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Landscape Design Design Dilemma

Simple makeover? Create outdoor dining/seating area?

Christie Gilmore

2 years ago

I want to get a patio set and be able to enjoy a meal outdoors this summer. I’m open to spending $10k and a few weekends but not a massive overhaul that would render the space unusable for a month or more. How can we maximize what we’ve got here?

Theres old concrete from a basketball court - see the patch? That extends into more of a square/rectangle- my husband had started to uncover it but stopped, it took a while.

we have a dumb little fire pit area but that’s movable Or we can make it better.

Also the gully by the back fence is prone to flooding anytime it rains. The far back corner of that concrete basketball slab will be under an inch of water if it rains all day.

so we probably would have to keep outdoor furniture closer to the house and sort out the water issue.

This isn’t our forever home but likely five more years - how can we make this work For us?

Facing house;

Any tips for making a functional and fun eating spot out here are welcome!

thank you!!!

Featured Answer

JT7abcz

2 years ago

New concrete will take a big bite out of your budget. It's a lot of work to uncover the basketball court to see if it's usable but you have a buried treasure if it's in good shape.

You can buy gazebo and pergola kits in different sizes that are pretty economical. Here's a 12 x 16 for about $2400. Watch the pooling of the water when it rains to see how you might best position the kit and the furniture underneath, Add a screen to the side to block out the view of the neighbor's pool equipment or budget to plant some screen trees on your side. Clean up the upper right corner surrounding the tree so you enjoy the view.

Connect the house and new area with a stone or paver path. If you use stones, space them close together so it's comfortable to travel without having to leap from stone to stone. Pavers can also be used to expand your existing patio area or create an adjacent, uncovered pad for the dining set. Be creative and intentional in linking them, if the path is pavers, maybe you border around the concrete pads with them as well.

Personally, I'd place comfortable lounging furniture and a propane fire pit under the covered area and a dining set off to the side because our use is about 75%/25% lounging to dining.

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Comments (6)

littlebug zone 5 Missouri
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I think you’re on the right track to keep your table and chairs next to the house.

Enlarge your current patio x 3 or so. When you have the sod removed to pour new concrete/lay stones, have the old basketball pad broken up and removed. Fill with dirt and sod or grass seed.

Will you need shade for the new enlarged patio? You don’t say which side of the house this is.
Christie Gilmore thanked littlebug zone 5 Missouri
Christie Gilmore
Original Author
2 years ago
This is our backyard. shade of some kind or pergola great
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Maureen
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
It’s free to get consultations. My brother had two or three and each had different ideas/price ranges and he was then able to narrow down based on his needs and budget. There are so many options. https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/ideas-for-outdoor-living/?slide=slide_185a6bb6-4723-4320-b4ab-1997928abfd8#slide_185a6bb6-4723-4320-b4ab-1997928abfd8
Christie Gilmore
Original Author
2 years ago
What awesome advice and a vision for what we could do! So covered area like a pergola, where the basketball court concrete is? Having a fire pit under anything flammable seems like a bad idea to me, but is that what people do? Maybe it’s totally safe. And then a dining set off to the side, in the grass? or somehow fit dining and fire pit all on that slab? if we can uncover it all. I like the idea of a screen or privacy trees to hide view of neighbor’s pool equipment. Dumb q: do stepping stones need to be dug into the ground or just placed on the ground? I can look that up. Thank you for this great advice!
JT7abcz
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Yes, use the basketball court for the floor and choose a cover suitable for your climate and your preferences. We prefer a full cover for our lounging area because every inch of shade is needed in the summer, we enjoy sitting outside when it does rain, and it helps prolong the life of our furniture which we leave out all year.

The firepit I posted (Lowe's, about $430) has an adjustable flame which gets maybe 8" at most in the center so it's fine underneath if it's outside and the sides of the structure are open. It runs on propane - the tank is interchangeable with the one you use for your BBQ grill. It's taller than a coffee table, you can place drinks or plates on the rim and it can also be moved around and taken with you when you move.

Sure, you can try to fit dining and the firepit on the concrete. If you decide to put lounging furniture there instead and move the table off to the side, it's better to have it on a concrete or stone pad than on the grass. Not only will mowing be easier, the grass may end up dying underneath it anyway.

Yes, you'll want the stepping stones or pavers dug into the ground so they aren't a tripping hazard and laid on a base so they don't rock or sink. There are lots of videos about installing the kits and pavers.

Price it all out before you begin, depending on your priorities, you may want to pay someone to install the gazebo/pergola. (BTW, you can also consider running power to it for a ceiling fan or lights!)

Your yard looks so serene, I hope you end up with something you use a lot and enjoy!

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