Backyard Redesign and Remodel Plans + Fire Pit Giveaway!
This post is created in partnership with Belgard, proud sponsor of the HGTV® Dream Home 2019.
It’s no secret that we are pretty handy when it comes to remodeling. After five complete home renovations filled with tons of DIY work, I feel we have earned some bragging rights. Moving plumbing pipes or ripping apart a kitchen doesn’t scare me, but even the industry greats have an Achilles heel, and I’m certainly no exception. Ready to hear it?
Landscaping.
I’m being 100% honest. I can look at a blank, empty room and immediately come up with a thousand ways to spice it up, but looking at my empty rectangle-shaped patch of grass that’s called a backyard makes my mind totally blank.
Anyone else?
That’s why I jumped at the chance to have the team at Belgard help me come up with some fun ideas for our backyard. After seeing the incredible work they did on the HGTV Dream Home 2019, I was super excited to see what they came up with.
Before I show you the design (it will blow. your. mind), here’s a quick backstory. Belgard gave us virtual reality glasses while we were in Montana that we could use to view different designs the team created. I’ve never used VR before and it was shocking how realistic it was!
So, an amazing designer at Belgard Design Studio sent me images to view the design that was created for our backyard. I upload them to the VR app, then start looking at them through the goggles.
I kid you not, my first thought was “this person has such a sweet backyard”. I kept swiping through images looking for our yard and felt disappointed that they had sent us the wrong images. Or so I thought!
You guys—I did not recognize my own backyard with their design! It genuinely did not register that I was looking at my own home! It was the weirdest thing. I handed the images to Scott without saying a word and he said he wished we had a yard like that. When I told him it was OUR YARD in the photos, he didn’t believe me at first!
We absolutely want to make this design real! Despite never, ever touching a landscaping project in our lives, we hope to make this one happen. Now, onto the photos! Let’s start with the front yard as it currently is – it’s pretty bad.
The Front Yard Before and After Photos
In our defense, we bought the home like this. It was a rental home for over a decade and yard care was definitely not a priority for tenants, so lots of dead grass. The yard slopes downhill towards the home, so water is always pooling on the concrete porch and the sidewalk always gets muddy, as you can see! Plus, check out those awesome bushes!
Also, did I mention I hate the color of our home? We told the team at Belgard we are planning on painting it eventually and changing the roof color one day. They visualized our dream!
I mean…WORLDS of improvement, right?! I love the color of the pavers they chose. And why didn’t we ever think of creating a garden wall filled with pretty plants instead of bushes?
The Backyard Before and After Photos
As stunning as the front yard is, it’s the backyard that really made our jaws drop. First, check out what we currently have going on. We have crappy pavers we threw down when we moved in, random clumps of seating areas, a massive blackberry bush sitting randomly in the middle of the yard and a lazy dog that refused to move for pictures. Oh! Plus a beautiful tarp that we were using to try and set up a vegetable garden on top of (one day).
Belgard took my gross, weird backyard picture and somehow came up with this.
I mean, see why we didn’t recognize our own yard? This is definitely a dream space. The Belgard team created space for both lounging and dining. They added raised garden beds and visual interest everywhere!
I truly cannot get over how incredible this design is. Couldn’t you just imagine hanging out here enjoying a glass of wine on the patio with a freshly-grilled steak?
And then they created this amazing paved path that leads to a fire pit. Isn’t it stunning? The raised part is a seating area, and the design is specifically created so that you can see through to the back of the yard rather than blocking it.
The best part about the fire pit is you can win one for your own backyard! Belgard is generously giving away one of their beautiful fire pit kits to one of my readers.
Installing the fire pit kit looks pretty easy. Here is the instruction manual if you want to take a peek! It can be done in a day if you prep correctly, so it’s an easy weekend project that you will enjoy for years to come! I’m eyeing the kit myself for our own backyard soon..this would be the perfect spot to make fun memories and s’mores to enjoy around the fire pit with friends and family.
To enter, comment below and tell me what you’d do with a fire pit. Giveaway ends 3/20/19. Enter below!
Good luck, friends! I can’t wait to see who wins!
Entry limited to the continental United States.
HGTV, HGTV Dream Home, HGTV Dream Home Giveaway and their associated logos are trademarks of Scripps Networks, LLC. Used with permission; all rights reserved.
Tania Griffis is an accomplished writer, blogger, and interior designer with a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She started her popular blog, Run to Radiance, in 2011, demonstrating her design expertise through the personal remodeling of six houses to millions of readers across the globe.
Tania also owns The Creative Wheelhouse, a respected ghostwriting agency for bloggers, further showcasing her talent for creating engaging and informative content.
Ummm, yes please! Our yard definitely needs some love. Our front yard is so sad lol
OH! We’d rebuild our haphazard fire pit, so we could actually USE it! 😀
I’m about to start landscaping my backyard next weekend! A fire pit would be a perfect addition!
AHHhhhhh, would LOVE a fire pit! Our kids are the perfect ages for s’mores, cookouts, sitting by a fire, etc but right now we are using an old one that got partially crushed by a falling branch a few years ago. ? This would be an awesome addition to our efforts to make our backyard kid & family friendly! ♥️♥️♥️
We created a fire pit not long after moving to the country. It’s nothing more than a depression in the ground with several logs serving as seating! With both children having spread their wings and off at college, we have the time and energy to focus on upgrades. This would be a fantastic opportunity to get our fire pit game in gear.
I love the curved seating area around the fire pit! So inviting and easy for a crowd to gather around!
Would love a fire pit! We can “camp” in the backyard and make s’mores ? the yard makeover is gorgeous!!
A fire pit is in my dream back yard plans! I’d host my daughter’s Girl Scout troop for a S’mores party as soon as it was installed and ready to go!
I’m about to start landscaping my backyard next weekend. A fire pit would be a great addition!
My favorite part is the area with the fire pit.
That is stunning! When are you going to begin?
I love the different rounded shapes with the plants and the fire pit. It definitely give a square yard some dimension.
oh my gosh, i love the different functions of the backyard. i wish i could look at mine and visualize it like this, but i am much better at interiors. thanks!
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I would love to own a fire pit
I like the clean design and sitting area.
Would LOVE a fire pit! S’mores + games around the fire?! Yes please!!
p.s. your new backyard looks amazing!!
your yard looks incredible! Our current firepit is in disrepair and isn’t going to make it through another summer of smores and ghost stories!
I am loving the patio and seating area. It truly runs together with your yard so smoothly.
Love the curved seating area.
Amazing, love the results. Raised garden beds is one of the best touches
I LOVE the fire pit with the built in seating. Also love the dining area!
The fire pit! It’s been my dream to have a big firepit that we can enjoy!!
My favorite part of the design is that it looks clean and stylish. I prefer the color and shape over other designs that I’ve seen. This fire pit is beautiful.
I pretty much love everything about it! My backyard is currently just a big dirt lot, I would love something like this.
I love how the fire pit area flows nicely from the the patio area and how it is enclosed with a semi-circular wall (nice touch)
Everything flows so beautifully in your backyard. The layout, from the landscaping to the fire pit area and patio works perfectly.
I love love love the fire pit area. Definitely my favorite part. And I love the surrounding being a seating area. Our backyard is hopeless, but seeing this gives me a little hope back and definitely inspiration.
I love the flow of the design and seating at the fire pit.
I love the seating area! We are building a new home, should be moved in in the next few weeks. This would be perfect!
I would love to hang out around a fire pit this summer!
I love the raised garden beds, so nice.
Wow! Simply beautiful! I really love the curved area around the fire pit. It is intimate, yet could host a party.
I love the raised garden beds. I have wanted to add those to our backyard for ages. Just never manage to get around to it. But this post inspires me to spruce up our backyard.
My favorite part is the pit with the retainer wall around it. Beautiful.
I love the clean lines of the slate. I also just love how neat and tidy it looks.
I have a small cemented place encircled with lattice. It would look perfect there.
Love all the seating. I love entertaining in the back yard
This firepit would be great for entertaining
The seating around the fire pit is my favorite, it looks comfortable!
I’d replace the clothes dryer basin that we’re currently using and actually spend time in my back yard. We’ve wanted a fire pit for years.
I love the raised garden beds.
The fire pit is my favorite for sure! I do love the raised garden beds and all the seating. Can you say BBQ party?!
My favorite part is the seating area! Id love an area in my yard to set!
Yard is so pretty…Love that curved seating so sweet and inviting…
I love the seating around the firepit I’ve always wanted to do that
I like the wall around the fire pit.
Eveything looks so good. I love the landscaping. Would live to win. Thank you for sharing.
I love how it has an overall relaxing feel. It doesn’t feel crowded or like separate areas. It flows nicely. I love how the paved path connects everything.
I like the simplicity of it all.
I love the whole fire pit area. The wall is perfect for seating!
The fireplace is definitely my favorite aspect of it!
I like the seating area.
Boy oh boy! I would build a pergola. A good size pergola. Put down some nice pavers. Buy the perfect sit around the fire furniture. Nice tall planters – about four feet high to place in front of the pergola posts with beautiful, tall greenery. A water feature- about three feet to four feet wide as a background. Water slowly trickling down and low lighting. A gentle breeze to sway the flames from the pit. A hidden refrigerator, filled with great wines and assorted imported beers. Nice music streaming from a hidden music speaker. I’d have all my favorite earthly elements – fire, water, and fauna. Drinks on the house!!!!