Our backyard was one of the very first spaces that we finished when we moved into our home four years ago. We hang out in our backyard every single day, whether we are eating at the outdoor dining table, working from home outside, swimming, playing or entertaining. The more we live-in and use the space, the more we think about ways we can improve the functionality. Last summer, I had a spontaneous idea to move our chaise lounges to a different part of the yard and replace them with a large, U-shpaed sectional to allow for more seating and conversations. We finally took the plunge and made some changes this year and I’m here with a full, updated tour of our Black and White Transitional Backyard Decor.
Black and White Transitional Backyard Decor
Our exterior is unique, in that the front of the house is all stone and the back of the house is all German shmear brick. It can often feel like two completely different exteriors to work with. When it comes to brick exterior, I have always loved the high contrast design of black outdoor furniture paired with a classic brick.
Our backyard is designs with so many different spaces to create meaningful and practical furniture arrangements. We have the outdoor balcony that sits off our rec room upstairs. The place most used by the kids! Downstairs we have the covered outdoor dining space, a cute little spot for a conversation set and seating around the pool and out door kitchen.
When picking out our outdoor furniture, I went with POLYWOOD. We used all of their furniture in our Washington Backyard, and knew it was the only outdoor furniture we would use for this house. It’s all made out of recycle plastics, where it has a wood look, but it’s actually 100% durable in all weather climates. It also has a 20 year guarantee.
Black and White Outdoor Furniture
This is where we used to have the set of three chaise lounges. I felt like it was the perfect place for a U-shaped sectional. A place that now serves as a focal point of the backyard, a place where people can gather and hang out and the area you first see when you walk into the backyard. Because all POLYWOOD furniture is modular, we were able to create this custom size using the Braxton Modular Sofa Pieces.
If you are looking for something specific, you can contact their sales team and they will help you come up with a design that fits your space perfectly. I used the Braxton Sectional and then added an additional corner piece and armless chairs to create the shape I wanted.
All our POLYWOOD furniture is black with natural linen cushions. They get a little dirty from the leaves and flowers around them, but they are easily washable! Since we enjoy our backyard almost year round, we don’t cover them. We typically pressure wash them all once a year and clean them up!
Last summer, I upgraded all of our outdoor planters and umbrellas! I went with all Veredek Planters, they are so durable and come in lots of different styles! I also have their umbrella side tables that are very sturdy! Here are the fun Black Outdoor Umbrellas with little pom pom details.
Outdoor Swing Area
The hanging outdoor swing is completely magical. It was here when we toured the house and asked if we could purchase it. This year we bought a replacement swing cushion to freshen it up and swapped out the outdoor pillows.
This is where we moved the chaise lounges to as well. They stay pretty shaded here, but they are on wheels so it’s easy to move them into the direct sun when the UV hits 9 :)
Stone Outdoor Kitchen Design
This stone outdoor kitchen set up was already here when we moved in but we made some adjustments right from the start. We replaced all the outdoor kitchen appliances with Coyote Outdoor and then added in the smoker. After all, we are in Texas!
Along the high top table, I added Braxton Bar Height Stools and a few counter height in the shorter areas. we actually use this half round high table as a family more than any other place in our backyard.
Covered Outdoor Dining Space
This little nook against the brick was the perfect spot to create a simple conversation set. I used two Braxton Deep Seating Swivel Chairs with a foot rest. This area is almost entirely shaded throughout the day, it’s a great spot to relax out of the sun and kick up your feet!
I love the arches that take you right into our covered outdoor dining area. They are so charming and add great architectural elements.
Inside we have the Vineyard 9 Piece Dining Set with natural linen seat cushions. It’s the perfect size for entertaining. I definitely recommend the seat cushions!
To give this area more warmth, I added my favorite artificial cedar trees (I have many sets of these around our exterior!) inside these gorgeous concrete planters from Amazon! A classic look that I’ll never tire of.
The subtle changes to the backyard have made such a difference over the last year! The longer we live in this space, the more we realize what we need and how to make adjustments for both functionality and design.
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About Taryn Whiteaker
Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!
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