Hello everyone,

Need some advice on how to organize this front yard. The original owner put in 4 different kinds of bricks (a weird half wall, the ground bricks, and then the raised flower boxes with large square paving stones in front) and I am at a loss as to how to salvage any of it. I am trying to find a way to organize it so it looks better but...the variation in material is making it hard. My wife loves the idea of the sitting area, and would prefer not to remove the ground brick. However as it currently stands it has terrible curb appeal. I am not opposed to taking everything out and starting fresh, but I would prefer not to. I also found about 100+ red bricks in the back yard so if it is possible to work with them, I figure why not.

That was layed a long time ago, or poorly laid.
There looks to be no solid base under any of it , so the only way to make it look good, much less better is rip it all out and put a solid base down.
Then you can decide how to make it look.

Where the quasi patio is, depending on how many more red bricks you have I would rip it up and make it an all red brick patio, then seal it with a gloss shiny paver stone sealer.
Putting a solid base under it is the most import thing if you want it to look good, so it is level or at least does not have humps and valleys.
A solid base for that is at least six inches of crushed rock well compacted.
Sealer can revive old stones appearance once laid.

RpR,

thanks a ton for your insight. I agree, and I think that was my problem-trying to work around a base that just looks trashy. I will level it out, redesign with brick, and finish with a sealer!

Again, really appreciate your comment!

Do not know your area but before you put in a base , you should first compact the dirt the base will be put upon.
If the dirt compacts easily you can probably get away with a 4 inch base but more is always better.

Obviously you will have to dig out and haul away some dirt but then put in 1 x 2 x 8 inch steaks .
Set them level and to the drop you want , 1/2 inch from the house to the edge is more than enough,
I use 4 to 8 foot 1/2 inch steel water line pipes, A: to gauge if they are level side to side B: if the drop from top to bottom is what I want.
Add crushed rock till it is to the top of the stakes, continually compacting, then lay the rods and screed dry, reapeat dry sand with them.
Remove and fill in the pipe gap as you lay.
After laying , them you must compact the bricks and rake dry sand to fill in the cracks.
They should drop about 3/8ths of an inch so take that into account when putting the stakes in.