This example is close to home for me because, well, it is my home!
We've focused most of our efforts and resources on the interior of our house, and as a result the backyard has been sorely neglected. That was all well and good until I found myself the day before our massive annual 4th of July party last year with a backyard that had all the classiness of a paper bag landfill. Our house has an addition that was put on in the 80s, and from the back it looks much like an old ho-hum trailer with the world's narrowest deck happened to smash into the back of a charming brick colonial. The surrounding yard was not much better: muddy patches interspersed with weeds.
Panic struck as I eyed the sore sight. I work in the design industry— my home is supposed to be beautiful…or at least presentable— my ego was in severe danger. So armed with $150, a spare hour, and a strong sense of purpose, I devised a plan.
Although I tend to favor subdued color palettes, I've learned that the best way to deal with an ugly situation is to create strong focal points that distract attention away from problem areas. You can't make ugly go away with timid accessories. So I decided to go bold with the most attention-grabbing color I could think of: RED!
• First I removed our broken and ugly storm door, and painted the outside of the french door with red paint that our neighbors had left over from their own door redo.
• Next, I gathered every red accessory I owned, which consisted of one red lantern.
• Then I struck out to the local hardware store, where I bought:
- 2 large planters ($65) that were on clearance (ps- July is a great time of year to find planters on sale)
- 4 hanging baskets ($55)
- enough impatiens to loosely fill the planters and baskets ($30)
We also added some festive 4th of July kitsch for the party.
It's certainly not the most beautiful design I've come up with, but it did the trick, and the best part is that we still get to use the bulk of the accessories again this year.
Images: Leah Moss
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Nice! Those pops of red really make a difference, as do the flowers.
Now it looks like you care about the deck! Amazing what a difference it made.
Looks great, but I think you should have kept the kid and the dog.
hehehehe mtrrm... great comment. :)
Seriously, though, this is a great example of how the same bones can look hugely better if they're accessorized well. Thanks for the inspiration!
Clearly, feeding a kid and dog costs more than feeding a few plants.
I adore red. But never thought about injecting into the outside of my house.
This looks great! I love the idea behind red pulling people away from the other stuff. I'll have to try it. :)
The pots are a quick fix, but it would be beautiful if you could plant something all along the front Climbing plants like moon vines and morning glories covering the fence and multi colored zinnias that bloom all summer would be my choice.
Yes, I liked the original distracting accessories
I think the biggest improvement would be digging up the weeds along the front of the deck and planting some flowers.
Kid and dog were the best accessories!
For a quick fix, this is great
(How many coats of red did it take to paint that door, I wonder?)
Am I the only person who hate lattice? I think it always looks kinda 'white trashy'. I understand the necessity in keeping critters out from under, but isn't there a more sophisticated alternative?
I don't really think it looks that much better. How about picking the weeds, painting the deck and lattice the same color.
Kate- love the climbing vines, perhaps that'll be my next project.
Rexray- yep, lattice is pretty awful. We're working on that one. We'd love to expand the deck soon. It's a ridiculous 3 feet deep! Right now the narrowness makes the lattice all the more of an eyesore.
Until then I like obdimples suggestion for making the same color as the deck. That's a project that'll take a bit longer than an hour.
And to everyone concerned about the fate of our previous accessories, don't worry, we're green and found a way to repurpose them elsewhere ;)
Bepsf- just 1!
I think its a good starting concept but I think the mix of colors in impatiens is less of a strong eye-catching pop than one color would be. And that there are more dramatic plants in the same price point, with which to create your distraction.
Fewer, but bigger plantings would also be a stronger statement.
A medley of impatiens is cheerful and a definite improvement, but when starting with new annuals next year I would consider other options if i were keeping maximum impact at minimal outlay my goal.
Still, its definitely a quick facelift for the space.
That's a good quick fix and the party lights are a nice touch. How 'bout an old picnic bench painted red too? It wouldn't take up much room and would make good seating or a table in a pinch.
If the deck needs to stay another summer or two, I suggest painting the railings the same color as the house trim, that way it looks more like an extension of the house. Do you have any teenagers in the neighborhood you could pay to do the painting?
Wait: for a 150.00 and one hour's worth of work you also got a new door?
Oh, one other thing. Where did you find the planters on sale? We got a great and huge ceramic planter at Ross for only $26, but selection is very hit or miss there.