I am so excited to share the reveal of our backyard makeover pool project. It started with a dream several years ago, using one of those backyard design generator tools. We’ve always had a good size yard—so much extra space that was never used. It was perfect for a pool, but the prices of pools were high for our budget and kept getting higher after Covid. We felt like we missed our opportunity. So, we held out on the pool, instead opting for a DIY-style upgrade to our patio, that came out really nice. It treated us well for a while—but it was way too hot in the summer and we still had so much extra yard space.
One day, as I took my afternoon walk, I witnessed a giant crane in my neighbor’s yard with a sign that said “Sunny Pools” and I thought to myself, what is this? I found out that Sunny Pools specializes in fiberglass pools, which is a more cost effective option than building a concrete pool. As soon as we heard about it we looked into it.
Our Backyard Makeover: The Vision Coming to Life
Once we decided that a fiberglass pool was a great option for us, we started quoting with multiple companies, and ultimately went with Sunny Pools. Their knowledge and service was of such high caliber and they had so many pool styles to choose from.
We knew we wanted freeform, maybe with a water feature, and definitely with a lounging ledge.
But the pool wasn’t the only thing on our reno list. Our patio was way too low to put fans up and the aluminum wasn’t insulated so it was excruciatingly hot during the summer which rendered it unusable. Plus, we wanted some additional covered space to put an outdoor kitchen in. We found a company, A1 Aluminium, who was able to raise our ceilings and give us the resort look and feel we wanted.
Finally, we worked with another partner, Firethorn, who helped us bring our vision to life with final touches—waterfall, landscaping and configuring our kitchen with everything we could have asked for. So are you ready for the backyard makeover reveal?
Our Backyard Makeover: Revealing our dream pool and outdoor paradise
We are so happy with how everything came out. Our vision for transformation became a true reality.
The lounging ledge has become my personal poolside haven, with the addition of our Ledge Loungers. (A splurge we went with when they were on sale and pretty much our first purchase.)
The original plans called for a retention wall along the left side of the pool, due to a big dip in our yard. We weren’t thrilled about that and wanted a way to make it seem like it was part of the design. That’s what gave us the idea to put a water line in near the wall to build a waterfall. To our delight, our yard ended up being level from the dirt left behind, and we ended up not needing the wall afterall.
We were thrilled, but also set on having a waterfall. So we moved it to the center of the pool as a focal piece.
I’m so glad we kept it. It makes for such a relaxing atmosphere when you are out there listening to the water. Plus, it’s pretty fun to dunk in it, too.
The next space in our plan that was important to us was dining and a really comfy seating area.
Our Backyard Makeover: Dining and Relaxing al Fresco
I loved the design from our original backyard patio makeover—black and white with natural wood accents—and knew I couldn’t go wrong with that route. It was all about finding the right pieces. This Pottery Barn dining table set was the absolute perfect look and it really set the stage for overall design.
Dining Set | Coasters | Citronella Candle (similar)
For our sitting area, I knew I wanted something extremely comfortable and was hesitant about buying anything online that I couldn’t test. Our friends had a sectional from Ashley Furniture and it was so comfortable, we didn’t even search anywhere else for outdoor furniture. We got the black version of the same sectional. Pottery Barn didn’t make a matching coffee table, which was my original vision, but the area rug and pillows help add the natural look into this space. Brett really wanted the fire pit coffee table when he saw it and talked me into getting it. I will admit, it is pretty cool.
Rug Option (Budget-Friendly) | Rug Option (High-End) | Fan | Outdoor Sofa | Coffee Table | Pillows
Our Backyard Makeover: Lounging in Style
My favorite area is up next. It’s the VIP ladies’ lounge.
Just outside our covered patio, we had extended our paver decking out, enough for lounge chairs and umbrella. As we set everything up, I realized this area needed some help hiding the pool equipment right behind it. That’s where the planter boxes and faux boxwoods came in. Even though the planters were a PIA to put together, I’m really happy with how it came together. We kept the privacy wall in place, paying homage to our original design, and giving a nice separation from the two spaces.
Lounge Chairs (Budget-friendly) | Lounge Chairs (High-End) | Umbrella (similar) | Towels | Planters (Budget-Friendly) | Planters (High-End) | Boxwood Hedges | Iron Table
I have to tell my umbrella story, because I totally lucked out with this find! This umbrella style was huge before we started building our pool and I always envisioned a black umbrella with white scalloped edge. I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was either white with black edges or navy blue. I found this baby in a Home Goods and it was too good to be true. So this was such a great budget find. Gotta love Home Goods!
Next up is the kitchen! We only had so much space to work with but it has everything we wanted.
We went with the same stone from the waterfall, and black granite countertops that are definitely a wow piece. The coolest part is—they disassembled our Weber grill and built it into the kitchen for us.
Bar Stools (bar height, our exact ones are out of stock)
The bar stools really bring it all together, and it was like the internet manifested exactly what I wanted as I searched for them online.
Our Backyard Makeover: Revealing our dream pool and outdoor paradise
We are so happy to have this space for our family and in time for summer. That was really a huge deciding factor for us in moving forward with our backyard project. We really wanted the kids to enjoy it while they are still young enough “play” and have friends over. When I told Brett I wanted a pool, it wasn’t until I said “The kids won’t be young forever..” that was the selling point. We’re always really thoughtful when budgeting for things and making sure it was a good opportunity for us, and in the end it was. And it’s been one of the best investments we’ve made since we moved in.
I hope you enjoyed our backyard makeover reveal and are inspired for your own future paradise.
