Ashley Graham Makes Over Her Family's New NJ Backyard with Help from Designer Mikel Welch

Shafiq Najib
·2 min read
Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.

Affirm/Donna Dotan.

Ashley Graham is turning her new backyard into an outdoor living dream!

After purchasing her first home with her husband Justin Ervin in suburban New Jersey, the model, 34, decided to get some help from celebrity interior designer Mikel Welch and the pay-over-time service Affirm to 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.

She added of her project partner, "I love that by purchasing everything from an outdoor couch to accent pillows with pay-over-time option Affirm, you're able to stay in control of your budget while bringing your vision to life."

Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.

Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.

RELATED: Ashley Graham on Her Near-Death Childbirth Experience, Reveals She Previously Suffered Miscarriage

Graham currently lives in the home with Ervin and their three kids — 14-month-old twins Malachi and Roman, as well as 2-year-old son Isaac Menelik Giovanni after 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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Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.
Ashley Graham Teams Up with Affirm and Designer Mikel Welch for Her Backyard Makeover. Photo credit to Affirm/Donna Dotan.

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.

RELATED: Ashley Graham Says It Took 'Lots of Tears' Before Successfully Tandem Nursing Her Twin Boys

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 found here.

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