Eons and eons ago I started a blog. OK…it was actually only 4 years ago but it feels like EONS ago!
This was pre-At the Picket Fence days and I was so excited that it gave me an opportunity to remember that I could string sentences together and use words with multiple syllables since at that time I was up to my eyeballs in sippy cups, potty training and putting together tracks for Thomas the train.
And on that blog all of those eons of years ago I wrote a post called ‘Deck-o-rating’ all about how I was decorating my deck for summer.
I thought I was sooooo clever using that title! 😉
But I was hiding something…
All of the ‘deck-o-rations’ were covering up a space badly in need of repair.
Actually it didn’t just need repairing, it needed to be destroyed! It needed to be torn off and then have me dance on top of it’s sad remains. Are you getting the picture that I really didn’t like our deck?
But new decks cost a lot of money and we knew that what we were wanting in particular, a composite deck, would definitely require some penny pinching.
So, even though the deck probably should have been ripped off soon after we moved in we had other more pressing issues to deal with inside the house and it got pushed to the bottom of the list. Summer after summer went by until finally this year we were ready to rip that puppy off and welcome a beautiful new deck in it’s place!
Here’s the deck BEFORE…
And here it is AFTER!
Isn’t she beeeee-u-ti-ful??
No more wobbly railing with pieces that fell off every time you walked up the stairs.
No more brown railing with brown posts attached to a brown floor.
Sigh…I just love that row of columns.
No more pressure washing and replacing old boards and staining.
Or risking injury every time we walked across the floor.
We used Azek decking and selected a color called Walnut Grove.
I promise it wasn’t because of my obsession with all things Little House on the Prairie! 😉
And there was just enough room in the budget left over for a new table set and thanks to an awesome Memorial Day sale we found one worthy of gracing our new deck.
I’m kinda sorta obsessed with it!
Don’t you think it warrants being kinda sorta obsessed over?
On the other end of the deck we have enough room for a more casual seating area and most evenings you will find my hubby and I sitting here with a glass of wine after the kiddos are in bed.
You know, there is something so incredibly satisfying about sitting on a deck that you waited years for.
The one that you wanted the moment you saw the dilapidated old version attached to your new-to-you house.
The one that you scrimped and saved for.
Delayed gratification is a wonderful feeling, wouldn’t you agree? 🙂
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50 Comments on "Deck Makeover Reveal!"
Your deck is beautiful! First thing I noticed was the amazing decking floor in such a pretty colour. And those chairs look so comfortable I’m sure you could sit there all day! Totally worth the wait. x J
Thank you so much Julie! 🙂
Your deck is absolutely beautiful! I cannot wait to do the same to ours. Thank you for sharing.
Love the deck. Can we see the pretty wicker grouping on the other side of the table??
Hi Michelle! I’m so glad you said something because I had a photo of the other seating area all ready to go but forgot to put it in the post. Oops! 🙂 It’s in there now so come on back by if you want to see it. Thanks!
Vanessa
I love the way you put it all together. It looks very relaxing and very good use of space. Thanks for sharing!
This is amazing. I have your old version still on the back of my house. I want composite decking SO BAD and hope to install next year. I am saving and saving but my deck is huge so it’s going to be pricey. Love all your choices. So happy for you!
Ann,
I don’t know what part of the country you live, but my friend got an amazing deal last winter at one of the big box stores for composite decking. Might be worth checking.
june
It looks beautiful! I completely understand your joy! Our new deck has brought so much beauty to the front of our home and greets visitors in a perfect Southern way! Love your new furniture, too!
Vanessa–I love it! And I’m just swooning over those amazing chairs. Great job–enjoy it!!
It is a beautiful deck! Love sitting on the very comfortable chairs watching my grandchildren! Mom
Such a gorgeous makeover! We are doing those deck repairs currently and I am ohhing an ahhing over yours. That table is perfect. Enjoy it ~Sonya
The deck is gorgeous and I agree, the new table and chairs are stunning. I totally love them.
Love the new deck! Beautiful combination of colors! I’m pinning!
Leslie
Love it all. Have a great summer on your new deck. But can you share where you got your chairs to the patio set? It would go perfect with some of my pieces..thank you
Barbara Ann http://Www.etsy.com/shop/ barbaraannscreations
Very pretty…the black adds so much! Good job! Cheryl Ann
Vanessa, the deck is absolutely beautiful! Yes, such a difference using the composite material. So worth the wait! Your photos are gorgeous as well! We loved spending time with Heather at Haven. Hope to see you soon!
Oh, I love it Vanessa. I hope we can do something some day to ours.
Thanks Kim!
Oh you and your family must be so happy to sit out there and enjoy your beautiful new deck and furniture…A great choice in the furniture..I would want to sit out there every morning and evening to begin and end the day enjoying the “new outdoor room”….
Thank you Shirley! We are definitely trying to enjoy it as much as we can before our Oregon rain returns! 🙂
It looks wonderful, Vanessa! It was well worth waiting for. Love the dining set, too.
Thanks Kathy!
Love it!!! Looks wonderful 🙂
Thanks girl!
Wow – love that new decking and your new dining set is gorgeous!! Love your outdoor space Vanessa!
Thanks so much Heather! Wish you could come over for a drink! 🙂
Hi Vanessa, The new deck looks wonderful and I love the deck furniture! Enjoy your new space.
xx,
Sherry
Thank you so much Sherry!
ohhh I love it! We are saving for a new deck too. I’d love to do the composite, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be in our budget. Our deck is so big that I can’t even imagine how much it’s going to cost! Yours is beautiful and I love all the new plants underneath too!
Thanks Lisa! We were actually considering extending the deck until we got the estimate for that. LOL! Keeping it the same footprint definitely kept it within our budget!
Vanessa your new deck is beautiful!! LOVE the color you chose for the floor and love those rails…your new table and chairs are beautiful too!
Thank you so much Martina!
This is beautiful in every way, Vanessa. As always, a lovely choice of colors and design.
I hear you about the Thomas Trains. I can’t bear to give Will’s away!
Hugs xoxo
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Exceptionally well written!
[…] it needed to be destroyed! It needed to be torn off and then have me dance on top of it’s sad remains. quote from Vanessa AtThePicketFence.Com […]
So Beautiful! Love the columns. Enjoy!
I LOVE it!! I would never come inside! lol What a fantastic makeover. xo
Hi, I love your deck. You did a fantastic job. I’m considering doing something similar to the back of my house and wondering if you’ve experienced any fading. Or any other side effects. In other words, are you still loving it?
Thanks, Jonni
Hi – I stumbled across your blog from a picture of your deck on pinterest. I love it and am considering the same color scheme for our replacement deck. Do you recall what railing system you used?
Thanks!
I love the deck chairs. Can you tell me who makes them?
Hi Judith! These were purchased at Home Depot a couple of years ago. 🙂
We are about to have 2 decks built after our old ones were destroyed by toppling trees. I see you used composite decking but am interested to know what materials your balusters, rails and posts are? I have looked at many, probably hundreds of photos of decks in preparation for our build but yours is the absolute, hands down, most unique design I have seen. I am seriously thinking of changing our plan which is black metal balusters with cedar rails to an all black design like yours. I LOVE IT!
I keep coming back to this railing. Would you mind sharing what the maker is for this railing and the specific name?
Hello!
Can you please tell me the brand and color of decking you used? I love it! I need to make a decision on my own deck asap! How has it held up? Any fading or warping?
Thank you so much!!
Hi Michelle! We used Azek Decking materials which is similar to Trex decks. The color we went with is called Walnut Grove and the railing is also from Azek as well. The only fading we have noticed is just a slight difference where our rug is next to the sliding glass doors. They have a great website with lots of options!
Thanks so much!!
Hi Michelle! Sorry I’m just now getting back to you but I finally have those colors for you. We used Sherwin Williams paint and the main body of the house is painted in a color called Cobblestones and the trim is painted in Alley Gravel. Hope that helps!
I love the table and chairs. We are looking for chairs like this. Did you purchase this as a set? Can we buy the chairs separately?
Love, love, love your deck. I wondered if you could share the dimensions. Would love to get a better idea of what fits on a deck of this size. Thank you.