Here are some more pictures of the backyard makeover I did for my friend Tuulevi, and some of the “problems” and solutions for them. Sometimes when you see beautiful backyard photos in the magazines or blogs but because your yard is differently shaped or the color of your house or patio or whatever doesn’t match with the design you saw in the picture. Or the features what you see in magazines are too expensive to do. Here are a few real life solutions that didn’t cost much to create a backyard relaxing oasis that my friends will enjoy the entire summer. My inspiration for this backyard makeover was Moroccan nights, and while the retailer where I shopped didn’t have an outdoor collection with the theme…. I was able to create a relaxing backyard, which can easily turn into Moroccan night party for the night with torches, lanterns and candles lighting the night.

The deck comes alive

The grill was a focal point of the patio, and while we all probably love grilling, I wanted to bring the entire deck alive with new furniture and some color! We added a larger table with six chairs instead of four to make the deck great for small dinner parties as well. We also turned the table diagonally and added some colorful fabrics to make your eyes immediately drawn to the table instead to the grill on the side.

Reading nook part of the relaxing oasis

There was still plenty of space for additional features as well. We created a nice reading nook by the wall, where my friend can read her Town & Country magazine and have afternoon iced tea – and it’s a great spot to have a shot of tequila or vodka as an apéritif before dinner. She can sit in the nook watching her husband cook – or have leisurely afternoon watching the birds in the new birdbath.

Fire pit to bring ambiance and a relaxing spot

In addition I wanted to create a space on the backyard for some relaxing after dinner – or for the teen in the family to sun tan with her friends during the summer days. My friends did a large landscaping makeover in their backyard and it lasted most of the summer last year. They added a stone wall to improve privacy to the backyard, and now it was time to give it a spot to enjoy it. Fire pits are one of the outdoor living trends for summer 2011, and I knew a fire pit had to be part of this backyard makeover too. There is just something about fire that most of us find relaxing, and there is nothing like making S’mores on the backyard on summer nights. And I wanted to create a romantic spot for my friend and her husband to enjoy a glass of wine after dinner by the fire. While the privacy from the street was solved, and the fireplace and the lounge chairs created a nice spot, I still had one more problem to solve. The homeowners had watering hoses under the deck and it was a eyesore and hardly called for relaxing. I added a clothes line right under the deck, and a nice fabric that tied the look from the deck as well – and covered the hoses and everything reminding of gardening work.

THIS IS…..?

Guess where the products are from for this backyard makeover! The big reveal coming up on Thursday! Disclosure: I was compensated for my time to participate in this campaign. All of my opinions are my own.