Photo: Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Ashley Graham is turning her new backyard into an outdoor living dream!
After purchasing her first home with her husbandJustin Ervinin suburban New Jersey, the model, 34, decided to get some help fromcelebrity interior designer Mikel Welchand the pay-over-time serviceAffirmto transform their outdoor area into the ultimate retreat, complete with the perfect area for summer entertaining.
“I approached the design of my new backyard just as I do my closet — mixing a few statement pieces with more affordable items,” Graham, 34, tells PEOPLE. Her backyard is outfitted with pieces from Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Amazon.
Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Graham currently lives in the home with Ervin and their three kids — 14-month-oldtwins Malachi and Roman, as well as 2-year-old sonIsaac Menelik Giovanniafter the family relocated from New York City.
Her designer, Welch, tells PEOPLE that Graham knew exactly what she wanted to do with the surrounding land around her house during their first meeting to discuss the project.
“Ashley told me she wanted a tranquil, family-friendly space without a lot of color,” he shares. “For the design of the outdoor living space, I opted for a neutral sectional sofa with a ton of pillows, and a matte black etched coffee table that could do double duty as a dining table.”
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Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Bringing his own flair to the makeover, Welch continues, “I wanted to give this space a twist, so I leaned toward creating a feeling of bringing the indoors outside.”
“Ashley wanted a retreat where she could stare at the pool on warm summer days, so I opted for modern wooden lounge chairs and umbrellas to flank the pool for a chic hotel vibe,” he explains.
Additionally, Welch brought in outdoor lanterns and flameless candles “to give ambiance in the evening around the catwalk pool walkway.”
All the items featured in Graham’s newly designed backyard can be foundhere.
source: people.com
