We are currently renovating our backyard.
The budget ended up being significantly higher than originally planned.
We had to cut a few things.
We considered dropping some of the decorative elements:
Extra greenery
Landscape lighting
Various ornamental details
However, there was a debate about whether to keep the shade structure.
I felt a patio umbrella was just an optional "nice-to-have" extra.
My wife was concerned that if we couldn't use the patio on hot days, the furniture and landscaping wouldn't matter much.
I think she might be right.
In the end, we kept the budget for shade and chose a PURPLE LEAF cantilever umbrella.
The main reason was flexibility; we liked the ability to adjust the shade coverage based on where people are sitting.
I’m curious—what would others choose?
If you could only keep three things:
-
Shade structure
-
Seating
-
Greenery
In what order would you prioritize them?
Are there any items you regret cutting during your own renovation?
by Routine-Brick6922
23 Comments
Shade and seating. Otherwise what’s even the point of sitting on a boiling hot concrete slab. It’s not enjoyable just get roasted by the sun
seating and then shade.
You will NOT enjoy your outside area without shade or seating. If anything forgoing those will just make you regret spending money on the project.
I like the umbrella idea, being able to move it and tilt it and do whatever is a huge game changer. Looks good to me, honestly. Everything else can come as it comes.
It looks like everything is currently focused around the fire pit. Which you would use mostly at night and thus would not need a shade structure. The umbrella isn’t even covering the seating just a carpet on the ground. I personally would have put the money into greenery which would make the space more inviting and encourage more use. Plant a tree back there and eventually you will get free shade.
I get the shade part if you live somewhere it’s super hot. However, the reality is if you live somewhere that gets 100+ that shade is going to do very little and you won’t be spending time outside anyway.
I had a patio with no shade. It didn’t get used. Materials got uv damaged and brittle
You can add plants and lighting easily later.
Take the shade so you can comfortably use the space immediately.
Have you thought about plants that help create shade ?
Look into DIY outdoor lighting. Costco sells Volt lighting. Super easy to install. Will cost about $1k. Easy add on later
Wait until this guy finds out about shade trees.
On the topic of seating, have you had a fire and sat around it in the adirondack chairs? We have ‘upright’ chairs and adirondack chairs and found the angle / sitting deep in that seat wasn’t ideal for a fire pit, but great for shade / facing pool / etc. The upright chairs seemed a better fit for the pit… Just what we experienced, but wanted to throw it out there just in case you hadn’t compared.
Trees.
you can grow an entire garden from seed for like $100
Fall is nearly here, so you made the right call to enjoy what you have now. In the Spring (if you live in such a climate) start back up.
A pergola is pretty cheap, can build one yourself probably.
* shade
* trees and plants
* furniture
I can sit on old chairs, but with my skin I can’t sit outdoors without shade. I burn like a vampire (almost). So shade is nr 1 to keep.
Then trees, as they are the most time sensitive investment in a garden: they need more time to mature than the perennials. I can grow a lot of perennial/annual species from seed or ask friends for a sampling or cutoff to restart my collection of plants.
I can sit on my old furniture until it breaks down. I don’t mind a mismatched set of chairs, as long as they are practical. So no metal chairs or tabletop. I don’t like to put myself or my drink on something that becomes a teppanyaki grillplate in the sun.
How much was the slab
Finish sculpting and planting beds with shrubs and trees. Do the landscape,THEN add the furnishings that make the space useful.
Plants are everything to me so I will till the end of my days buy plants first and then buy shade umbrellas for my plants.
But it’s a nice space and you already have the umbrella so you can always add more plants and landscaping and lighting as you go and have the budget for it. (I get a load of my plants at the end of season when they go on discount and plant the perennials to enjoy the next year. It takes more time and patience and delayed gratification slightly but it’s a cheaper way to go about it)
Upside of choosing the umbrella first is it’s far less maintenance than goes into the plants!
At least plant a couple of trees. Well chosen for your lot size, as the benefits take years to develop.
Spend money on perennial shrubs to establish a garden. Otherwise it doesn’t look cozy or inviting to hang out.
You can add plants later, shade keeps you outside now
Lights can be added later, a year of growth cannot
Shade is important and i think i would make similar choices. I do think your priority next is trees of some sort for natural shade as that will make everything easier to do after. Trees take a long time and they provide shade benefit for other plants to grow and thrive without cooking in the sun.
Probably could have saved a good deal on your budget by installing a couple of shade sails instead of going with that big shade umbrella. That would have left you with more money for the greenery and lighting? Not trying to be negative but what’s the use of the umbrella and rug if doesn’t even cover the area where the chairs are at?
Like most people were saying though, the lighting and greenery could be added at a later a date.
Here’s a pic of a shade sail I just added to my back patio. I need to make a couple of adjust and get it a little tighter but it was like $20-30 for the sail and $10 for the hardware on Amazon.
https://preview.redd.it/ixwllecm0tfh1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1af1e8e6463a6015a187087e0a738d74debe743a