Three Deck Projects That Are Totally Getting Done This Year

Now that the weather is warming up a teensy, weensy bit (Oh how I love sunshiiiiiiiiiine) I've started dreaming about our back deck and how I'm going to spend the entire summer out there drinking homemade lemonade and suntanning while the two kiddos happily entertain themselves and the dogs lay calmly at our feet.

{Oh who am I kidding, I'll be out there with bedhead and shorts from 1999 trying to enjoy the weather while the dogs dig holes and bark at the fence and the two kiddos constantly demand silly things like food and diaper changes. Hee hee!}

Sorry, let's get back to the dreaming part. Last summer the boys did some work on the deck by adding some finishing touches like building the wide stairs, adding stair railings, replacing the warped post caps, and enclosing the upper deck with skirting.

I also decided to splurge on some outdoor cushions to make our inexpensive outdoor furniture (from Canadian Tire and Lowe's) look a little bit more Pottery Barn-ish. Oh Pottery Barn, why do your outdoor spaces have to be so darn magnificent?

  

This year, I'm trying to keep things real (oh hello, newborn) and limit my to-do list to three manageable projects for the spring / early summer. 

Here they are!

Project #1: Stain the deck.

Oy. We put this project off for a loooooooong time. Originally we said we were letting the pressure treated wood sit (is that even a thing?) but then it just became pure avoidance because staining a two-level deck with a thousand spindles sounds absolutely terrible. But the wood on our deck is starting to split and dry out. It really needs some protection from the elements ASAP. 

We've got deck wash, deck brushes, and large / small stain brushes purchased and hanging out in our shed. All we have to do now is settle on a stain brand and colour. I can't decide whether to go with Behr deck stain or with Benjamin Moore. Any advice or recommendations? I'm hoping to find a nice, medium brown shade with some grayish undertones. 

And pretty much the only reason that Alex and I are going to take this project on is because our super awesome family offered to do it all help. Sa-weet!

Project #2: Build a privacy screen.

Our lower deck is open on all sides (no railing) and is kind of close to our neighbour's yard. My plan is to build a three-panel privacy screen along the back of our lower deck so that I can sit down there in a tube top (pretending that I'm 21 and don't have wiggly jiggly cellulite) whilst not scaring our neighbours. Also, I think that the privacy screen will help that sitting area feel a bit cozier since, again, it doesn't have a railing around it. 

The plan for the screen is to have it centered behind the lounge furniture and be about as wide as the stairs. I would love to plant some fast growing vines as well as some flowering perennials to climb up them this summer. 

I'm thinking of a simple design like the following picture, except with three panels instead of two and without the top arbour thingie. I have a fear of bugs falling / jumping on my head. I would like to avoid that at all costs.

Project #3: Plant a container garden.

Last summer I found some pretty galvanized planters and scattered them around the deck with some easy to care for flowers. It was a start, but the deck still looked pretty sparse. 

I'm hoping to step it up a notch and add some more plants and flowers. You know, like those Better Homes and Gardens pictures. 

Herb Garden - Better Homes and Gardens

I might also be on the hunt for outdoor dining cushions, cute place mats, white lanterns and outdoor string lights. But those purchases will only happen by accident when I'm out shopping for bathroom cleaner and diapers. I will stick to our three-project deck plan this year. (Pep talks are good.)

How 'bout you..... what are your project plans for the spring / summer?