending money pit…
Nice post, All the pictures from your backyard is looking amazing. Especially your swimming pool’s design. Thank you for sharing these lovely pictures with us.
I am in the process of searching for a new fence. Have fallen in love with horizontal boards. This is a gorgeous fence.
May I ask what this fence cost you?
Cheryl
The fence was part of a larger project, so I’m not sure of the exact cost. It’s not much more than a traditional fence though!
Our backyard looks disgusting because the previous owners went with a cheap fence. Your fence is transformative. I want to build it. I am based in LA. Where are you based? Also, can u give me a ball park on what it cost? I know it depends on the size of the fence but curious.
THANKS!
Carine
We’re in Texas and the fence was around $7k.