The Patio

As we complete each new house project, I'm amazed at how quickly I have been able to make the big decisions.  Sure, it'll take me hours to pick out an outfit, but ask me to pick out a stair runner and I'll have one picked out in no time.  I think it's because I spend a lot of time thinking about projects before we actually execute them, so when the time finally comes to move forward, I pretty much know exactly what I want.  It's just a matter of finding it.  

We always knew we wanted to either expand the back deck or put in a patio. Our deck is only large enough for a small bistro table, so we ultimately decided that we wanted to install a patio at the base of it.  I guess on some level, I had been planning it out in my head for months, but from the time we selected a landscaper, picked out materials, and had it installed, the entire patio process took just under two months.  That's light years in the world of housing project updates.  

We knew this wasn't something we could do on our own, so we started by doing some research on local companies and priced out a few options.  Of course we had a budget in mind, and we wanted to find something that would fit our need for some usable outdoor space but not cost a fortune.  We found a great company out of Danvers and had them come out one morning to check out the space.  A day or so later, they put a plan together.  Side note: original estimates included redoing the front stairs, but that literally doubled our budget. 

Next we had to pick out the stone we wanted.  I had a vision of what I wanted, so we I quickly decided on the stone and color.  We originally picked out the Vintage stone in the color Fieldstone.  When the time came to actually install the patio, however, we changed our mind and went with the Terracotta color instead.  The Fieldstone was more orange and I wanted red.  

The patio only took about two days to install.  The company came out on a Wednesday, but then due to weather, couldn't come back until the following Tuesday.  So we lived with this for awhile.

 

Dan was very upset that they had to tear up his beautiful lawn to get the trucks and materials to the backyard, but the company smoothed everything out and reseeded it all so it will be back in no time.  When all was said and done, they did a great job, and in the end, I do like the stone we picked (love the layout!), but I wish it was a bit darker.  Ironically, when it rains and the stone is wet, it's the color I had envisioned. 
    
I've realized when we do house projects, that there will always be things you wish you did differently.  Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, I do kind of wish we had extended the patio about a foot more in the back.  This does leave us more room to eventually plant some shrubs for more privacy or to install a fence if we decide to do so.

 
The next steps are to inherit the patio set from my dad (he got a new one) and then figure out what other things we need.  I'd love some sort of storage outside or in the shed or garage where we can keep some entertaining necessities.

Now that this is done, we have some minor changes to the yard to make.  Moving some plants and removing an area of mulch that serves no purpose. More importantly, though, we need to actually get out and enjoy some money well spent. 

Be well,