Outdoor Spaces Before & Afters

Previously I wrote about my bare backyard when it was a wasteland of dog poop, weeds and sorrow. Today I’m showing you my new and improved outdoor space, which is now a low maintenance dream. Two thirds of the new backyard is covered with an expansive composite deck. The other section is a rectangular area of gravel with a firepit: Composite Deck: Probably the most ground-breaking — yet largely unsung — feature of the new and improved backyard is the new platform deck.

This Bay Area front yard had seen better days, but now it is an urban oasis worthy of major admiration—and envy, especially of their lucky friends who get invitations for sunset cocktails but didn’t have to do any of the actual work. If you happen to have a similar project to tackle, this reader submission has the most thorough process description ever seen in a Before & After post. Everything looks so lush and luxurious!

You might remember Jessica’s petite apartment, which was featured in a House Tour (and video) a couple of years ago. Off the bedroom, through that French door, is a teeny tiny balcony, which she just got around to sprucing up, and it’s so worth a look. This tiny balcony seems like it’s only large enough to hold a bistro table and chairs—or even just one chair perhaps?—but a clever makeover makes room for so much more. Absolutely amazing!

It went "from shabby storage shed to chic guest suite."

San Franciscans know Paxton Gate as one of the city’s best garden stores, but you may not know that they also do landscape design. Their portfolio is full of inspiring before and after photos, including gorgeous gardens that started out as leveled dirt lots, overgrown backyards, and scraggly hillsides. If you’re the owner of a weedy lot or an unkempt patio, these photos might just be the kick-start you need to plan an outdoor renovation project.

There’s nothing to fuel inspiration more than a really great set of before and after images. We definitely find that here, with this wonderful front garden renovation at the home of Dee Randolph and David McQuaide in the North Park area of San Diego. Especially wonderful is the replacement of sod in favor of drought tolerant plants.The homeowners also changed the trim color and red tiles on the roof to better compliment the newly completed garden.

My sister moved into a great little fixer-upper a couple of years ago and this past spring our Mum joined forces with her for a three-week landscaping caper. One of the most striking changes was this fantastic fence project.Even though the old fence had seen better days, the next door neighbors weren’t ready to replace the structure outright. Rather than just sprucing up her side with some paint, Big Sis designed a modern facing to glam up the area beside her deck and patio.

Many traditional neighborhoods need a little boost before they’ll be able to move to grass free yards. This project serves as just that. The yard in front of this home goes from a terrible looking patch of dead grass to a sustainable rockscape. Check out the dramatic transformation after the jump.Without the huge water needs of a typical grass lawn, this yard looks great with minimal upkeep.

People are quite often very surprised at the cost of putting in an outdoor living space and garden. Generally to create a patio, planting areas around it and paths to access it, you might be looking at paying the same as if you were doing small kitchen renovation. It makes sense since you really are creating another room on your house but it also makes sense to go the DIY path in the garden….

What is a garden designer without a dirt level garden to do? Well of course, make the most of the available 150 sq ft balcony. Jenny Peterson, who lives and works in Austin, Texas transformed her ‘L’ shaped balcony from a mish-mash of outdoor ‘stuff’ to a cohesive and relaxing southern inspired place for her to enjoy the outdoors.

In this before & after project, one clever couple in Los Angeles upcycles an old, abandoned dresser, turning it into a garden of succulents. I think you’ll agree it’s a huge improvement.Curt and Jessica of the blog Grizzly Bear Modern took advantage of an old dresser left behind in the garage of their new home by drilling a few drainage holes in the drawers to create a sturdy vessel for a garden of succulents.

Tim and D’arcy’s backyard makeover is a great example to keep in the back of your mind when buying a house without landscaping. It is a case of turning “nothing into something” illustrating looking beyond what’s there and the potential of an outdoor space…We took a tour of the inside of Tim & D’Arcy’s Modern Eclectic in The Junction and now we’re back to see what they’ve done with their backyard.

Carolyn Chadwick is a master of making beautiful feminine gardens — one of my all time favorite dream gardens was designed by her and it resides in the Greek isles. This garden, which also brings to mind Mediterranean delights, resides in Cologne, Germany.Not only is the design beautiful, but I feel I must point out a few details that make this a real masterpiece.

I like this makeover because the “before” deck looks like many decks extending from city apartments. In fact, cut it in half and take out the hot tub (or, take out the very best parts), and it looks a lot like my own back deck. But all hot tubs aside, I’m inspired to see how some very doable changes totally transform this flat space into a lush outdoor living area.What strikes me about the “after” is how homey it looks.

Sometimes unhealthy, worn-down grass left unattended by previous owners is beyond repair. And if your yard is on the smaller side, like this one, installing an outdoor patio is a better use of the space. Add shutters, shrubs, and window boxes, and instant ambiance is imminent.Liza from Mel & Liza has done it again, this time transforming her ailing back yard into a lush oasis perfect for entertaining.

When it comes to homemaking and child rearing, the Marshall household makes it look easy. They’ve taken this cold corner of their backyard and warmed it up with a little wood and made it a salad-lover’s paradise. The kids think it’s pretty badass too. Want to see what it looks like now?We stopped in over at Pacing The Panic Room to check out the latest work that Ryan and Cole have been muscling away at. Their plan was to grow all sorts of salad greens in the hot Florida heat.

Steve Martino is arguably one of the most exciting (IMO) landscape designers currently working. Even though he works in a climate that’s nearly the polar opposite of mine (Arizona — and I am in New England), he is on my shortlist of colleagues that I study for inspiration and ideas. This project makes me want to pick up and move southwest — to a deserted grocery store.

As a shelf, this piece of furniture is a little bit of a snoozer. Meggie bought it off Craigslist for $15, not because she loved the look of it, but because she had grander plans in mind. For just a few more dollars, she transformed it into a fun, useful addition to her rental apartment. Check it out: Says Meggie: I have been on the hunt for a bar cart for months, but everything I liked was upwards of $100.

Sarah, from Smitten Studio, and her husband, Rupert, recently bought a house in Los Angeles, and worked very hard to renovate it. With this big project complete, they now have the time (and space) to work on some of the smaller ones, like their backyard. According to Sarah, the corner of the yard pictured above was basically used as a dumping ground for old plants and furniture, and now with some custom built benches, paint and accessories it’s another full living area.

Last time we checked in with Aaron & Heather Hawes in Saint Louis, they shared the transformation of their old firehouse into a modern and sleek photography studio. Today they are back with a new project: the recent makeover of their outdoor parking area. As before, the Hawes’ did all the work themselves, and the results are quite incredible. Now before anyone freaks out, the photo was indeed taken at a different angle, but I think you can see why.

Ashley had a very faded striped pastel umbrella that she could have easily jettisoned. Instead, she took a little inspiration from this Urban Outfitters umbrella, budgeted about $20 for her version, and gave it a little makeover… Ashley used a paint sprayer with thinned down latex paint to give it about three coats of bright white paint. Then, she and her husband laboriously hand-painted a design on each panel. The final step was attaching pom-pom trim around the edge.

Why are front porches so often sad and droopy? They’re the first impression your home puts out, yet so many are woefully neglected. (No judgement here, believe me. I just take notes on what I see.) Case in point: this lovely farmhouse, which is absolutely lovely, but could use a boost. Click to see what it looks like now, and what you can learn from this, and a bunch of other makeovers. The Curbly porch makeover involved tossing a bunch of stuff that just lingered on the porch forever.

Sarah and her husband Charles bought a 1902 American foursquare a couple of years ago. Since the house originally belong to his grandmother, its restoration became a labor of love for the couple, even though it was in terrible condition. As Sarah says “Our back porch was literally falling off of the house when we bought it. Soffits were completely rotted and railings had been long forgotten. Oh, and the stairs to the basement?

This home was owned by the same family since it was built in the 1950s, so when Kelly and Dave purchased it a few years ago, there were lots of updates to be made. One such project was bringing the exterior of the home up to date. Removing the shutters was “a big deal”: a decision that came after much consideration by the new homeowners. We think they did the right thing- look how much lighter the new facade looks!

When Danielle’s side yard was about to be paved over by management, she saved as many plants as she could. She then looked to her apartment’s small, enclosed patio, transforming it into an outdoor oasis: From Danielle: While the majority of my plants and flowers are in containers, I had no place to store them while the work was being done, which meant much of it was going to be sacrificed. My husband and I only had 2 days to clear the side area and salvage what we could.

This area of Leslie’s backyard where her grill lived was lacking. But not wanting to pay exorbitant custom kitchen cost, she found functional and stylish workarounds to create that custom look— with a lower price tag. From Leslie: I didn’t want to invest in a new grill, nor invest in a custom outdoor kitchen, so I endeavored to create an affordable, usable outdoor space.

This sad-looking border in front of my house is the first proper gardening project I ever tackled. My previous experience of growing things was limited to a couple of window boxes and some short-lived herbs in pots, so when I put a few plants in the ground last spring, I wasn’t sure how they would turn out… One year on, I have a blooming border of three different types of lavender, alliums, agapanthus (African lilies), nemesia, and daisies.

If you live in a typical suburban house, chances are good you have a side yard — a barren little strip of land between the side of the house and the fence covered in grass or rocks and probably not much else. But one California homeowner, instead of seeing an awkward, useless space, only saw potential. Clued in by the sun streaming through her bedroom window, Rebekah realized her sunny side yard would be the ideal place to grow vegetables.

Oh where to begin? My backyard is a pit of earthly despair, good for only three things really: dog waste, weeds and my own tears. I had good intentions when I first created the space, but my installation was poor to begin with, and then ongoing maintenance was not my friend. Ultimately, the grass didn’t stand a chance against all the dog abuse and my own neglect, so weeds and mud moved in, choking out any chance of happiness.

First things first: congrats to Amanda on purchasing her first home! Taking the plunge can be nerve-wracking, exciting and is always a very big deal. (We’ve got some tips on making it less scary if you need them.) After settling in to her new abode, the next step was to tackle the exterior, which Amanda felt needed a little boost. With the help of a few family members, a super smart paint job and flower power, the home has a fresh look and a whole lot of curb appeal.

Turning a driveway and storage area into a beautiful lounge for adults and children alike seemed like an impossible feat for Ali and Evan. Luckily they had a great friend, Lake, who knew exactly how to transform this space! From Lake Sharp of array.la: The lean-to structure immediately creates a sense of privacy and much needed shade, but still allows for airflow and light. The look of the patio is centered around the colorful Laotian lanterns that Ali showed me at our first meeting.

Ashley’s adorable home needed a bit of a boost in the exterior paint department. After giving herself permission to just friggin go for it, she decided that they would not only be painting their home sea-foam green, they’d be doing it themselves. Sweat was sweated, paint was painted and a few labor heavy weekends later, a bold and bright house emerged.

Homes across the world come in a rainbow of colors, but there’s one hue that’s king when it comes to working with just about any style of architecture. It’s not an exterior paint choice for the faint-hearted. But those willing to take the paint plunge will be rewarded with a dramatic curb appeal sure to get the neighbors talking. All black!

The exterior of Erin’s home was not only weathered and not particularly stylish, it appeared to be falling apart. They decided to tackle a major exterior overhaul while living in the house, and lived to tell the tell. Five weeks later they had a gorgeous new exterior that pays homage to the historic character of her neighborhood. From Erin: Our two bedroom, one bath, ~1,000 square foot row house previously had a stucco front which had been placed over the original brick exterior.

This neglected home was purchased in 2004 and in the intervening years, it’s slowly been made over by a loving new owner. Let’s see how its exterior has changed and improved over the last 14 years. This post is really a “Before and After…and After” project, as the home has evolved over time. Here’s a full-length shot of the house in 2004, when John originally purchased it: I had wanted to find a home to renovate, but had a very limited budget.

When I opened this reader-submitted project, I thought, “Aha! Our dear reader has obviously uploaded their “after” photo to the “before” box, happens to the best of us, not a bit of trouble,” because it never occurred to me that the lovely space you see here could possibly be a “before” photo. Oh, but it is! Now this balcony is a tropical retreat—in Switzerland, no less.

One of our readers found herself in a familiar situation: she had an outdoor space (yay!), but it was basically unusable (boo). After just two weekends of work, this wannabe balcony has been transformed into a tiny, precious piece of alfresco heaven. Reader Abby Robinson was kind enough to submit this project.

When you live with four other people, you might need to escape the close quarters from time to time.

While the grass may be a bit patchy—no surprise in Southern California—this 90-year-old yard actually looks pretty great. The house looks nice, the fence is attractive and offers a ton of privacy, the plants are interesting, and the accessories are well-suited to the space. While the home was perfectly fine before, wait until you see how it was transformed.

While it’s always exciting to have any outdoor space at all, the owners of this particular outdoor space found it to be “tiny, messy, and not functional.” After six weeks of work, this backyard is now the dreamy oasis they were hoping for. Let’s hear a bit more about the inspiration behind this makeover, as well as the challenges it posed: Our backyard is small and on a grade, but we knew we could make it nice. [It] was tiny, messy, and not functional at all for us.

We first got a glimpse into the colorful world of Troy Solomon (a.k.a. ABearNamedTroy) and Ian Mofford when we toured their whimsical West Hollywood apartment last year. Since then, the couple has transformed their drab second story patio into an equally magical wonderland laced with astroturf and pops of pink. The result is a satisfying transformation that begs the question: Why can’t we all be outside drinking piña coladas from disco balls right now?

On a day off, just for fun, the owner of this house transformed its plain white facade with a very colorful paint job. This is utterly delightful—playful and vibrant with a dreamy palette that must make passersby wish they could be invited in. Roxanne of @daintylibrarian frequently creates fun, colorful DIYs that are whimsical and unpredictable. This particular shade of pink is perfection: sophisticated and modern without a hint of saccharine.

This easy makeover proves you don't have to sweat to create an inspired space.

This glass-topped patio table was acquired for the sweet price of $0, but it had a few issues. Enter our reader Sydney, armed with a vision, an X-Acto knife, and $2. Oh, and incredible amounts of patience and precision. This is so incredibly fun and poppy now! It’s stylish, playful, and nothing but fun—the perfect vibe for relaxing on the patio.

It's SO much warmer and more inviting than before.

We’ve seen plenty of impressive room conversion Before & Afters—closet to nursery, kitchen-turned-bedroom, closet to mudroom—but a balcony-to-bathroom renovation is definitely a first. The space was languishing as a slightly awkward office, when what the family really needed was a bathroom. They wisely turned to the pros for help. Let’s take a look at the full-length “Before,” so we can see both the wood-paneled sloped ceiling and the beige carpet.

The previous owners of Karin’s home had used the backyard as something of a doggy dumping ground. After some much needed clean up, Karin called in the professionals to help lay pavers and stone, before attacking the planting herself. Add in a shed and a re-done deck and you have a totally transformed backyard oasis. From Karin: I purchased my house in December, from people who were using the yard as a “doggie daycare”.

Project by: Becky Daly of Daly Digs Location: Tampa, Florida Becky’s client wanted to add some oomph to her outdoor space, so she designed a lanai that reflected her passions, style and personality. The space went from standard to stunning with bold and bright furniture, plenty of greenery and surprising accents sprinkled throughout. From Becky: My client friend Jessica wanted to transform her drab lanai into a tropical, West Indies-inspired oasis.

Jennifer knew not to take her Brooklyn patio for granted, since outside space in New York is a beautiful rarity, and set out to make the most of it. She kept things budget friendly while warming up the space, creating a casual space perfect for outdoor cocktails. From Jennifer: In 2009, I moved from a soulless shoebox on the UES into my (now) husband’s apartment in Brooklyn. One of the perks of the apartment was the ever-elusive (though tiny) outdoor patio area.

Riddle me this: why would someone buy a house on a lake and then grow a bunch of shrubs to block the view of the lake? We may never know the answer to that particular question, but we do know that Ashley’s backyard makeover not only restored the view but made the space infinitely more stylish and safe. From Ashley: When we moved into our home a couple years ago, I knew our back patio had major potential, but it was a big eye sore at the time.

Julene’s backyard had become a bit of an afterthought, more of a storage space than outdoor gathering place. But enough is enough — she decided to apply some crafty know-how and turn the space into a colorful and inviting spot, all on a budget! From Julene: The back patio area has been a dumping station for random unfinished projects and items that accumulated around the yard. I was sick of it looking trashy.

It’s that time of year again when the weather starts to get ever so slightly warmer and you suddenly have hope that winter might someday end. It’s also that time of year when people start thinking about outdoor projects, so this transformation of a neglected Brooklyn backyard is particularly timely. Having your own private backyard is something that most New Yorkers can only dream of. K.V.

When Molly moved to her new home she knew her back yard was full of potential, but would require a lot of work. After tearing things up, moving things out and putting in new roots, her backyard is a funky and welcoming oasis. From Molly: When we moved in, the backyard was all dirt and pavers and lattice, everywhere. Eveeeerywhere. We took out lattice in front of the concrete fence, around the raised beds and around the air conditioner.

First, let’s just take a moment to admire that view. Alright now we can talk about the patio. Silvia’s patio was the perfect blank canvas for some truly dramatic design, and she was totally up to the challenge. Check it out! From Silvia: A gorgeous new face for a old and slipshod terrace. It was totally refurbished with wall paint, wood decking, two dark gray panels (Pircher) and a modern Gandia Blasco outdoor set. Thank you, Silvia!

With a shared driveway behind her home, Anne had no private outdoor space to relax and entertain. This overgrown side yard might not scream outdoor oasis, but that’s what Anne created: From Anne: Thank you Anne!

Anna had these basic folding chairs and wanted to use them on her balcony, but they needed some style first. Using a colorful oilcloth as inspiration, check out her quick and budget-friendly makeover: From Anna: The whole project took 8 hours: 3 hours to separate the seats and the backs from the aluminum frame 2 hours to paint the frame 2 hours to change the fabric of the seats and the backs 1 hour to put together the chairs. It cost €29.58: – 4 spray paint cans X €3.

When it comes to outdoor space in the city, you often take what you can get. That was Julia & Bruno’s thinking when they purchased their Montreal home and inherited this dumpy backyard. If you remember their House Tour from last year, you’ve already seen part of the colorful transformation! From Julia: We did all the work ourselves with a small budget of about $3000. The main problem with the backyard was the old and dangerous shed. The first thing we did was to demolish it.

With their family home coming in just under 1,000-square-feet, John and Jami knew they would need great outdoor spaces to act as extra living/dining/play rooms when the weather was nice. Therefore, their messy backyard was one of the first projects they tackled after purchasing their house.

When Mark and Melinda bought their home in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles in 1999, the backyard was littered with uneven, rocky terrain. The expansive backyard provided a multi-level outdoor area that boasted a killer view of the city, but, naturally, some safety concerns arose as their family began to grow. A few landscaping tricks and fixes added just enough structure to create the perfect backyard jungle, perfect for playing or hosting friends on a warm Summer evening.

Andréa wasn’t a fan of her drab concrete balcony, and wasn’t entertaining outside like she wanted. She decided to give it a makeover, and came up with a smart solution to fill in the gaps square decking tiles made on a round balcony: From Andréa: I really like the apartment where I live. It is bright with its large windows, located on a very quiet area, there is a train station only 2 walking minutes from it and very good connections to the city.

Iris wanted to better enjoy her balcony, but it took time to furnish on a budget. She ended up with a stylish space worth waiting for: From Iris: Ever since moving to sunny California from the Windy City of Chicago, I’ve always wanted to create a space in my apartment balcony to enjoy the beautiful weather and views outside. I wanted a sanctuary where my boyfriend and I can kick our feet up and relax with a glass of wine.