Yard Inspirations

I've been dreaming about owning a home for what seems like forever. My family has always watched HGTV and other home design shows together. I've been looking forward to doing my own home projects! Since, we are house hunting, I thought it would be fun to start posting my inspiration for our future home.

It's been interesting to work on designing a home with Grant, but also really fun. It can be hard to combine our two different styles, but I think we will end up with a really great design that reflects both of us.

We've been looking for houses that have large yards. It's important to us to have a space for our dog and plenty of space for entertaining. Here are some of my top inspirations for designing a yard:

1. A table for eating.
 I love cooking on the grill and having drinks outside. It can get pretty hot in the Phoenix heat, so I want a great place to sit and relax with friends and family in the cool months and a shaded area to enjoy in the warmer months. I think it's important to have the space feel natural with wood and plants, but I want to make sure to incorporate modern metal elements. This area will be a place to eat and chat comfortably.

2. A space to cook.
My dream would to be eventually build a small outdoor kitchen. To get started, I want to have a great place for grilling. Having a table to prep the food would be handy. I want this space to be close to the entertaining area, so the person cooking isn't to far away, but not too close that people will be overwhelmed with smoke. I think this will soon be one of our favorite features of the yard.

3. A place for relaxing.
Similarly to the place for eating, I want to have a cool place to hang out and relax. It will be less formal without a table, so people can put their feet up and hang out. I think it would be great to have to surround a fire pit, like the one from A Beautiful Mess.

4. A work space for Grant.
One of the top priorities while house hunting was a garage/hang out area for Grant. This was really is only request. It was hard to find anything like we were looking for, so we are planning on building our own. Our plan is to use an old shipping container and turn it into a garage space where he can work on his motorcycle. He found a place locally that can build something similar, so we might be able to use them. Keeping it cool in the summer will be a challenge, but we are working on finding ways to make a really cool space.

5. A backyard garden.
Lastly, something that is really important to me in the yard is a garden. I loving using fresh herbs, but they are so expensive to buy each time at the store. My plan is to have an area to grow all my favorite herbs, edible flowers, and easy to grow fruits and vegetables. I always have a hard time keeping a garden alive in the heat of the summer, so I want to make sure they are all plants that will do well in the heat. I love hummingbirds, so I want to also include plants that attract hummingbirds to the yard. I'm really looking forward to have a beautiful garden.

There is so much I'm looking forward to in our new home and the yard is one of the top things. I can't wait to show you, once we have a yard, all the projects that we will complete. What are some of your favorite yards or design features? xo. Laura

None of these photos are mine. Links for photos are provided.