Well, our goal was to get to enjoy our deck by Labor Day and we squeaked in with just a few days to spare. And in case you couldn’t tell, I’m jazz hands excited about it. Don’t ask me what this move is called. John just picked up the camera and aimed it at me and this happened. It’s a pose straight out of Kids Incorporated.
We probably would have taken a rickety card table and some metal folding chairs, so we’re psyched to have found actual end-of-season discounted furniture to put out there for the long haul – but we definitely have more in mind for finishing things off (more on that in a minute). Oh and we mentioned that we have to wait a bit to stain or seal this baby (more on that here) so that will definitely add a lot more richness to the wood so it looks a lot more polished.
As for the process of bringing furniture out there, first we plopped our freshly sealed World Market table down in the middle of the deck (centered between our two zippered seams, which will be a lot more obvious when the wood shrinks up a bit and gets sealed/stained so it’s a richer color). You can see from the pic below that there’s not a giant amount of room on each side of the table, but it’s almost three feet (on each side), which is thankfully workable for us. Each board is 6″ wide, so it’s around 32″ of clearance.
Now let’s fast-forward to the fun part. Not only did we add our acacia wood chairs from Joss & Main (which we think will be a similar color to the deck once it’s stained or sealed), but we brought in some pillows, a runner, and some other accessories. Come on, you guys know I couldn’t resist that stuff if I tried. It’s a sickness. I have pillow problems.
Let’s get close enough to lick that yellow chair, shall we?
On the table we have a runner we’ve had for about three years along with a yellow thrift store dish that I use to hold our napkins and some other outdoorsy items (like our yellow gurgle pot, a woven decanter, and some woven cups – all found at HomeGoods over the years). And as for the fun ikat-ish outdoor seat cushion, that’s from Garden Ridge. They have like three giant aisles full of outdoor seat cushions for anyone who’s on the hunt.
And although the space on either side of the table looks a little tight in the shots above, I was just cropping those tighter so my accessories could shine. Haha. And we’re back to pillow problems. Anyway, here’s a better shot from the side so you can see the room behind the chairs (which are pulled out a bit in this shot, but not all the way):
If someone’s in them it usually leaves around a foot and a half for scooting behind them (with someone in the chairs they usually bump out to the other end of the board that they’re on in the pic above, which leaves around 16″ behind them for scooch-age). It’s not enough room to do a pirouette, but it works for slipping by. Whew. We’ve also talked about pushing the table up against either side of the house if we ever want more clearance, but so far it has been all good. You know we’ll keep you posted if we rearrange things though!
But enough layout chitchat. Let’s focus on the important stuff. Like this yellow ceramic fish that makes my heart sing.
Oh yeah, and we still have those bird napkins from Ikea that we used for Clara’s party. They keep making them so every time we slip through we stock up on more. Can’t. Leave. Without. Bird. Napkins.
Here’s a little makeshift just-for-now corner that I tossed together (mostly for Clara since it’s a nice little play-zone over there). Eventually we’d love to add a larger seat (preferably something plush) along with some large potted plants to lush up that hard little corner of wood and brick (and keep any children from trying to climb over the chair / hop that railing). And of course that woven toy basket does best indoors, so it’s something I just tote in at the end of the evening.
I borrowed the green drum stool from the guest room (originally from HomeGoods for $39), and actually found that rabbit at Marshall’s last week for $12. I think he’s thoroughly enjoying the new deck. Oh and that cactus thing is Clara’s toy but I totally play with it too (it’s by Plan Toys). And this outdoor pillow is also from Garden Ridge.
We set everything out on the deck yesterday afternoon while Clara was napping, so when she woke up we got to do a big reveal for her. Not surprisingly she said “ooh the pretty pretty deck!” and ran over to the little basket of toys that I had dragged out there and went nuts. That’s my girl. And Burger followed right behind her. See him lurking in the bottom corner? He’s just waiting for his turn with the giant orange ball.
Wait, how have we not talked about the yellow chairs?! They were my dream from the very beginning (back when I made this mood board) and although I heard a few tips that they sold them at Menard’s for something like $39, the best I could find (there sadly isn’t a Menard’s in our area) was $51 with free shipping through Joss & Main. But they came painted with outdoor automotive paint (read: durable) and were sealed and ready to be put out (wahoo! no additional prep work like the table and chairs!) so here’s hoping they hold up for a nice long time.
I worried they wouldn’t be comfy at the table since they might be too low or bulky, but with the added seat cushion they’re just the right height (they were a tad too low without it) and the arms actually tuck under the table, so they can even be pushed in. In the end, they’re the best seats in the house on the deck. Here’s Burger demonstrating their comfy-factor. Rough life he has.
Oh and remember how we mentioned that we were required to add a little extra railing to meet our county’s code? Well it’s actually super handy since Clara uses it to get up and down. Wahoo. Although last night we ended up digging out her old baby gate and setting it up in front of the stairs to keep her and Burger hostage on the deck instead of worrying about them running up and down while we’re out there. Worked like a charm.
And as for our deck plans down the road, we’d love to:
- add big bulb string lights draped overhead for the length of the deck
- bring in a lot more planters/plants to soften the harsh angles and edges
- add that big plush chair for the play corner that we mentioned, along with more Clara-friendly stuff like a sand & water table
- paint that darn electric meter (more on that in a second)
- build a small paver patio at the bottom of the deck steps for the BBQ (since it’s currently over on the patio where we play but never eat)
- build a gate that’s prettier than the old baby gate we’re using now (we rented a beach house once with a deck gate and it was awesome for kids/dogs)
- stain/seal the deck once the wood has dried out/is ready for it
- we’d even eventually love to paint the siding a medium gray tone that’s in the brick/mortar so it feels more balanced someday
So there you have our freshly furnished deck (at this point the patio is totally complaining because he was completed last year but still only has two adirondak chairs to his name, haha). Someday we’ll get back to that side of the house again. In the meantime, let’s all just take a moment to soak up one universal truth. The weird little alley that we inherited with our house is no more:
Ding, dong, the alley’s dead!
Oh and see that ugly electric meter on the left of the shot above? Ugh. I’m totally planning to paint it to match the brick like we did back in our first house when something similar was cluttering up our patio. It seems like it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but it’s kind of amazing how much paint can help things like that blend. Check out this pic from this old post back in 2009. They’re not invisible, but they’re a lot less “look at me!” than they were when they were all gray. And in our county you own those boxes, so it’s ok to paint them (it’s always good to call your county and check if you can before you have at it).
Oh and since we’re on the subject of what once was, here’s the old view from the hallway off of the living room and kitchen before Project Deck The Alley began. A nice little rotting balcony complete with some weeds and a straight shot at the air conditioner.
And here it is now. Wahooo! No more weediness, rotting wood, or air conditioner in sight!
We’d love to switch those sliders out with french doors to swank things up – in fact we’re pricing out a few options to see if it’s something we can do now (whee!) or something we need to wait and save up a bit more for (womp-womp). Will keep you posted! And as for what big project we’ll be tackling next, we’re debating between whipping our crazy not-even-functional-anymore basement into shape or adding some wainscoting/board & batten to our yawn of a hallway (not our frame one, the one that leads to Clara’s room). We’ll let you guys know where we land as soon as we… land. Haha.
But let’s end this little deck dalliance with the what’s your favorite part game. I’m the most obsessed with the yellow chairs and the ikat cushions. John loves the giant table that he can’t wait to “fill with food.” Perhaps there are gurgle pot lovers out there? Or you’re like Clara and you’re the most into the $2 ball from Target?
Psst- You can see how we planned, sourced, and built this beast of a deck here and see how we planned to furnish things a while back in this little mood board post.
Meredith says
I have deck envy… it looks fantastic! It is so impressive that John built it from the ground up!!
As for your next project, I highly suggest cleaning/organizing your basement. We are doing that b/c my BF inherited our house from his grandpa and we have a lot of old furniture and stuff to get rid of… let me tell ya, it feels SO good to see floor and walls that haven’t seen the light of day for a while, haha. We are also finding cool stuff like his grandpa’s WWII army lockers! Dare I say, cleaning our basement is actually fun?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s very tempting indeed! I get a total rush of cleaning/organizing something – especially something that’s so far gone. Our basement not only has our junk but junk from the previous owners! I bet we’ll find some pretty interesting things…
xo,
s
Giulia says
What a difference a deck makes! Congratulations on another successful project. Not to see an air-conditioner makes such a difference and now you have usable space – yipppiii!
Lori says
It looks amazing! Your hard work totally paid off to give you another gorgeous outdoor space. Now take a break and enjoy it :-)
Shiron says
I have been waiting for this post!! Nice job – i love the mitchmatched (sp) chairs and once the deck is stained it will really cozy up the space. How is it that you always have the perfect accessories on hand?? I always end up having to go out to get accessories for a room or project I finish — nice job John and Sherry!
YoungHouseLove says
I think the answer to that is that I have too many accessories. Haha. It’s a problem!
xo
s
Koliti says
Today’s post title should be –
“All Jazz Hands on Deck”
(haha!)
Woot to the WOWZA! Fun happy spot – happy decorating!
Can’t wait for the “icing on the cake” – string lights.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahhhahah, how did I not come up with that title? I love it.
xo,
s
Laurie H. says
Love that yellow chair! I just moved into my new apt with a little balcony, and I was already planned to spray paint the two metal chairs and little table from my mom’s backyard a lovely, bright, sunshiney yellow, with blue and green outdoor pillows that I swiped super on sale at Tuesday Morning! Cuteness! YHL is totally rubbing off on me :)
Valarie says
Congratulations! What a beautiful use of an awkward space. Love the happy colors!
Lauren says
I’m a big fan of the yellow chairs with ikat cushions too! Great job!
Reenie says
Love… Love…. Love
Great job building John… great job on the decor Sherry….. great job looking cute ~ Clara & Burger. ha!!
=)
Sandi says
Love the table, the chairs, well… ALL OF IT!
A french door would be awesome-sauce. I can’t help but notice that light hanging down in the last shot. Any plans to change that out?
YoungHouseLove says
The hallway light? We love that guy! It’s not a great pic of it since it’s dark, but it’s a pretty white and gray stained glass chandelier – very carera marble-ish!
xo,
s
Sandi says
Ah, that’s likely it!
Ryan says
My favorite part is the Kids Incorporated reference… Oh, you mean of the deck? I think it all looks great! Very smart use of an awkward space.
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
I love it! Especially those yellow chairs! So gorgeous! WAY better than before!
Nicole @ Post Grad says
Ooooooh I love it! You should hang some lights across it to give it some nighttime pizzazz too!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, they’re on the bulleted to-do list at the bottom. Love that!
xo,
s
Carrie says
Looks so good! Like that spot was always meant for a deck.
I love the yellow chairs the best. Mostly because I have 2 and I love them so! They were a gift from my dad who travels for work and has a home improvement store obsession. Thanks Dad! And Menards!
YoungHouseLove says
You lucky lady! I would have killed for a Menards! Haha.
xo,
s
Carrie says
We don’t have a Menards actually but the area he travels too a lot (about 3 hours away) has one and sometimes I get the perks of that.
Wendy says
Huge Gurgle pot fan. It’s my “go-to” hostess gift.
Love your deck! It looks like such a happy place. You will love it once you have a swinging, lockable gate to stop the escapes down the stairs. We don’t have a fenced back yard, so the deck becomes the outdoor hangout for our puppy.
Courtney says
It looks awesome, fantastic work!!!
My favourite part? Probably the yellow chairs and the stairs. I dig well-done deck stairs. :)
Laura says
Gurgle jug! I have such an obsession with them right now….
Shannon says
Love it! It makes such a huge difference. I have so many projects started and waiting to start in my fixer-upper that I don’t think will ever get done and I’m totally stressed about it. I love that you guys dive right in and get it done. My favorites are the yellow chairs, the fish planter, and Clara’s cactus haha. It looks cute out there.
OntarioGirl says
love it!! I love the mix of wood, white and all the colorful accessories and chairs :)
Brittany - Life of a Bama Girl says
I have been anxiously waiting to see what the finished deck would look like! It looks amazing!
Laura @ My Pink Thumb says
It looks fantastic you guys!!!! :)
LauraC says
Never wanted a deck before, but now I’m a bit jealous. ;-) Looks great!
Rachel says
Looks amazing. Can’t wait to see it filled out with plush plants and outdoor lights.
Can I request a romantic outdoor tablescpae?
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh, you know I love a good tablescape!
xo,
s
tracy a says
You did it! Hooray! And, on another note, I have a completely unrelated question. I just painted my entryway door last night (needs another coat), and I painted the inside and the outside the same colour–a slightly mustardish yellow. I tried to find a shot of your yellow door closed, but didn’t have any luck. Is the inside of the door bright yellow too? I think my entryway looks slightly circus-esque now. And there are two outside doors there, so I had planned on doing them both the same colour. Help! Any advice?
YoungHouseLove says
We kept the inside of the door white and just did the front white (we did the same thing in our first house with the red door). Although sometimes I wish I did the back too! Might go back and do it someday if the urge stays strong! Haha.
xo,
s
Mamaw says
Good job! It looks great!!
Mary-Beth says
What a great improvement to your house! Beautiful!
Sharyn says
Squeal! I loved Kids Incorporated. K-I-D-S. Thanks for the happy flashback this morning. :)
Wom-mom Ethne says
I love the new view…and your jazz hands. I’m hoping you do your basement next. I’d love to see that transformation.
Sue says
LOVE IT! Wanting some of those yellow chairs!
Ginny @ goofymonkeys says
I love it!
I do find it curious that you were required to have a hand rail on the stairs – like you couldn’t use the railing alone to hold on the way down.
Oh and I was totally going to suggest adding a few strings of lights overhead, but I see you’ve got that covered :)
Deborah says
I have to ask – are you going to leave the runner/cushions/etc. outside all the time? I always love the look of a finished outdoor space with all the trimmings…but it rains here so much that I know I won’t always be able to get things in before they get soaked. And the thought of taking them off and on 3-4 times a week makes my head spin.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, that stuff is back inside! I’m just a weirdo and I can’t resist prettying things up with accessories whenever I get a chance! We did keep the furniture, the outdoor cushions, and the drum table out there since they’re ok with the weather, but things like the runner, the wicker basket and the glassware on the table came back in.
xo,
s
BrassyDel says
Do you have King Soopers or Kroger out there? They had brightly colored strings of chinese lantern shaped SOLAR outdoor lights in the seasonal stuff, which should be on clearance about now. The solar panels for outdoor lights are just those small black stakes, and maybe you could easily hide it on the roof? Next to the gutters or something? How nuce would that be – cheap clearance lights that never use electricity!
YoungHouseLove says
We have Kroger! Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Bethie says
I love the deck AND Kids Incorporated (K! I! D! S! YEAH!). Coincidence? I think not.
Okay, I have no idea what that means, but congrats on the deck!!
RLR says
This looks like such a nice place to sit and work (yahoo for wifi!), have morning coffee, or just hang out. I can’t pick a favorite thing! But – I am in love with the light just inside of the sliding doors. Don’t think I’ve ever noticed it before. I need to swap our a contractor-grade light on our upstairs landing….
Erica says
LOVE those yellow chairs! What a great project – you completely transformed that awkward space.
Angela says
Amazing! Great job with the vision, execution, and decoration!
Heather {ModernMealsforTwo} says
Yay! It’s so exciting to see it come together. I love the before and after shot because it really captures how you turned that awkward unsuable space into something very special.
Suni says
I love love love the yellow chairs they are such an amazing focal point that makes your eyes just light up then you keep going and everything just compliments each other so nicely.. what an amazing job you’ve done.. can’t wait to hear all about your first meal and first time entertaing family and friends out there!!
Amanda B says
Don’t leave those lovely cushions and pillows outside! I’d hate to see them destroyed like the porch!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man I’d be peeved if any squirrel or cat tried to mess with my new cushions. Haha For some reason the woodland creatures all seem to love the front porch but haven’t braved our deck yet. Nary a cat or squirrel in sight out there. Maybe since that side of the house faces our next door neighbor who has a barky dog? It’s like a built-in pillow securitiy system. Haha.
xo,
s
LaTonya says
Jon did such an amazing job on this deck! What a great hubby! I love how you guys demonstrate the process of gathering information on how to do a build like this. It helps readers with no experience feel like it actually is doable. Some may need more help more than others, but it certainly is a confidence builder. Keep doing what you are doing. Also, I love the idea you had to paint the siding and the electric meter. That woudld also make such a big difference! Best wishes!
Elizabeth says
My favorite part is probably the view from your hallway. It looks so inviting! It just beckons to you.
Stacey says
WOW!! It looks phenomenal! I think I would be creating excuses to sit outside and enjoy!!
Meanwhile, I keep looking at the photos of this renovation and all I can think is “oh my, they must have really increased the resale value of their house with this project.” I know that isn’t the reason you DIY…but do you have any sense of how your projects (like the kitchen, patio, deck, etc) have changed the value of your house?
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to get the seller’s agent who priced our house when the previous owners were selling it to come back out and tell us how she’d price it now. It would be so interesting to hear her take on what projects added value and how much!
xo,
s
Shauna @Satori Design for Living says
Looks fantastic. I can see why you’re stoked! We finished our deck last summer and it was nice to be able to enjoy it this year. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun hanging out and entertaining.
Gina says
When we built a screened in back porch on the back of our house we had the contractor box in our meter box. It has a door to access it by. It hasn’t ever been a problem and it looks 100% better!! :) Just saw your idea on the link of painting the gas tank and I need to do that desperately. I will definitely be checking with our gas company. :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s an awesome idea!
xo,
s
Suzanne says
Looks great! I love the yellow chairs. Hard work really pays off. We have some string lights from Target that have been going strong for 3 years on our deck, left out year round. They have really held up.
Go enjoy it! Makes me want to go pretty up my deck!
erin says
Deck looks great. An idea for your cozy corner is to incorporate a bench that doubles as a trunk. That way you get a seat that takes up the whole nook, and a place to stash/protect your outdoor cushions and other patio accessories when not in use. Much more convenient than lugging them inside and out, and a great dual function.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! Our only worry is children climbing up on it and going over the railing. We’ll have to see where we end up!
xo
s
Jenny says
Wow, I love it. All of your big projects turn out great but what I love about this one is that it’s kind of out of the blue. It would never have occurred to me to put a deck there, but it’s the perfect size for dining.
Nice work to both of you and especially to John for taking such a risk building a brand new type of project on his own.
Lauren says
Hi John and Sherry!
Love, love, love the deck! I feel like my summer is complete now that you all have completed it. haha. :) Just an FYI, re: switching out sliders for french doors. I’m not sure if you all every leave your sliders open for breeze, but my parents do all the time and decided to switch out theirs for french doors. Problem was, no screen anymore! So the bugs came right on in when the doors were open. :( Just an fyi in case you guys like the breeze from that direction.
Congratulations again on the deck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We don’t really open them much (the screen on this door has been broken since we moved in) but it’s something to think about!
xo,
s
Kellee says
We are switching our slider out for a french door this next spring. When we talked with our local Lowes, they sell screens for french doors at only $92. They also have screens that roll up so there is definitely a way to have a screen for french doors :)
Nicole says
Dana over at House Tweaking installed french doors in her remodel and I guess the newer doors do have screens.
Here is the link to the door post (although the whole remodel is remarkable):
http://www.housetweaking.com/2011/10/12/more-doors/
YoungHouseLove says
I love her blog! And those doors!
xo,
s
Sayward says
My apartment has french doors WITH sliding screen doors. The screens are easy to pop off the track if we want to throw both doors wide open. Usually we keep one of the french doors bolted shut (that multi-point locking feature) while still enjoying the overall french door look and we get a ton of use out of the screen.
Suzy Bryan says
Wow!!! Still amazed John(with help from Dad)built that deck.
Clara is going to love, love, love playing outside with her toys. She might even drag her crayons outside…what masterpieces she might create!!! Love the bird napkins from IKEA. Purchased the placemats at the Dallas Ikea this summer but did not see matching napkins. Love the placemats & funky birds. Seeing the green garden drum makes me remember the one I bought for like 19.99 at Big Lots 2 yrs ago needs sprucing up. Need to break out the cardboard and spray paint. I tell my sis I got my spray paint inspiration from you. I recently spray painted a burgundy frame I always disliked white…painted matte green and the picture pops…love it! Can’t wait to see more deck pics & cute Clara/Burger making memories.
Melissa Sharp says
about the sand and water table idea — don’t! Water would be fine, but don’t do the sand. Earlier this spring, just after my husband had spent three days staining and resealing our big deck, I refilled my kids’ sand and water table. I thought it would be awesome to have on the deck. And they loved it! It was awesome play time for a couple weeks! But of course the sand got all over the deck…which got tracked into the house. Annoying, but not a huge huge deal. What WAS a huge deal is that when we swept up the sand from the deck we discovered that HUGE patches of our freshly stained and sealed deck had been sanded away. The loose sand being walked on for a couple of weeks had essentially totally sanded off the top layer in big spots. Large sections of it had to be restained and sealed. Needless to say, the sand table is back in the grass of the backyard.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we hear that using dried beans or pebbles in that works better than sand (my BFF’s a mom of two kids and she said making that switch was the best thing she ever did). Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s