#rethinkoutdoor: Creating A Summer Ready Outdoor Entertaining Space with POLYWOOD

Hi Everyone!

Happy Summer friends!  It’s my absolute favorite time of year and I couldn’t be more excited to share today’s post with you.

For me there’s nothing better than hot long days filled with the sights, sounds, and life that only summer brings.  I look forward to it every year and this year is made even more special because we’ve FINALLY begun work on our backyard. This will be our 5th year in our bungalow and fourth full summer so it’s been a long time coming.

When we moved into this home the backyard was filled with not so thoughtfully placed trees, a dilapidated deck and old metal pergola, a shed that attracted all the rats, a fence that was falling apart and completely overrun by the neighbors ivy,  and more space than we knew what to do with.

Yall.  It took some SERIOUS vision to see past the hot mess we walked in to. But I just knew this home and yard could be something special one day, and after spending the last four years clearing everything out we are FINALLY ready to start pulling the space together in meaningful and intentional way.

Our yard is quite large so we wanted to take advantage of its size by creating four defined zones: dining, lounging, entertaining, and gardening.  One of our favorite things to do as a family is to camp and spend time outdoors in nature and we LOVE a good campfire so we wanted the entertainment zone to include a fire pit. Last year I took some pavers from a different area of the yard and quickly threw one together just so we could have one for the time being.  I mean it was pretty sad looking, but it worked!

I definitely envisioned a much better situation than this so we started working with a local landscape designer to help us pull our overall plan for the yard together.  We are still defining some details including the plantings, lighting, and irrigation, but we did at least get the firepit zone nailed down.

When POLYWOOD reached out about partnering on their #RethinkOutdoor campaign this summer I was all in!  I was already familiar with POLYWOOD and have long loved and admired their gorgeous Adirondack chairs.  Everytime I see them at Home Goods I sit in them! But I digress..

Armed with our backyard design plan and an overall idea of what I wanted the space to look like I popped over and took the POLYWOOD Outdoor Furniture Planner Quiz to help me really define the space .  The tool is  easy and interactive and it helps guide you through the steps from measuring your space (even working with irregular shaped areas), to selecting the best POLYWOOD furniture for your specific needs and style aesthetic.

Once we got all the details worked out the family and I got to work.  It took us two days of digging and hauling and loading, but we got it done. I shared the process of how we built the spaces on IG and saved it to a highlight if you’d like to check it out.

Michael was a rockstar and helped so much. He pretty much relocated and rebuilt the firepit pavers himself! We absolutely LOVE the way the area turned out.  We used a mix of repurposed materials from other areas in our yard and decorative rocks ordered from a local rock yard.

We used the pavers from the existing pit and just moved it over a few feet to center it on the corner of the back fence.  We added cobbles around the base as an accent and bricks from a pile we’ve been collecting for the border.  For the area floor we ordered 3/8″ salt and pepper decorative rocks. When I visited the rock yard I fell in love with the color variation of these, especially knowing that we planned to add black adirondack chairs to the space.

I’ve  LOVE a classic adirondack chair and have always wanted some.  POLYWOOD has a fantastic selection of Adirondack styles…from modern to beachy and in a vast range of colors. I fell in love with the lines and curves of the Vineyard Curveback Adirondack Chairs and opted for two sets with side tables for the space. I also really really love the Classic Oversized Curveback Adirondack.

We love them so much!  They are SO pretty and incredibly comfortable.  The curve back detail makes them super nice to sit in.  They’re deep with a slight recline so they’re perfect for relaxing and lounging in for hours.

But more than how aesthetically pleasing or extremely durable and weather resistant POLYWOOD furniture is (it has a 20 year warranty). My favorite thing about the company is their commitment to waste reduction and environmental sustainability. POLYWOOD currently recycles more than 400,000 milk jugs per day in the production of their all-weather outdoor furniture!

To pull the space together we added a painted log that’s been with us since our last house for some fun extra seating, a set of solar powered string lights and some textiles.

We’ve been enjoying the space so much and we use it every day. Interestingly enough the kids love to sit out here and have breakfast!  We’ve also already had friends over for s’mores to break things in.

This project turned out better than we could have even imagined.  A once sad and unused back corner is now the perfect entertaining and gathering space for our family.  The area actually ended up being slightly larger than we anticipated and we can easily fit another set of chairs, so we will likely order one more.  We also ordered another set of string lights to add in as well.

I couldn’t be happier to have this project complete.  Thank you so much POLYWOOD for helping us #rethinkoutdoor and giving us a jump start on our backyard renovation!

If you’re looking to spruce up your outdoor space this year head over to POLYWOOD as they offer very durable and beautifully designed furniture to help transform your space no matter your style: Traditional, Classic, Beachy, Contemporary or Modern Chic. Plus all furniture comes with a 20 year warranty.  AND now is the perfect time to get some because they are having a big Independence Day sale through July 8! Get up to 30% off of select styles while supplies last.

You know where to find us all summer long! Until next time friends…

*This post is sponsored by POLYWOOD.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Posted By: Shavonda Gardner · In: thecottagebungalow