Pottery Barn Inspired Chaise Lounges

I was recently given a link to the blog Knock-Off Wood by a friend. The blogger "knocks off" furniture plans of popular retailers such as Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma Home, West Elm, etc. Our deck and new patio is in dire need of furniture, but the new landscaping has left us with no budget. So, Chad was able to build two bases for less than the cost of one chair at Pottery Barn! And a quick trip to the outlet mall landed us the Pottery Barn cushions at a good discount.

One of the two Pottery Barn inspired chaise lounges is finished! Now I just need to find some time to sit back, relax, and curl up with a good book and a fruity drink!

Good work, Chad! You know what the reward is for a job well done? More projects!

Extreme Backyard Makeover

The big project for this year - the backyard. It has some great features, mainly backing up to a wooded area, but it really lacked in the aesthetics department. Not anymore thanks to Davis Landscape! We have a new patio under the deck, fresh sod, a retaining wall, improved drainage, a fence to keep the deer from Palmer, and a ton of plants, flowers and trees. Here are the befores:

Drum roll please...the afters!

The patio is looking kind of pink against the house. The concrete guys still need to apply a tint to the top to fix it. We hope it will match a little better once they do that and seal it.

Check out the new fence for Palmer!

Boy, even my photography is better in the afters! I hope we manage to keep it looking this great, because neither Chad nor I have a green thumb. The landscapers added one additional zone to the sprinkler system, so watering shouldn't be an issue :-) The next step is saving some money for new patio furniture (oh, and for the outdoor fireplace that Chad says is "phase 2!" I say Evan needs a college education instead!). I also want to buy several new pots and plants for the both the patio and deck. Now I think you all should book your plane tickets so you can enjoy a cold one on the patio!

So Long Sweet Gums!

We have a handful of sweet gum trees in the back yard. If you're not familiar, these awful trees drop very spiky things that hurt like heck if you step on them. As part of the landscape plan, we are to remove two of the trees from the yard.

The neighbor had a tree trimmer over at her house today. Chad decided to walk over and have the guy give us an estimate on the removal. SO glad he did! If we removed the trees today while they had the equipment here, we could save over 60% on estimate given by the landscape design firm. We ended getting four trees removed altogether.

It was fascinating to watch the guy climb the tree and cut it down! Apparently he is not afraid of heights! Check it out.

Hit the Lights

Another home improvement project completed. Our family room was like a cave and Chad came to the rescue and installed 8 can lights, a dimmer switch, and a new ceiling fan last weekend! Here is the result.

Before

After

Guest Room Makeover

Well, it's really not a complete makeover, but it's a start. The new headboard was delivered last week! Next on the agenda is bedside tables. I am planning on moving the tables from our bedroom into the guest room so our bedroom isn't so matchy-matchy. I like the Daniella Chest from Pottery Barn, but I'm not sure about the zen brown color.

Maybe I should have fluffed the pillows before I took this shot!

Seating for Six

Our new dinette table was delivered last week! I am so excited to have seating for six without having to use the dining room table. The new table fills the space so much better, and it perfect for dominos. Now we just need a larger light fixture. By the way, Crate and Barrel has amazing customer service. A hand written thank you note for the purchase AND a follow up call after delivery to make sure everything is okay. Who knew you could get such great service from a chain retailer?