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.
Meagan {Green Motherhood} says
K-I-D-S ! Yeah!
Woooahooo looks like we made it, for kids in corporaaaaaaaaaateeed!
Thanks for that, Sherry.
Oh, and your deck looks great. :)
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
Going. To. Garden Ridge. Like. Now.
I love those pillows! And I LOVE the chairs with their sunshiney goodness.
I love how you turned a potential “problem area” into one of the best spots in the house. Do a little dance :)
Bethany says
Oh my gosh! Kids incorporated! Watched it religiously!!! Did you know “fergie” from the black eyed peas is “stacey” from Kids Inc?!?!? I idolized her!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that funny?! I only learned that a little while ago and I was shocked. Haha.
xo,
s
Nicole says
Totally the yellow chairs – I’m a sucker for yellow. I hope you both have taken the time to enjoy all of your hard work; you deserve it! You must be floating on cloud 9. As much as I was impressed with all the deck shots, the one that got be was the before and after from the hallway. Amazing.
haha. I’m also glad you mentioned the BBQ gill in your bullet points… I was wondering about that.
So when can we come over for dinner? :)
YoungHouseLove says
How about this weekend?! Haha.
xo,
s
ryan says
The deck looks AWESOME! Great job you guys : )
Emma says
Golly those yellow chairs are awesome. The deck looks great – well done John. It will be even cuter once you stain it. Have a great Labor Day weekend out there :)
Kaitlin says
I love GurglePots! I’m trying to decide if I should buy the aqua GurglePot to match my tabletops (blue-green slate) and other table accessories (blue and green bowls and candles) or if I should go with red which is my go-to pop of color in my living room/dining room to offset the “renter’s beige.”
kari S. says
Awesome job! think of all the cool evening parties you can have out there with twinkle lights and laterns hanging across!
Stacey says
I’m loving the whole deck, but esp. the gurgle pot! :)
Sarah K says
It looks great!! Congrats on all the hard word (well most of it) being behind you.
Sarah
Lauren says
I LOVE those yellow chairs – definitely my favorite part. The whole deck looks fantastic!
Here’s a fun/crazy idea for the electric meter – not only should you paint it brick-colored, but you should draw some fake grout lines too! Then it’ll really blend in. ;-)
Do you guys watch Home by Novogratz? They recently had an episode where they had someone make this gorgeous woven cover that they hung in a way that it looked to almost float over the table. It was amazing! I wish I could do something like that on my deck, but there’s sadly nothing to hang it from. Here’s a pic of it: http://www.hgtv.com/outdoor-rooms/make-shade-canopies-pergolas-gazebos-and-more/pictures/page-5.html?soc=pinterest
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes I LOOOOOVED that! Wish they gave more details about how it was made!
xo,
s
Laura says
This is gorgeous, and I love those chairs! Have you guys thought about stringing lights on top between the two parts of the roof for nighttime entertaining (like the lights you had for your wedding)?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That’s actually on our bulleted list at the bottom of this post as things-to-do! Can’t wait!
xo,
s
Alicia says
I love the gurgle pot, my dad has it in red!
Krystal says
As a Menards employee, I literally see those yellow chairs every single day because we store the overstock right in front of our break room entry. And every single day I think, “I’m pretty sure these are the chairs that Sherry wanted for the deck.” I’m glad that you confirmed this and I’m not just crazy! I’m also sad that Menards hasn’t made its way down south yet because my store just put those chairs on clearance for $10 last week.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahhaha, oh man. That makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time.
xo,
s
Claudia says
I love the gurgle fish! We have a green one that I found at an antique/junk shop a few years ago. The owner said it was a beer mug and wouldn’t believe me when I said it would gurgle until he filled it with water. Now it sits above my kitchen sink!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- so funny!
xo,
s
Lisa says
The difference is night and day. Congratulations on yet another successful DIY project. Beautiful work!
Tardevil says
The deck looks great. I’ve never seen required handrails on a deck, but that’s not a bad idea. I think one of those hanging hammock chairs would be cool for kids to hang out in the corner, but they are not cheap!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah that would be awesome if I found a secondhand one for cheap!
xo,
s
Andrea Melberg Thompson says
Forgive me if 18 people have posted this… but what about adding some sort of hooks on the siding or brick (if there is room) to attach two of the chairs too. I imagine much of the time you won’t need ALL of the chair around the table. Then you would EASILY be able to push the table against the brick or easily just have more walk room if the two chairs on one side are not around the table. I can’t tell if there is room, or how high you would need to put the hooks, etc….but just a thought. Looks FABULOUS. The only thing that makes me chuckle it the books on the little green table thingy. Since I assume they are clearly for looks, I think it is funny because I would forget to take them in when it rains, so to me it seems “staged” and out of place. REALLY love you guys. I am so regularly inspired by you two! THANK YOU for all your hard work you SHARE with the world.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, all that accessorizing stuff is back inside. I’m just a freak for accessorizing anything and everything before I take pics. Hahaha. We even had John’s parents over to see it all gussied up, only to bring the non-rain-proof stuff back inside :)
As for the hook idea for the chairs, that’s something I never thought of! Definitely something to consider! Will keep you posted.
xo,
s
Emily says
That before & after is awesome. What a fabulous deck, it’s like an extension of your house :)
Tip for the French doors, I keep seeing them pop up at our local ReStores. I’m in Virginia Beach, but you might have some luck at yours! We’ve visited the Richmond one and boy, did we come home with a haul. A vanity for the master bath and two chandeliers!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip!
xo
s
Emily says
What are you thinking for staining? Looking at that last picture, I found myself envisioning something close to the tone of the indoor floor.
YoungHouseLove says
We have to wait for the pressure treated wood to dry out, so in our area the recommendation is 3-6 months. I hate waiting! Haha.
xo,
s
Dee says
Congratulations to you both ! The deck looks awesome . I’m so digging the yellow chairs
Kelly McK says
Congrats John and Sherry, it looks beautiful!! I think the french doors will look absolutely stunning. Board and batten sounds like SUCH an exciting potential next project :]
Thanks for the endless joy your blog provides!
Alex says
Love those yellow chairs! Whenever I see your site I’m inspired to clean my house. You’ve probably seen it already, but there’s a cute bike print on zulilly right now. http://pinterest.com/pin/135248795030597443/
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo,
s
Dianne says
Perfect! I agree with Miss Clara – it is a pretty pretty deck! Your added deck decor/styling is inviting and a great extension of your inside home. SO glad you are planning a gate for little people and Burger — we had a gate on a previous 2nd story deck and appreciated the safety it provided. Well done.
Julie says
Ooooo! I love the idea of painting the electrical boxes to match the brick! So gonna steal that! The deck is gorgeous. I wish I had the vision you guys have to see something not so pretty and instantly know how to make it awesome. Oh well, I’ll just have to keep reading blogs like yours and stealing all the great ideas if I can’t come up with them myself! :-)
Seriously Sassy Mama says
Looks great! I love the yellow chairs. What is it about that lovely color?
Brandi says
LOVE!! My fave part is a toss up between the yellow chairs + cushions and the play area for Clara :)
Kristen @ LoveK says
Wow!! What a cozy looking outdoor space! I can’t wait until you add some overhead lighting, that will the cherry on top! I bet it’s really nice to look out the door at such a pretty area instead of the old, dirty deck.
Erin says
Looks absolutely amazing!!
tiffany says
Holy cow… Kids Incorporated?!? Well played, $herdog. Well played.
Jillian {Her Split Ends} says
OBSESSED with those yellow chairs…totally worth the bucks you spent on them. I can’t wait to see the addition of the lights and just finishing out the details! Our neighbors added a built-in gate to their deck and it looks fantastic! so functional for reining in the pups and kiddos too!
Cheers
~ Jillian
http://www.hersplitends.com
Mrs. Ronso says
Can I say that my favorite part of the post was the Kids Incorporated pose/reference? Ha! I loved that show when I was a kid. Go Sherry!
In all seriousness, the deck is lovely and I really like the yellow chairs. Good job you guys!
Dana says
My absolute FAVORITE part is the view at the end from your hallway sliding doors! Such a major view improvement! Enjoy!
Barbara says
I think we are going to have to come up with a list of “challenges” for you two, as I have come to believe there isn’t ANYTHING you can’t do.
Ah, the energy of youth!
How about this – you know that show “Bath/Yard/House Crashers”? Let’s get you that show, and you come to my house. I can only imagine what you could dream of there!!!
PS: Thanks for the “more Burger” photos. Love that boy.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re so sweet Barbara! We’ll be right over!
xo,
s
GreenInOC says
“Let’s get close enough to lick that yellow chair” – I turned into Rachel Zoe when I read that and “I. Die.”!!!
I don’t have the artistic vision that you do, but I think that since painting the meter to “match” the brick doesn’t really make it disappear, only makes it less irritating, why not go the opposite and paint it a super vibrant color to add to the “fun zone”?! I think “Lick Me Yellow” would be amazing!!
Before/after shots of the alley turned fun zone – WOW, the trees really filled in and are beautiful!
I have french doors leading to a patio and I HATE them. They are beautiful to look at but they eat up so much room. You didn’t ask, but based on my experience, french sliders are a great solution.
Can’t wait to see the stain. It will be amazing I’m sure!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love lick-me yellow! Such a fun idea! And I’ve never heard of french sliders! Off to check them out!
xo,
s
Tricia says
Looks fantastic! I’m excited for you guys!! You’ve also given me some color ideas for my own house. :)
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
It looks like a great comfy space for a family dinner on a nice night! I especially love the yellow chairs!! I’m a sucker for bright yellow!!
Christi says
K I D S!!!
I was able to be in the audience for Kids Incorporated in the 4th Grade… it was AMAZING!!! Then again I am a total dork who would still watch that show 25 years later!
I am so excited you guys finished it and it looks AWESOME!!! Congrats, what a great use of the space!
Good job John, Good Job Sherry!
Matthew Iacopelli - HLM Interior Design says
What an amazing summer retreat. I love the yellow chairs and other accessories. I think it is so important for a family to have a fun place to hang out together outdoors.
Erica M says
Looks great!
Loved seeing the comments about stringing lights up, that would look beautiful!
Any plans for some outdoor-friendly wall art?
YoungHouseLove says
That could be fun too!
xo,
s
Katy says
Wow! This is an awesome space and such an improvement! Congrats to John for creating this masterpeice with his own two hands!
Marcie says
What about embracing the meter box and painting it something contrasting? Maybe black to look iron-ish. Then you could put matching wall mounted planter or something of that fashion on the other end to balance it. That may trick the eye instead of “oh, they tried to camo their meter”.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s another fun idea!
xo,
s
Erica says
Love the deck and the Kids Incorporated reference. Well done on both counts!
Debora says
Have you thought about using
window boxes on the various deck
windows? You could do some lush
plantings to “soften up” the
space without using precious
floor space. Just an idea….
YoungHouseLove says
That would be pretty! We just wouldn’t want them to stick out too much so folks would walk into them.
xo,
s
katalina says
Love it! such a happy place! Love the yellow chairs.
were you thinking at one time putting a slats over the deck–pergola joining from one roof or am I dreaming….
a vertical planter of low succulent / soft cacti plants would be cool over that meter!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I love those ideas! We talked about a possible pergola but the area is in shade a lot so we’re not sure where we’ll go with it!
xo,
s
Kim says
It looks awesome, you guys!! It *almost* makes me want to get out in the yard and work on our mess of a situation… almost! ;o) I have a weird question… Do you ever get “future nostalgic” for your current house and all of the memories that you’re creating there as a family? I know that you’ve said in the past that you “never say never” now regarding possibly moving to another house down the line. My partner and I are in a house now that we don’t plan on living in forever, and while we don’t have kids yet, I do often idealize that home where we raise kids and them returning to that place for holidays and special occasions, full of all of the memories of growing up… which is WAY down the line. I get weirdly attached to places, and things like Clara’s excitement over the new deck would probably send me into a spiral of emotion, hahahah.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I totally do that too! I like to remind myself that all the things that happen now will always be memories. No one can take those away, and if we make more in the future that will be awesome and if we end up somewhere else that would be awesome too and we’ll be right where we’re supposed to be :)
xo,
s
katalina says
http://pinterest.com/pin/63965257177015598/
link to what I mean….
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!!!
xo,
s
Jackie says
The yellow chairs are amazing! I just envision how dreamy this space will be for an evening dinner with string lights criss-crossing over head.
I know you are still planning to stain or seal, but I wondered if you considered oil? We were skeptical using oil for our deck in Minnesota’s harsh winters until a great employee at Lowes recommended it. We just finished oiling our deck with Cabots Australian Timber Oil. It was so easy to apply, just one coat, with a big lambswool roller followed by a quick brushing. I was amazed to see how the water from recent storms just beads up on top of the boards now. We also chose the darkest color and painted our rails white for a nice nautical feel.
Great job on the deck and always thanks for sharing!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds awesome! How long is that supposed to last? Would love to know more!
xo,
s
Adriane (aka the greenhorn) says
I LOVE it!!! And I’m super jealous because we finished our Deck in May and I still have nothing on it. But it’s mainly because we live in Florida and it thunderstorms and has at least 20 mph winds pretty much daily throughout the summer. Between that and the humidity year-round, a table runner or any plants on the deck would pretty much mold immediately or fly away! I’ve been waiting to blog about finally decorating it…but maybe I should just do a real post about Florida instead, haha. :)
Whitney says
It looks amazing!!! I love the pops of color. It is amazing how much color changes a space. Oh, and those yellow chairs?! IN LOVE!