You know those backyard living spaces that conjure dreams of summer nights, parties with friends, and relaxing over a beautiful outdoor meal? Yeah…. so I had opposite of that. It was an embarrassing, barren, boring back deck that we had put (very) far on the back burner while we focused on remodeling the inside of our home during the winter.
After the snow melted, we were left with this. Shield your eyes my friends, it ain’t pretty….
Not only did the deck badly need a new stain job, but it also overlooks my back neighbor’s boat garage. Not the prettiest view. So when The Home Depot asked if I would participate in their Patio Style Challenge, I was thrilled to have a reason to focus on creating an outdoor living space my friends and family could finally enjoy.
I came up with a priority list and began brainstorming how I could create an intimate, beautiful, cozy space that felt like an extension of our home.
This is what I came up with. It’s hard to believe it’s the same space!
We stained the deck, and built a pergola from scratch (see my video tutorial for the deck staining on my blog, withHEART), then we made a curtain rod system using galvanized piping and hung drapes made from paint drop cloths. I’ve posted a video tutorial for the curtain rod system on my blog.
We added an ambiance and mood lighting by hanging string lights. A cluster of hanging lanterns give the look and feel of a light fixture, and the nifty battery operated faux candles I found at The Home Depot make them practical, safe, and easy to turn on and off. Take a look at my tutorial for the string lights and lanterns on withHEART.
I wanted the space to feel like an outdoor dining room, and the Hampton Bay Fall River dining set was the perfect addition. I selected a beautiful indoor/outdoor rug, also from The Home Depot, and went with the color scheme of navy, coral, teal, and white with touches of gray and gold.
No outdoor space is complete without some greenery, in my opinion, so I made two different types of planters.
I constructed a DIY hanging planter for a mini herb garden (see the video tutorial for the hanging planters on my blog), but here I’m sharing how I made these beautiful DIY painted cement planters. Watch this video tutorial for a full breakdown of what products I used and how I created the cement planters.
