Restore yard to former beauty
Twenty-five years ago when we bought this home, my husband promised me a new deck if I settled for a house that was in less than mint condition. Well still no deck, not even an improved patio. Same cracks, same wooden flower beds, same area under the eaves where nothing seems to grow. And now we have added recycling bins to the patio ... how lovely! Although many improvements have been made to our home through the years, the patio and landscaping always seems to be neglected. My spouse is great with the lawn and trees (he is a forester after all) but not so good with the landscaping. According to the original residents of the neighborhood, our home was once beautifully and professionally landscaped. It would be wonderful to see our yard restored to that original beauty.
Our son, an airman in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Alaska, is coming home this summer with his new bride. I would love to be able to welcome our new daughter-in-law to our home and introduce her to his friends and neighbors and entertain them in a style and setting much more fetching than this.
Transformation by NorthWest Lighting and Accents
Budget: $2,000 (lighting only)
From the experts
It sounds like this backyard remodel has been long overdue. With their son coming home with his new bride, what better way to entertain them in style than with a chic contemporary outdoor entertainment area! We propose a simple contemporary deck that features an area for dining, as well as an area for lounging around a contemporary enclosed fire pit.
New landscaping frames the backyard and accents the beautiful large tree, with modern pavers leading a pathway around the house. LED lighting brings the entire design to life, adding the perfect ambience to a celebratory evening with the new couple.
A) Contemporary exterior wall lights were added to the side of the house to provide illumination to the new deck. Operating on a smart dimmer, they can be set to levels appropriate to the activity.
B) LED adustable spot lights tucked in around the tree highlight the beautiful foliage. Nearly maintenance free,all that is required is periodic cleaning with a wet rag.
C) LED path lights illuminate the low foliage and the pathway. Place them along walkways and flower bed edges for the the best illumination.
D) Waterproof LED linear lighting under the edge of the deck provides a beautiful continuous linear illumination, providing necessary safety for navigating steps at night. In this design, it also creates an interesting lighting effect causing the deck to almost "float" above the landscape, providing visual interest and highlighting the overall geometry of the design.