2009greatoutdoorsbadge.gifName: Laura

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Type of space: Front deck

Tell us about your outdoor project and how you enjoy it: We finally put in some comfy furniture and some lovely plants on our front deck above the garage (we live on a hill). We truly use it as an extension of our home. We hang out with our kids and read, my husband invites friends over to play guitar out here and we eat and drink with friends or just by ourselves. We don't venture much out into the backyard anymore since this space is so inviting and easy to get to.

How did you create it? The deck was already here when we moved in, but after replacing the redwood twice in 10 years, we finally swapped it out for Trex, which has been fantastic and no maintenance. We put in planters with horsetail and asparagus ferns as well as a couple of dwarf meyer lemon trees and installed a drip system for irrigation. Add the furniture and steal the umbrella from the backyard, and Voila! Instant outdoor living space.

Recommended store, site, product or resource? We splurged on the furniture from Berks (Harmony by Lloyd Flanders.) Meyer Lemon trees from Sperling Nursery out in Calabasas (worth the schlep!). Trex from Home Depot.

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