When we made the big move from Edmonton to Kelowna we wanted a home with a pool or a backyard that could accommodate one. Little did we know this was going to be a hard to find! We looked at so many houses that we liked, but none of them had a pool or a backyard that could fit one. Hours were spent online scouring the listings until we finally found this home.
Our draw to our current home was the backyard, which sits on a 1/4 acre lot in a neighbourhood that we loved. We made the offer to purchase and immediately got to work on planning our backyard, even before the conditions were removed! We finalized the install for the pool in the spring and patiently waited for our backyard dreams to come true.
The inspiration for our backyard makeover was a Palm Springs resort vibe. We wanted to feel like we were on vacation everyday in the summer! Having never installed a pool before we didn’t know what to expect, and let me tell you first hand there was way more involved then I even knew. I turned to Instagram to ask for recommendations for landscapers in Kelowna and was introduced to Gord at Blackcard Construction.
Backyard Makeover Before
Our backyard oasis vision included:
- plenty of patio space
- 2 seating areas
- grass for our dog and kids
- privacy from our neighbours
- low maintenance that will be durable for years to come
Backyard Makeover After
Blackcard Construction arrived in early spring to start the process of cleaning up our backyard. Originally we had rock all along the side of our yard that needed to be removed, a ramp taken out and backyard prep that needed to happen before the design could begin! Once all the prep work was done, Blackcard Construction got started on the install of the stone patio.
We chose the Roman Euro paver that feature a textured finish by undergoing a unique tumbling process that distresses the edges and corners. This results in a more natural and softened appearance versus the smooth surface of a regular paver. We chose the tumbled grey paver to tie in the house colour with the concrete pool edge. Blackcard Construction was great about helping us choose the right patio for our lifestyle.
The colour was exactly what we had envisioned for our backyard. From there we were able to tie in our patio furniture. In case you didn’t already know grey is my favourite colour, it’s timeless, goes with everything and is easy to maintain!
Blackcard Construction constructed two main patio areas for us, at the edge of the shallow end of the pool as well as along the side of the house. This allowed us to set up a couch seating area and lounger chairs for plenty of seating options when we have friends and family come to visit.
Our home has a walk out basement which we love for accessing the backyard. With the sunken yard we do have a lot of neighbours that can see in as they walk by which we don’t love for privacy reasons. Blackcard Construction suggested we plant a row of Yew hedging to help with privacy issues!
Yews are not fussy about where they are planted, and they thrive in most sites including the shade. We have seen lots of Yew hedging in our neighbourhood and loved the look of them, so we were sold on getting them planted. While it will take some time for the Yews to grow, we know they will be great for privacy once they are taller than our chain link fence. We loved how the Yew hedging looked once they were planted, so we also added them in the backyard along the adjacent fence.
Blackcard Construction finished off our landscaping with two grassy areas for Bandit and the kids to enjoy. We also added rock along the far side of the pool for low maintenance yard upkeep since it’s really only used to access the pool equipment. We want to thank Blackcard Construction for bringing our backyard Palm Springs inspired oasis to life. We love our #BLACKCARDBACKYARD so much!
