I know that sometimes all you see is the pretty.
Well get ready for some ugly…really ugly…
This is how our deck looked before I finally got out there and cleaned it up!
Seriously, how does it end up like this?
No…take it all in: peeling deck paint; cardboard from spray paint project (from months ago); nasty, dirty, faded cushion covers; green growth on the deck; and do you want to know what has been driving me crazy since we reclaimed our back yard?
That weird deck seating around the perimeter!
You don’t think it’s so weird? This is for someone who wants to have twenty friends over but doesn’t want to commit to deck furniture. I don’t like it at all and it takes up so much space!
You know what I did before I even tell you, don’t you? You know me so well…
I got rid of it!! (Happy dance!) It looks so much bigger already! That bench was taking up two feet of space all the way around this side of the deck!!
Are you ready for some pretty now??
Tada!
The deck has been scrubbed, wire brushed, sanded here and there, and received a fresh coat of deck stain.
I made new cushion covers. If you missed it, you can see the full tutorial here. (Really easy!)
This is the before, yikes!!
That photo was actually pinned a few times; I hope that was in error!
I found this sand/water table at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago for $20.
I love that it has a lid so I can close it up. I attached an umbrella to the deck railing to provide shade while Brennan plays here. The sun can be brutal at certain times of the day.
Ok, more ugly…this is the other side before (It’s a good thing I love my neighbors since I can hit them with a spitball from where I’m standing!):
I don’t really have any words for this picture. I think I better just keep my mouth shut and move on to the good stuff. On second thought, I feel like I should say I’m sorry, and I won’t let it happen again…it’s just that bad…
Welcome back deck! I thought I was going to have to give it CPR because it looked like it wasn’t going to make it!
I’ve had this furniture for years. It started out white believe it or not.
I just freshen it up every season with a fresh coat of paint. Compare it to the before…it looks brand new again!
I made these cushion covers two years ago, but they still look pretty good. That’s probably because they live under the umbrella!
They are one of the reasons I stayed with the same color palette when I chose my new cushion fabrics.
The other reason is that I wanted something that matched my outdoor rug from last year. Would you believe that this rug is made out of recycled plastic??
Go on, take a closer look:
I LOVE this rug! In fact, I loved it so much that I bought another one this year. Can you guess which one is the new one? You would never be able to tell that this close up is the…OLD one! It still looks brand new!
Because it’s plastic, it won’t mildew, dry rot, or absorb stains!! Mine hasn’t faded either in the year that I’ve had it and I left it out all Winter!
It’s made by “Mad Mats”. This style is a 6×9 called Oriental Garland in the teal/brown color, but they have a lot of choices. (This is NOT a sponsored post, I just love these rugs!) I purchased mine on Amazon.
Isn’t this little rocker sweet?
She was another yard sale find.
In April, I shared my back yard makeover that took place last Summer. You can see bits and pieces of it in these pictures.
I’ll be sharing an update soon, so you can see how much it has grown in a year. The rain finally took a break so I could take some pictures!
I used some of our left over flagstone from the pathway out front to create an interesting landing at the bottom of the steps. It’s trimmed out in the granite blocks from our old landscape.
If you missed the circular patio I created with the rest of them, you can see it here.
Here’s that before again:
And the after…
Big improvement, right?! Be sure to come back soon so you can see how much my back yard has filled in since last year.
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I appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time out of your busy day to pay me a visit! Hope to see you again soon!
XO,
andi says
Looks awesome! My deck pretty much looks like your before pic…. 🙂
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Andi! That’s the great thing about having a blog…things get done haha! Otherwise, it might still be crapola out there! 🙂
Vicki says
Looks wonderful! Do you travel to other states to do deck makeovers??? We need one badly. Wish ours looked as good as yours! Vicki in KY
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Vicki! Ha ha…yours can’t possibly be as bad as mine was!! 🙂
Mandy Hank says
It looks amazing Christy!!! You really did an awesome job on the transformation!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Mandy! 🙂
Amy says
What a transformation! It looks wonderful.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Amy! So glad you stopped by! 🙂
Leena Lanteigne says
You did a great job! Everything looks brand new and taking away that bench seating really did open up the deck! Way to go! Love it! Hugs, Leena
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Leena! I’ve been after my husband to tear that seating out for over year now. I finally just decided to do it myself! I’m so much happier with it! Thanks for visiting! 🙂
Denyse @ Glitter, Glue & Paint says
Christy, your deck looks great! I love the colors. I need to check into those rugs.
xoxo
Denyse
http://www.glitterglueandpaint.com
glitterglueandpaint@gmail.com
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Denyse! Can you tell how much I love my rugs ha ha?!
Krista @thehappyhousie says
Wow! I would love to sit and enjoy some time on your deck… while the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves in your beautifully landscaped amazingly kid friendly back yard. Incredible job all around Christy!!
Christy K. James says
Ok let’s trade for a few days so I can enjoy your amazing deck with it’s gorgeous lake view!!
Dianne @ Sweet Journey Home says
The deck makeover looks great! Love the colors and the designs…
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Dianne! I’m so glad you stopped by!
Laurie@Laurie's Little Bits of Creativity, etc. says
New follower here visiting from A Stroll Thru Life’s Inspire Me Tuesday linky party. Your deck turned out beautifully. I love the rugs and am going to check them out. I am in desperate need of a rug for our deck. Would have to bring it in during winter though. Our winters in upstate NY can be pretty rough. I am also going to check out your cushion tutorial. Thanks for sharing.
Christy K. James says
Thanks for the visit, Laurie! 🙂
Mary Alice Patterson says
Your deck looks beautiful after all of your hard work!! The rugs are great and pretty impressive how well they’ve held up outside.
Mary Alice
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Mary Alice! It REALLY needed help! The sad thing is, this is our view from our main living space…now it’s pretty to look out there! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Suzan says
What a beautiful little sanctuary – that carpet is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!
Visiting from Savvy Southern Style!~
XOXXO
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Suzan!! I had to brag about my rugs because I love them so much! Thanks for visiting! 🙂
andrea says
It’s a total outdoor room, you did a great job!
the cape on the corner says
what a great spot, and I love the idea of attaching the umbrella. enjoy!
Christy K. James says
Thanks! Every little bit of shade helps! 🙂
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
I had no fear looking at your first photos because I knew you’d make it gorgeous!! And you did! Fabulous…I love it. (and your yard is amazing, I know, you already know I love it but I’m having yard envy and had to say it again!! 😉 ) And I’m in need of rugs for my screened porch that won’t mildew, get funky…I’m def checking those out! Glad we got some sun so you could snap those pics…it’s been crazy with the rain lately!
Have a great rest of the week Christy and thanks for sharing on PI!
Nancy
Christy K. James says
You’re funny! I’m in the process of putting together a backyard update. It has really filled in since last year, too! These rugs are awesome!! I haven’t seen a more beautiful outdoor rug anywhere. They have a lot of patterns to choose from! And yes, yay for sun…but 95 degrees???! Lol! Have a great day! 😉
Leslie Lambert says
Gorgeous deck…great job! This would be perfect to link up to my Create It Thursday post…it’s live now!
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Leslie! It’s already linked up 🙂
Gail @ BibleLoveNotes.com says
Looks inviting, like a great place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee : )
I love the little rocker and the stone path.
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much , Gail!
Amanda R. says
Beautiful space! Thank you for the cushion tutorial. Can’t wait to try. Do you remember which paint you used on the chairs? I have a set very similar to yours and I get seriously overwhelmed in the spray paint aisle. Thanks!
Christy K. James says
Hi Amanda! I used Rustoleum, but I’m afraid I don’t have the can to share the color. Nothing fancy for sure. Just a plain brown Rustoleum (my fav)!
Kim says
Love your cushion tutorial. My husband and I have been looking for months for the “right” cushions for our patio furniture, but its just so expensive. I think I’ll try making me own and following your step by step guide.
Christy K. James says
Great, Kim! They really are so easy to make. I’d love to hear how they turn out 🙂
Linda Mann says
Hi Christy. I just finished covering my lanai furniture cushions using your blog. It worked beautifully, although, because I used Sunbrella fabric, I created the closures with Velcro tape sewed on instead of hand-sewing. Thanks for the suggestions. I enjoy your blog!
Linda
Christy K. James says
Oh that’s awesome, Linda! I’m so glad you found my tutorial helpful! 🙂
annie says
LOVE the cushion makeovers and just the right amount of instructions and DIY confidence booster I was looking for. I will be waiting outside the fabric store with measurements in hand bright and early tomorrow morning. Just goes to show that with a little imagination, spunk and elbow grease a beautiful canvas created by your own hands can be had by all for very little $. Cheers!
Christy K. James says
Thanks so much for the wonderful comment, Annie! This is why I love sharing…I’m so excited that you are feeling inspired. Good luck with your cushions 🙂
Amanda says
how do you repaint the metal on your chairs? What sort of prepping is required for that? Do you think you could take that same method and apply it to an out door metal railing?
Christy K. James says
I used Rustoleum spray paint (my favorite). It makes them look brand new again! You should have no problem spray painting a metal railing as long as any chipping paint has been removed first. 🙂
gini says
New follower here and have been exploring your blog all day! I love the mix of inside and outside diy. Curious what kind of deck stain/paint you used and how its held up?? Thank you for the great inspiration 🙂
gini
Christy K. James says
Hi Gini and welcome! Glad you found some things that interest you here! The stain we used is Cabot Semi-Solid Deck and Siding Stain in Redwood. It has held up really well an the coverage is great! 🙂
Karyl Panion says
FABULOUS! You totally rock! Now come to my house and help me stain my concrete patio 😉
Christy K. James says
Ha ha Thank you! XO