Before-and-After: Fall Backyard Makeovers You Can Do This Weekend

“As a lifelong treasure hunter, I've acquired more than my share of what I like to call bucolic clutter,” says writer-designer Hallie Goodman in Hudson, New York. “But nailing that cottagecore look is really just about arranging collected objects to look purposeful and considered. A neglected corner behind my 150-year-old farm house became a potting station with an old enamel table pulled from the garage, some gardening tools and a stash of aged terracotta vessels.”

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Katherine Aul Cervoni, founder and principal of full-service landscaping firm Staghorn has an unexpected source in this re-worked backyard garden: Ikea. “The big transformer for this space was putting down these wooden interlocking decking tiles from Ikea. They're super affordable and super easy to install. Just give your patio/deck a good cleaning beforehand so no dirt or debris gets stuck under them,” she cautions. While these tiles won't last forever and won't fix any major uneven spots in your space, Cervoni says they are a tiny fraction of the cost of a new patio or deck. To complete the look, add some lightweight composite planters that are durable, look contemporary and clean, and perhaps best of all, are easy to move around. Shade-tolerant plants planted in clusters (here, ferns, sedge, clethra and ligularia) and a pair of lounge chairs (with ottomans, because why not) really create a chill vibe.

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Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess renovated an elevated deck to make it safer for small children and more appealing overall. She wanted to keep the expense of the project to a minimum since future home expansion plans might impact the deck, so a fast refresh was in order. With the help of a local carpenter, the wood railing was replaced with a tighter horizontal wood pattern so that dogs and kids would be safe. She replaced black lanterns with white ones to blend in with the new white palette, and added white planters and fresh-looking rattan furniture. Read more about the process here.

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Before, this deck was totally bare and devoid of color, Cervoni says. What’s worse, it offered no privacy. To turn that around quickly, she added tall evergreen shrubs in lightweight planters. “We like using Skip laurels as we did in this project, as they are tolerant of sun and shade,” she said. “Fun, flowering vines like native honeysuckle and clematis are great for adorning railings and attracting pollinators. Since this is a very sunny back deck, we chose plants that all love full-sun.” With the addition of some bright chairs and an outdoor-friendly rug, you’ve created a new outdoor room.

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Bri Moysa, the SoCal-based design force behind Emerson Grey Designs, could reasonably called the woman who launched a thousand stock tank pools two years ago when she installed a black-painted one in her back patio. After a few seasons of enjoyment, she rotated the pool out and rearranged the area to make more room for her family. Best of all, Moysa was able to pull off her completely new look by just re-arranging items she already had, and only buying a new umbrella.

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Designers at the Dora Daar consulting firm were inspired by Senegalese families gathering late in the day under trees in a communal spirit. In order to re-create that spirit, they’ve designed a wide woven fiber rug made to unroll around your favorite tree and leave during the warm months. Just roll it up and store it for wet or cold weather.

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Los Angeles-based Elysian Landscapes collaborated with architect and interior designer William T. Georgis of New York-based firm to turn a neglected corner into a garden highlight. For this exterior nook at Georgis’s West Coast home in La Jolla, a vintage fire pit is the focal point, set amid a simple hardscape design of solid stone stairs with gravel and lush plantings. Wood timbers painted black set off the greenery as well as help retain soil. The simple palette of subdued colors of furniture and upholstery turns this area into a little moment of zen. While a manicured and perfectly executed seated area such as this is too much to handle without professional help (and certainly will take more than a weekend), the idea of throwing down some gravel and installing a firepit atop it, encircled with seating, is a doable goal.

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