I wanted enough space to have a lounge area as well as an eating area, but didn’t want to spend a small fortune, either. So, by building and creating some things ourselves, as well as doing some smart shopping, we were able to pull it all together on a budget.

One thing I insisted on was finding a place for this swing. It is simple, reminds me of childhood and was crazy cheap to make. Plus, it’s just fun!

I could not find an affordable couch that was in-stock with the look I was going for, so my husband built this one and I found the cushions on Craigslist for a steal!

I found most of the pillow covers and throws on Amazon and just covered old pillows I wasn’t using anymore. It makes for a great and inexpensive way to update and add some texture to a couch.

I looked all over for an outdoor rug that wouldn’t show too much if spilled on, was cozy on the feet and wasn’t too big so that the beauty of the deck could still be seen as much as possible, and this one met all of those wishes.

I wanted a set of chairs that I could cozy up in, and these ones from Target are wide enough to be able to tuck the legs in and snuggle, so they were the first things I picked up for our new deck. Use that Red Card for a discount! And the copper fire pit was my one splurge. Once I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for our deck (though we won’t be using it as a fire pit on the deck) and if you’re patient enough, you can snag it on sale.

To save some money, I made my own curtains out of these painters drop cloths. It ended up taking longer than I had anticipated, but the savings were worth it!

This vintage ice machine turned cooler was for sale on a neighborhood garage sale site, and I was so happy to have snagged this right up!

We had this table built for our fire pit area when we first moved into our house, but it ended up being a bit of a hassle to actually eat down there with bringing all of the dishes up and down the stairs, so we decided to see how it looked up on the deck and it’s like it was made for it! We sanded it down, re-stained it, and treated it with an outdoor coating, and it’s like a brand new table.

I just LOVE spending time out here and it is so fun for me to see our friends and family enjoy it as well. My husband spent countless hours building this deck for us and I am just blown away by his talent. Thank you, sweet husband. It. is. perfect.

A couple before and afters:

Here are all of the sources or ones of similar nature:

Outdoor rug 

Rattan Conversation Chair Set (Free shipping and returns)

Metal Stools  – The best deal I could find… anywhere.

Fire Pit 

Couch (DIY- tutorial coming) Another favorite option HERE 

Outdoor Couch Cushions- From Craigslist but found exact ones HERE

Throw Pillows: HERE , HERE, HERE, and HERE

Black Tire Basket– Homegoods

Hanging Branch Floral Baskets- Hobby Lobby but similar found HERE

Curtains- DIY (tutorial coming)

Fig Tree – from Homegoods but similar HERE 

Metal Dining Chairs 

Dining Table and Benches -Custom made locally

Vintage Ice Chest- Local Garage Sale Site but similar found HERE

Turkish Throws: HERE , HERE, and HERE 

Candle Pendants- from Homegoods

Ceramic Stool- from Craigslist but similar HERE

Wire Planter- Vintage show

Macrame Plant Hanger (Small)

Macrame Plant Hanger (Large)

Thank you for stopping by!

The post Decorating the Back Deck appeared first on Living with Lady.

Actually, I am going to go ahead and say WE rebuilt our deck, because trust me, I’ve made more runs to Home Depot and other various lumbar stores in the past month than I had previously ever done in my lifetime, not to mention being the one to drive long distances for special lumbar, helping hold said lumbar and retrieve tools when more hands were needed, ensuring plenty of cold beverages and food were always available, and being the sole parent while my amazing husband worked 14 hour days building this thing. So yes, teamwork!

We had previously talked about what we ultimately wanted our back deck to look like and I showed him what my thoughts and visions were, but I didn’t think it was going to happen so soon. He just, started.

He was sitting at our kitchen table drawing plans and doing research one day, and the next day at about 5:00 pm he started ripping down boards. I couldn’t believe it. And our back deck is on the second floor, so this project had to be finished right away once started being there was a big drop-off out the back door.

So, here are the before photos:

The stairs took up about half the space…

To the left, I had a little herb garden, and to the left of the herb garden were just some wild flowers and a mint plant, but nothing very appealing. At all…

View from inside the house.

There was really only room for our BBQ, two chairs and a side table.

Tear down:

And then the process of re-building began:

And for three weeks our backyard was a workshop.

Every little detail was checked over and over and re-done if not perfect, and slowly and surely it started to take shape.

My husband woke up before anyone else on most days to begin working, and one of my babe’s favorite things to do was watch his daddy working while eating breakfast.

Measuring was a favorite, too.

Before the posts were added, we realized just how hot it is out on the deck during the middle of the day and concluded that even once it is finished, no one is going to want to be out there due to the heat. So, we decided to add a pergola, which set us back a bit and we had to re-think some of our original designs. But, we came up with something that we both liked and kept going.

Once the floor boards were put into place, it really started taking shape!

My husband and I really like the look of the thick, chunky posts and wanted to use 6×6 posts instead of the traditional 4×4’s, but finding 6×6 posts at the height we needed was nearly impossible without special ordering, so my husband decided to wrap 4×4 posts to make them into 6×6 posts. Doing this alone took three entire days as it was a very tedious job. Thankfully, my step-dad flew into town to help my husband with this part and it was a HUGE help! Once those were done, the rest went up pretty quickly!

And the scrap pieces of wood made for some amazing building blocks.

And now, the after photos!

We re-located the stairs to the other end so that we could utilize that space, and it made a HUGE difference. We are also now able to enjoy the space under the deck as well.

And my herb garden and weed patch are no more, and I am completely okay with that!

My husband didn’t quite get it at first, but I insisted on finding a spot for a little swing. It isn’t meant for swinging high on, but more as another chair for sitting/swaying on, and I truly love it.

We decided on black bars for the railing, and I love the contrast they give.

Just SO much more space!

Our BBQ is going on the far left corner where it was before, and I had noticed that people like to stand around my husband to talk while he cooks, so I asked my husband to alter the railing next to the BBQ into a little bar for people to set their drinks and food on and we will add stools underneath so people can sit comfortably while chatting.

We need to wait a few more weeks before staining, and then it will be completely done! We are going with a very natural look and hope to find a stain that looks very similar to the color of the wood, maybe even clear if there is such a thing.

Overall, I absolutely LOVE the finished product and can’t wait to show you how I decorated this space! I am almost done and will be sharing next week.

I am so incredibly thankful for the time, energy and effort my husband put into this deck. He worked relentlessly on this project to ensure we had a nice outdoor space to enjoy and I am still blown away by the outcome!

And a HUGE thank you to our friends Dustin and Johnnie for helping my husband when they could and for my step-dad for flying out as well! We appreciate you all very much!

Thanks for stopping by!

The post Our DIY Backyard Deck Makeover appeared first on Living with Lady.