Lighting really sets the tone for a space.  For an outdoor room, like our back deck, I didn’t want the only light source to be the porch light, but instead wanted a soft, warm, inviting glow with a dreamy feel.  I used a combination of string lights and lanterns for the outdoor lighting.  It was […]

Lighting really sets the tone for a space.  For an outdoor room, like our back deck, I didn’t want the only light source to be the porch light, but instead wanted a soft, warm, inviting glow with a dreamy feel.  I used a combination of string lights and lanterns for the outdoor lighting.  It was […]

   One of my favorite features on the new deck is the hanging planter herb garden.  I love fresh herbs for cooking, and this planter is not only practical, it’s also pretty.  If I didn’t fill it full of herbs, I would plant flowers and add some color to eye level. It was easy and […]

I really wanted the back deck to have the feeling of a comfortable room.  It needed a shade source, and I wanted to create an intimate and private setting, if desired.  Drapes were the perfect solution. But how do you hang drapes from a pergola?  I was worried about the durability of regular curtain rods, […]

If I was to pinpoint one thing that took our deck from just ok to wow, it would be the pergola.  It is hands down the most beautiful thing in the backyard and adds such a richness to the deck. When we were mapping out the design and construction plans, we weren’t sure we wanted […]

It’s here!  Today is the day!  I can finally spill the beans about one of the biggest projects in our renovation thus far– our back deck makeover. I mentioned a while back that the Home Depot asked me to be a part of their Patio Style Challenge.  They provide a patio set, and I makeover […]

Yesterday I spent an entire afternoon scraping 20 year-old gunk of out the cracks of my deck with a shim, getting the rest of it ready for it’s new coat of paint.  Yeah, it sucked.  But I know it will be worth it when the space is finished and pretty and functional. I’ve been busy […]

I’m sharing some exciting news today and it has to do with one horribly ugly eyesore in my backyard.  Why have I never posted any photos of my backyard, you may ask?  Well, if you knew the state of my back deck, you wouldn’t post any photos either.  Take a look:      (I would […]