In April, Stephanie asked me to create and implement a design for her backyard deck. At the top of her list was adding a lot more privacy and just, making it pretty! There were a lot of great features to start with: an amazing sized deck, a gazebo, great furniture, and a hot tub. All it needed was some finishing touches and a strategy for privacy. I believe we achieved all that, and I love the way it turned out. I didn’t want to leave after we finished! Not only did the deck feel magical but working with Stephanie was really lovely. Let’s get to the before and after pictures!
Let’s start with the gazebo. They already had the love seat, chairs, and fire bowl. They had a set of red chair cushions, and red is a favourite colour of my clients so I used that as a jumping off point for the deck’s design. I added in a red outdoor area rug, red end tables, and various accent pieces. I rearranged the deck decor in the gazebo so that there was a clear path to enter on two sides and a clear path to the hot tub.
It feels like a really cozy room now, and it is also a wonderful view from the hot tub!
I mean, who doesn’t want to sit here? They already owned the love seat and chairs set, but Stephanie’s partner didn’t want the love seat in the gazebo because he felt it made the area too tight. This was something I knew going in. However, I was sure that with the right furniture placement, I could make it work and win him over. This was a surprise for Stephanie’s partner, and when he first saw the space he grinned and said, “I see you moved the love seat back to the gazebo”. Now, they both love it. Stephanie said to me, “It’s because the way you placed everything makes it work!”
One of the deck decor items Stephanie asked for was a towel rack so they would have a place to hang towels when they use the hot tub. We were batting around a lot of ideas when I came across these really cool plant stands for hanging planters. A man makes and sells them on Facebook Marketplace and I messaged him to see whether he would make us one in a custom size. He said yes, and we were in business! I added coat hooks to the front for the towels and we added a hanging planter to the middle. It’s really pretty and practical and it was the perfect choice for what we needed.
The other end of the deck needed more than just styling. The number one issue here was a need for more privacy. When you walked out the back door your view was the neighbour’s camping trailer. So I needed to fix that with my design. My solution was mirrors, twinkle lights, greenery, and a privacy screen.
To find perfectly sized mirrors was impossible without spending a lot more money than we wanted to. So I decided to make them myself. I bought mirrors that are intended for a wardrobe door from IKEA, and found some pressure treated wood on a wonderful swap page I am part of. The wood was half the cost of buying it new and it was exactly what we needed. These mirrors really do make the whole space. When you walk out the back door this is now their view.
It was impossible to find a privacy screen with the exact dimensions we needed. However, IKEA had one that was close enough that we could make it into the perfect size. Now instead of looking at a camping trailer, they get to feel like they are in a private magical garden.
For the seating area, we wanted to use the cast iron bistro set that Stephanie already owned. However, the top wasn’t very big and it wasn’t really practical to eat or work on it. I found a coffee table with a glass top on Facebook Marketplace with the right dimensions that transformed her existing set into the perfect size and function for the space. The cafe lights are another piece that makes this deck something very special. In all of Stephanie’s inspiration pictures, there were cafe lights or twinkle lights so I made sure they were included! Stringing the lights along the mirror and privacy wall not only gives light to that side of the deck but their reflection in the mirrors is really pretty.
I just love the way this deck decor all turned out. Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed all the before and after shots! If you have restyled your deck using items you already own, I’d love to see it @reclaiminghomedecorating.
