Our Gravel Patio Makeover: Where We Started & Inspiration for Ahead

I remember when we first moved into house in 2022. It was early autumn, and this home felt like a real answer to prayer. It was magic in our eyes, and our excitement was palpable. The previous owners left us a blue binder that showed what our new home had looked like at different points in its life. To this day I still love flipping through its pages and drawing inspiration from our home’s past iterations.

A constant mission of ours with this lake home is to restore some of its old glory, while also bringing it into a new phase that fits our family. Our Gravel Patio is no different.

As we begin our Gravel Patio Makeover, I first want to take a look at where we started, and where we’re drawing inspiration for ahead.

To start, let’s take a peek inside that blue binder…

Looking at the images above, there are a lot of things that have changed between 2012 and now. I LOVE the idea of having a gathering area on the gravel patio. We are unsure if we want to have a dining set down on the gravel patio or on the upper deck, but we are keeping our options open and are brainstorming!

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that this part of the Gravel Patio has given me a run for my money. LOTS of cutting back and pruning has been happening back here! It’s crazy seeing what this wall looked like in 2012, it looks so different now.

I love how intimate this pergola space looks. It seems like a quiet corner to perfect for cuddling up with a book. I especially love the bistro lights! Imagine the evenings here!

And now some inspiration for the future…

We don’t have any concrete plans for this Gravel Patio, more so an idea of how we want the space to function. Here are a few things we know we want it to feature:

1. Private space for meaningful conversations with friends and family.
2. Seating and a fire for roasting marshmallows and tacos in a bad after a day on the lake.
3. A dining space for eating allll the pesto pasta.
4. Mood lighting, because vibes are important.
5. Convenient space for our kids outdoor play, such as their kiddie pool, slide, and water table.

In other words, we’re planning on utilizing this Gravel Patio for a lot of different reasons, so it needs to be flexible, multipurpose, and be beautiful. I’ve created a Pinterest Board with images I’ve been leaning on for inspiration as we tackle this Gravel Patio Makeover.

Our Gravel Patio has a lot of limelight hydrangeas, which I’ve been busy rehabilitating. Be sure to follow along on Instagram for some bts of that process!

Long term we know we want to have a pergola again, and we have some big plans for a few years down the road. For now we’re focused on making this a usable, beautiful, and peaceful place perfect for everyday fun as well as hosting friends and family (my favorite thing).

Be sure to join the penpal list so you don’t miss any upcoming blog posts! I’ll be blogging every step of this Gravel Patio Makeover, from start to finish. So if you’re a nosy person like me (no shame), you’ll want to be on the email list. *wink*

Thanks for being here! Now head over to my IG for all the bts and daily content.