HHello friends! It’s Cassie again. Thank you for the warm comments on my first post last month — it was a pleasure to introduce myself and my home. Many of you asked about paint colors, and I’ll plan a future post with those details.
This month I’m excited to share our recently completed backyard renovation. With spring approaching — and unusually sunny weather here in Seattle — we decided it was time to transform our outdoor space. Our aim was to create a yard that suits our family, is easier to maintain, and solves the practical issues we’d been dealing with.
When we moved into our newly built home nearly two years ago, the yard was one of the biggest headaches. The soil was poor and full of leftover construction debris, making it difficult to grow grass or plant anything. Between the bad soil and our dog’s activity, keeping the lawn alive was a constant battle. Although I enjoy outdoor work (I grew up on a farm), this yard required more effort than we wanted to keep up with long term.
Our very sad yard and a dated aggregate patio
We started by listing what we wanted from the new yard. Our priorities were:
- low maintenance, with room for a few container gardens
- better drainage to prevent flooding
- dog-friendly surfaces
- family-friendly space for play
- an area for entertaining
- screening to obscure the neighboring house
- more trees and shrubs
- cost-effective solutions that hold value
To meet those goals we decided to reduce the lawn area, add more plantings, create a pea-gravel zone for the dog and containers, and build a deck. The deck was our major investment: composite decking offers low maintenance and long-term value, which appealed to us despite the higher upfront cost. We also felt comfortable shrinking the lawn because we have a large park with playgrounds and sports fields directly across the street that we use often.
After requesting bids, we hired a local father-and-son team, Helmke’s Landscaping Co., to handle the work. They designed the layout and completed the project in under three weeks. Below is the plan they produced for our space:
Plans designed by Helmke’s Landscaping Co.
We chose composite decking for durability and low maintenance. We installed Trex in the “Beach Dune” color — an economical option that looks great, especially with hidden fasteners.
Trex “Beach Dune”
The landscapers selected plants from local nurseries based on a few ideas I shared. The pea gravel area is ideal for the dog and easy to keep clean, and we plan to add container gardens along the gravel using galvanized tubs or similar planters. The pergola they built helps screen the neighboring house, and we’ll likely add more planters along that side over time. My husband picked up a propane fire pit the day the deck was completed so we could enjoy the space in the evenings — it’s great for entertaining but also cozy for quiet nights together.
Patio seating and a compact fire pit make the deck inviting
We even get a tiny view of the Cascade mountains in the distance
To improve growing conditions, the landscapers resodded the lawn and added quality soil where the grass and plants are now planted. I’m optimistic we can keep things thriving with these changes.
We’re thrilled with the result. The yard is now functional, attractive, and much easier to maintain. We expect to use it daily through spring and summer for years to come, and I hope our renovation inspires your own outdoor plans.
Related post by The Inspired Room:
How to Add Personality to a Small Outdoor Space