Renovations are like pregnancy. They are so exciting when you first break ground and then for months on end you can't wait for the final delivery. Once it's all over and you're enjoying your new baby (I mean house), you forget the painful journey it took to get there. This renovation was no different. I'm excited to share with you the final reveal with sources to all our landscape and furniture. BUT FIRST, the question you've all been waiting for us to answer. How much did it all cost?
Let's break it down, shall we?
The first cost we had to assess was the actual cost for the pool and jacuzzi itself and all the pool equipment. Then we had to assess the landscape and hardscape costs. And of course there was the big surprise costs in excavation and soil engineer.
Renovation Costs:
Pool + Jacuzzi: $66,995.00
Pool Tile Material Cost: $1,485.00
Additional Cost for Excavation: $18,840.00
Additional Cost for Soil Engineer: $938.00
AV for surround sound outdoors: $1,130.00
Landscape + Hardscape (plants included): $38,000.00
TOTAL: $127,388.00 *not including furniture, decor, pea gravel and Bower Vine trellis, shutters, etc.
Keep in mind this was back in 2020 and a lot has changed since then when it comes to construction costs. Another reason we are so grateful we did it when we did. We never went into the project looking to spend over 100K. We really wanted to space out the renovations in phases. But I'm grateful the project took so long because it gave us those extra years to save and do things the right way. You can read more about the delays on our Pool Saga (Part One) and Pool Saga (Part Two) posts.
Now let's take a deep dive into all the landscape and pretty things! I am so fortunate that a sweet friend of mine, Jacque is an extremely talented landscape architect in Orange County. You must go follow her on Instagram and check out her website. Her work is absolutely stunning. When it was time to finalize all my landscape I sent her a list of plants I loved, photos and our general floor plan and she drew up this beautiful plan! THANK YOU Jacque! She highly encouraged me to spend on landscape lighting which she was 100% right, lighting really is everything (indoors and outdoors). I don't think we would have gone for it had it not been for Jacque's encouragement. We had originally planned to do our landscape as a second phase. But we are so happy we executed it alongside the pool renovation.
Isn't this plan so beautiful?! I cannot tell you how excited I was once all the plants started rolling in. There is such a difference when you work with professionals. You'll see when I share photos of the after. If we would have done it ourselves, it would not have survived past year one. I'll share all our plant sources below. You can also see them on our landscape plan above.
Plant Sources:
Podocarpus Gracilior (Fern Pine): Against back fence. We chose these not because they were my absolute fave, but we wanted something that would grow tall quickly and be a privacy hedge. When I searched online Podocarpus really was a great cost effective option. They are non-intrusive near a water source and they grow 1-3 ft per year!
Agave Attenuata: I love that Jacque suggested throwing some agave to highlight the water feature on the back pool wall.
Pandorea Jasminoides (White Bower Vine/Lady Di): These are against all my fencing on a diamond trellis. I love them and they bloom every spring so they add some dimension to the space. I had never heard of them and they were the perfect addition to the black fence.
Aeonium Urbicum (Salad Bowl): These are spaced out evenly between each Bower Vine. They add such a nice touch and grow so quickly that we have been planting some of the extra growth in our window boxes in the front of the house.
Olea Europaea Montra (Dwarf Olive/Little Ollie): I LOVE olive trees and wanted to incorporate them as much as possible so Jaque suggested using the Little Ollies in addition to 2 full size olive trees. I love them!
Olea Europaea Wilsonii (Fruitless Olive Tree): Obviously these are the star of the show. It's been so nice to clip them back and use their leaves throughout my home. And going with a fruitless was the way to go for less cleanup.
Turf Block
Of course one of my most favorite things in the yard is our turf blocking. We master planned the concrete blocks and then had the installer run turf in between. I measured the average size of chaises ahead of time so we would have enough room for all 4 chaises. When I tell you it was master planned...it was master planned. All these details are so worth it in the end. It has been sooooo nice to have a low maintenance yard. Everything is on a drip system and the lights are on a timer. It's all so magical!
Ready for the final reveal???
We finally made it to the finish line! We couldn't be any happier with the final result of the backyard. I have ZERO regrets and we've spent the past two years entertaining outside regularly. Our favorite spot is snuggled up around the firepit in our POLYWOOD sectional with a glass of wine. But the jacuzzi is a close second. I'll share all sources below....
POLYWOOD
We are so fortunate to have worked with POLYWOOD in the past. You can see our front yard update HERE. We knew we wanted to furnish the backyard with furniture that would be durable for entertaining and easy to maintain on a regular basis. After seeing how well our adirondacks held up it was a no-brainer to collaborate with POLYWOOD on our backyard. We leave our furniture out year round and we only store away our cushions. Yup, you read that right. We are in sunny San Diego, so we do have mild weather. And of course, covering your furniture helps ease future cleaning and always helps extend the life of your furniture. But, I just love looking outside and seeing all my furniture and enjoying a cup of coffee or wine at any moment!
We mixed a few different collections to get the look and function we were going for. The nice thing is all 3 collections came with matching body color options and cushions. I loved the POLYWOOD Edge collection, so we started there. And then we included the Riviera Modern Lounge Chair and the Captain Chaise.
I went back and forth on the cushion colors between their white (Natural Linen) or their tan (Dune Burlap). I decided that with all the entertaining we do, the Dune Burlap would be more forgiving and add a lot of warmth to the yard. Here's all our sources below. Happy shopping!
Furniture Sources:
POLYWOOD Edge Dining Table in Black
POLYWOOD Edge Side Chair in Black + Cushion in Dune Burlap
POLYWOOD Captain Chaise in Black + Cushion in Dune Burlap
Firepit is no longer available, but HERE'S a great substitute.
Our umbrellas are no longer available, but HERE'S a great substitute.
The Reveal with plywood furniture was a masterclass in design and creativity. The team's ability to envision and execute such a seamless integration of plywood furniture into the pool area is commendable. Always contact the Swimming Pool Renovation company for more information regarding swimming pools.
Alyce, this is simply stunning! Your master planning clearly paid off. I wish I lived closer and could join you for a glass of wine while conversing away on one of those fabulous Polywood lounge chairs or chaises. They're all just beautiful and I love that you mixed styles!
Wow, Alyce! I definitely have yard envy! This is a gorgeous project and the Polywood furniture is great. I also have a Polywood sectional in my yard in the frozen north. I like it that I can leave it out all winter!
It’s absolutely stunning, Alyce! I remember when you started this project back in spring of 2020… the wait must have been so hard for you and your family as you gave up your yard for so long, but oh, the payoff is incredible!