Our Backyard Makeover: Screened Porch, Outdoor Fireplace, Pool and Recessed Hot Tub

I have always loved being outside, and for years I dreamed about creating an outdoor space at our house where we could spend as much time as possible as a family. My parents have a screened-in porch with a wood-burning fireplace at their lake place, and it’s always been one of my favorite places to sit, relax and spend time together. I knew someday I wanted to create that same feeling at our own house.

Now that our kids are getting older and they are preparing to leave home world, I wanted to create a backyard where they would want to hang out with their friends now, but also a place they would want to come back to someday with their own families. I wanted room for swimming, eating together, sitting by a fire, watching a game, making s’mores and enjoy being outside.

This year we finally did it, and instead of tackling the backyard in stages, we decided to do almost everything at once.

Umbrella | Umbrella Stand | Lounge Chairs | Water Basketball Hoop

What Our Backyard Looked Like Before

Before the renovation, we had a basic 14-by-14-foot covered deck off the back of our house. We used it all the time because we genuinely love being outdoors, but we knew there was so much more we could do with the space.

Once we decided to install a pool, it made sense to rethink the entire backyard at the same time. Our existing deck needed to be removed so the new pool decking could be poured, and rather than finish the pool and then tear things apart again later, we decided to build the backyard we really wanted all at once.

From start to finish, the main renovation took about three months. We still have landscaping and planting left to do, which we plan to tackle ourselves next spring, but all of the permanent structures are finished and we have already been enjoying the backyard so much.

How I Designed Our Backyard Using Pinterest, AI Renderings and a Hand-Drawn Plan

I designed most of the backyard myself, which was one of my favorite parts of this entire project. I started a Pinterest board and saved photos of outdoor spaces, pools, fireplaces and screened porches that had elements I loved. I also drew the layout by hand and created AI renderings so I could actually see some of my ideas before we started construction.

More importantly, those pictures helped me communicate what was in my head to our contractors. Instead of trying to explain everything with words, I could show them my hand-drawn plan, inspiration pictures and renderings and say, “This is what I’m trying to create.”

The finished backyard isn’t an exact copy of any one inspiration picture, but having those visuals made it so much easier to communicate the overall look and how I wanted all of the spaces to work together.

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Our Screened Porch with Retractable Screens

One of my biggest priorities was having a screened porch because I wanted that cozy feeling I have always loved at my parents’ lake house. Plus we live in the midwest where the mosquito is the unoffical state bird.

Our screened porch was 14 by 14 feet and sits right outside our kitchen patio door, which makes it incredibly convenient when we are entertaining, bringing food outside or just sitting outside as a family. We doubled the size so we half is covered and half is now uncovered.

We added retractable Centor screen doors along the entire 14-foot side that faces our uncovered deck. When they are closed, we have a comfortable screened-in porch that keeps the bugs out, but we can retract the whole section when we are entertaining and essentially connect the screened porch with the neighboring 14-by-14-foot dining deck.

That flexibility has been one of my favorite parts of the design because we aren’t committed to having the spaces separated all the time. We can change how the deck functions depending on what we are doing and how many people we have over.

We kept everything easy to maintain with Trex decking, a self-closing screen door and outdoor fabrics. Inside the screened porch, we have an outdoor couch and two swivel chairs from Costco, a simple black outdoor ceiling fan, ambient outdoor lighting and outdoor curtains.

The curtains ended up serving two purposes because they help block the sun when needed, but they also give us additional privacy since our neighbors are fairly close.

Our Outdoor Gas Fireplace and TV

The fireplace was something I knew I wanted from the beginning. While I would have loved a wood-burning fireplace like my parents have at the lake, adding one to our existing house was much more complicated than we wanted to take on.

Instead, we were able to get a similar look with an open ventless gas fireplace. We ran a gas line from our basement, built the fireplace six feet wide and finished it with stone (the color is casa blanca) and a limestone mantel.

It puts out a surprising amount of heat, which I love because it should extend the amount of time we can comfortably use the deck during our cooler months. The one thing I didn’t realize beforehand is that we can’t adjust the size of the flame, so that is something I would ask about if you are considering a similar fireplace.

The fireplace was also intentionally placed for privacy. Because our neighbors are close, the fireplace creates a visual break between the properties without making the deck feel closed in. With the fireplace in the center and outdoor curtains on either side, the porch feels much more private than it did before.

We mounted a regular TV above the fireplace rather than buying an outdoor TV. We use a Roku stick for streaming and bring the television inside for the winter, which has worked well for us and saved us from spending more on a dedicated outdoor model.

Outdoor Black & White Stripe Pillow Covers | Roku Fire Stick | Similar Teal Blanket | Similar Outdoor Curtains | Similar Side Table

Outdoor Black & White Stripe Pillow Covers | Roku Fire Stick | Similar Teal Blanket | Similar Outdoor Curtains | Similar Side Table

Why We Chose Trex Decking Instead of Wood

We had real wood decking before this renovation, and even with regular maintenance, it had already started to warp after about six years. Since we were investing so much into the permanent parts of this backyard, we wanted the new deck to be something we wouldn’t constantly have to stain, repair and maintain.

We chose Trex composite decking for both 14-by-14-foot deck areas and paired it with black railing. So far, we have also been really happy with the traction. It doesn’t feel slippery to us, which was something I wondered about when choosing decking this close to a pool.

The screened side functions more like an outdoor living room, while the uncovered section holds the eight-person gray woven dining table we already owned. Because both sections are right outside the kitchen, the entire area works really well when we have people over.

Why We Chose a Latham Olympia Fiberglass Pool

For the pool, we chose a 16-by-35-foot Latham Olympia fiberglass pool in the White Pearl finish. We chose white becuase the water looks like caribbean water.

Low maintenance was important to us, and one of the reasons we felt comfortable choosing fiberglass was the 50-year warranty. The Olympia also had the layout we wanted, including a corner sun deck with steps leading into the pool. It gradually slopes to six feet deep and has a four-inch ledge running the full length of the pool at approximately three feet deep. Something to note, there is a texture on the floor of fiberglass pools but they can still be slippery. We didn’t add a railing to the exterior of the pool but that might be something to consider.

Before we installed it, someone told us that if we could maintain our hot tub, we could maintain a fiberglass pool, and so far that has been completely true for us. I was prepared for pool maintenance to be much more intimidating than it actually is.

We use a robot vacuum, which we affectionatley named Scooter, that handles most of the regular cleaning and have another pool vacuum we pull out occasionally when we need it. Overall, keeping the pool clean has been surprisingly easy. We do pay for the pool to be opened and closed annually.

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Adding an Automatic Safety Cover to Our Pool

We also added an automatic safety cover (required by local code) with a lock and key.

The cover is connected to the pool and operated through a switch inside a locked box, so you need the key to access the switch and open or close the pool. When the pool isn’t being used, we keep a sump pump on top of the cover so rainwater is automatically pumped away.

An unexpected benefit is how much the cover helps hold the heat in the pool. We haven’t needed to heat the water nearly as much as I expected because we aren’t losing as much heat when the pool isn’t being used.

The Pool Expenses We Didn’t Know to Budget For

One thing I wish we’d understood better before starting was how much work would be left around the pool once the actual pool installation was complete.

The pool installation itself doesn’t necessarily mean your entire yard gets put back together. In our case, we still needed to think about landscaping, replacing sod and repairing portions of our irrigation system, and those expenses can add up.

While we did do the hardcaping (rock, etc), we decided to wait on most of the plants and do it ourselves next spring. Quite frankly I ran out of energy. I hope to add some hydrangae bushes and taller grasses in the spring. We shall see!

We splurged on the pool and deck, but used our existing outdoor dining table and bought everything else mostly from Costco and Amazon.

Recessing Our Hot Tub Into the Pool Deck

One of my favorite decisions in the entire backyard actually came from something I remembered from years ago. I babysat for a family that had a recessed hot tub, and I always loved how easy it was to get in and out and how much better it blended into their outdoor space.

Our partial walkout backyard gave us the perfect opportunity to do something similar. I asked our builder to do this when we built and he said no (LOL). Note to self, where there’s a will there’s a way. I’ve learned to advocate for what I want and this project was no different.

Our eight-person Hot Spring spa sits in the lower walkout portion of the yard, while the pool sits at the higher daylight-window elevation. We recessed the hot tub so only about 12 inches of it shows above the pool deck, then brought Castle Stone right up to the spa so you can step directly into it from the pool deck.

We also added limestone steps connecting the pool deck to our basement entrance and hot tub area. In the summer, the kids can hop back and forth between the swimming pool and hot tub, and in the winter we can walk straight out of the basement and get into the hot tub without trekking across the backyard.

From the swimming pool, you can see the hot tub without looking at the entire side of a large freestanding spa, so it feels much more integrated into the overall backyard. Plus, you can sit in the hot tub and feel like you’re part of the converastion happening on the pool deck and pool.

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The Semicircle Pool Deck and Firepit We Almost Didn’t Add

Another part of the backyard that almost didn’t happen was the semicircle at the end of the pool.

Originally, we considered landscaping completely around that end, but I wanted different places to sit depending on the time of day and what everyone was doing. Literally, as they were forming the concrete, I had them add a semicircle to the pool deck gave us another gathering space where we could put chairs and a gas firepit.

It has turned out to be such a good decision. We used our 17 year old furniture out there for now but someday we will get some black adirondack chairs. I wanted to see if we’d use it and turns out wed do! We sit around the fire, make s’mores and still watch the kids in the pool, but the opening also allows the pool area to flow directly into the grass.

Our kids actually use that connection all the time. They will jump out of the pool, run into the yard to throw a football around and then jump right back into the water. I’m glad we didn’t landscape that entire side because having the pool connected to a usable grassy area works so much better for the way our family actually lives.

Our Poolside Furniture and Basketball Hoop

We wanted the furniture around the pool to be comfortable without creating another maintenance job, so I intentionally chose lounge chairs without cushions. We get plenty of rain, and I didn’t want to constantly worry about putting cushions away or waiting for them to dry.

The lounge chairs dry quickly, are easy to move when we want to reconfigure the space and are still substantial enough that they don’t get blown around every time a storm comes through.

We also added an umbrella, umbrella stand and basketball hoop, which has already been a hit with our teenagers. They love playing basketball in the pool, while I am usually perfectly happy sitting nearby in a lounge chair.

Umbrella | Umbrella Stand | Lounge Chairs | Water Basketball Hoop | Similar Gas Firepit

The Rock Water Feature I Am So Glad We Added

The water feature was another addition that I am really glad we didn’t skip.

We found the rock water feature at a local landscaping yard, and it can run continuously, even during the winter. The landcapers added it when they did all our hardscaping. You can hear the soft trickle of water while sitting on the deck or around the pool, and it adds this peaceful background sound that completely changes the feeling of the space.

There are obviously much bigger features in this backyard, but this relatively simple addition is one of my favorites because I love the relaxing, almost zen feeling it creates. I’ve always wanted a water feature.

For now, we added simple solar-powered stake lights from Amazon around the yard, and next spring but they added the wiring so we can easily add permanent landscape lighting in the future.

Creating Storage Without Seeing All the Pool Stuff

With a pool comes a lot of stuff, and I didn’t want pool toys and supplies taking over the deck. Not to mention, it gets windy in Iowa and I didn’t want it all to blow away.

Because our fireplace extends all the way to the ground, it created a hidden area underneath the deck behind it. We reused limestone pavers we had before and made a path underneath. We tucked a deck box into that space, so we can easily grab pool toys when we need them without looking at a storage box from the main outdoor living areas and it’s hidden from our neighbors too.

It isn’t the most exciting part of the backyard makeover, but it is one of those practical details that helps the finished space actually function for our family.

Designing a Backyard Our Family Will Actually Use

Every mornign I sit and have my coffee on the screened porch. I can’t wait to get the fireplace going and watch a football game on TV this fall. If it’s nice outside, you’ll find us eating around the outdoor dining table. We’ve found that now that we have our own pool, if the kids want to swim for 30 minutes they can or we can make it a whole day. They love to be in the pool playing, while I watch them in one of the lounge chairs by the water.

Because the deck is directly outside our kitchen, entertaining has been easy too. We can cook inside, carry everything straight outside and have people spread between the screened porch, dining deck, pool, hot tub, firepit and yard without everyone feeling like they need to sit in the same place.

We’ve already hosted friends and family, and seeing people actually use all of these spaces has been one of my favorite parts of the project.

Umbrella | Umbrella Stand | Lounge Chairs | Water Basketball Hoop | Similar Gas Firepit

Umbrella | Umbrella Stand | Lounge Chairs | Water Basketball Hoop

Would We Do Anything Differently?

So far, there really isn’t anything I would change.

I’m especially glad we recessed the hot tub, added the rock water feature and kept the semicircle at the end of the pool. All three were decisions we could have simplified or skipped, but they have made a big difference in how the backyard looks and, more importantly, how we use it.

If I were giving someone one piece of advice before starting a backyard renovation like this, it would be to think about how you actually want to live outside before you start choosing all of the finishes.

Think about where people will sit in the morning and evening, where the kids will play, how people will move from the house to the pool, where wet towels and pool toys will go, whether you need shade or privacy, and how you want to use the space when it isn’t the middle of summer.

For us, that meant choosing low-maintenance materials, creating several different gathering spaces and finding ways to make the backyard work through more of the year instead of designing everything around pool season alone.

A Backyard We Hope Our Kids Keep Coming Home To

As much as I love the way the backyard turned out, the reason we did all of this was never just to have a pretty backyard.

Our kids are getting older, and we wanted to create a place where they would want to bring their friends and spend time at home. Someday, we hope it is also the house they want to come back to with their own families.

I love the idea that this will be the backdrop for summer afternoons in the pool, football games in the yard, s’mores around the fire, family dinners outside, cool nights in front of the fireplace and winter walks out of the basement to the hot tub.

We’ve already made so many memories here with friends and family, and we’re just getting started.