What used to be a mud pit and an eyesore, is now a gorgeous built-in bench. The transformation of the deck and veranda a must-see!
Before – The Mud Pit Eyesore
When I said that the “before” was a mud pit, and an eyesore, I was not exaggerating. Not even slightly. This is what the area looked like when we moved in. Such a sad little space.
It needs some love, don’t you agree?
Thanks to our Property Manager, Chris, and his group of talented men, it looks a little different now. Oh and BTW – one of my biggest pet peeves with looking at before and after pictures are when they are from different angles. With me, you will get the same angle so you can see the difference, but also some other angles too. Do you have the same pet peeve about before and after pictures?
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After – A Gorgeous Built-In Bench
It’s a pretty amazing transformation, don’t you agree? Especially now that we painted the house from beige to blue!
This became the “conversation area” of the veranda. The original deck remained the “dining area.” Instead of continuing with the wood deck, we went with the brick to create a visually distinct area.
The Sunbrella cushions and pillows came from everywhere. I mixed and matched from Pottery Barn, Orvis, Gardners, Plow and Hearth, and Grandin Road. Throughout both sides of the veranda, blue is the primary color of the decor, and lime green (or citron) is the secondary color. We wanted the ottoman to be a place where drinks can be served, or we can kick our feet up at the end of a long day.
Do you see the blue bench in the corner of the picture below? Remember how my Father re-built it – it was my GREAT-Grandfather’s bench. Click HERE for the full story.
You can see the entire veranda transformation HERE. It’s almost as jaw-dropping of a transformation!
This area gets sun in the middle of the day, but shade in the late afternoon. The umbrella can be moved around to provide shade if needed.
Are you ready for one last look of the before and after?
Before and After
Here is the same angle of the before and after so you can see the transformation.
Resources
If You Loved This
If you enjoyed this tour, you will want to see the behind the scenes transformation:
Stunning Veranda Transformation
Are you Inspired?
Be sure to download your FREE Green Your Clean eBook for more all-natural home DIYs made simple and easy!
Love, hugs, and kicking my feet up. Finally.
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Looks Aaaamazing!!!! Great job! laura
Thanks so much Laura! Hugs, Holly
holy cow what an awesome job you did Holly!! 🙂
Hi Lisa – Thanks so much! It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Hugs, Holly
Holly, this looks fabulous! And I am sure the wisteria will provide tons of shade. Please make sure it is trimmed every year and kept away from the house and roof area. Wisteria is aggressive and invasive and will destroy your roof and house, if given the opportunity.
Hi Marti – Thank you so much for stopping by to comment. Right now it’s very far away from the house, and I will definitely keep my eye on it as we try and work it around the pergola. Hugs, Holly
I lo-oove it! So cozy and inviting. But I have to ask, do you put away the cushions or leave them out? I put mine away and it’s a bit of a pain when you have to drag them all out before you can enjoy the space.
Hi Susan – All of the pillows and cushions are either Sunbrella or a very tough outdoor fabric, so I will be keeping them outside all summer. I paid $5.00 extra (soooo worth just a little more money!) for the upgraded cushions that have a special material on the bottom to help with keeping them dry in the rain. I don’t expect them to last forever, but hopefully through a few seasons anyway. Come over and join me sometime! Hugs, Holly
Well Done!
Hi Carmody – Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs, Holly
Looks great, but did you another deck beside the old one and then lay bricks on top of it?
Hi Christine – They filled it with dirt, leveled it out, and then laid the bricks down like stones, and filled it with this sand compound that hardens like cement. It’s a pretty cool concept and easier than paying a mason for the job. Hugs, Holly
It turned out awesome!
Thanks so much Mindie! Hugs, Holly
You did a fabulous job on the mud pit:) I love your new outdoor space—perfect for relaxing, having guests over…My favorite part is how you utilized the corner and now it is a cozy couch. Nicely done! found at inspire me monday linky. Have a great week Holly!
Hi Rachel – Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon! Hugs, Holly
I love this transformation. You must be enjoying the new “level” of space 🙂 It looks fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Have a great week, Holly~
Robin
Hi Robin – I am still in awe when I see it. We really do love it. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs, Holly
I could happily prop my feet up there with some refreshments and enjoy the breeze! Great transformation!! (And yes, the angle thing is totally one of my pet peeves as well.) Popped over from the Feeding Big party! 🙂
Hi Megan – So glad I found some before and after solidarity! Thank you for your sweet words and come on over any time and prop your feet up! Hugs, Holly
WOW, this looks absolutely amazing! What a beautiful transformation and a fun place to hang out during the summer. Thanks for sharing it at The Makers! Pinned 🙂
Hi Katie – Thank you for pinning and thank you for your kind words. We really do enjoy the new space. Hugs, Holly
Wow! What a great before and after! Such a great spot to hang out! Thank you so much for sharing with us at The Makers. 🙂
Hi Alexis – Thank you for stopping by. We love our new space. Hugs, Holly
Amazing! I want to come over and hang out there. What a nice space!
Oh my goodness… THE Stacy Risenmay commenting to little ole me on my blog? I am so honored and thank you for your sweet words. Next time you are in the DC area, come on over and join me! Hugs, Holly
oh man, that looks amazing. my favorite is the built in bench and the ottoman/table. and i totally agree with the same angle pics-it’s how you truly realize a before and after!
Hi Cape on the Corner – Yay solidarity! Thank you for your sweet words and thanks for stopping by. Come back again soon! Hugs. Holly
Oh My Word, this is fabulous. I love this space, what an amazing transformation. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
Hi Marty – You are so kind, thank you so much! Hugs, Holly
you would never know that this was the same space! Love the furniture and the colors you chose! Just fantastic!
Hi Cynthia – I’m still in shock, trust me! Hugs, Holly
Strong work, the area turned out beautifully! Thanks for linking up at the Wonderful Wednesday blog Hop. We are so glad you came by!
Hi Shari – Thank you so much for visiting! Hugs, Holly
Beautiful, Holly!! Thank you bunches for linking up and partying with us!
Hi Kristi – Thank you so much! Hugs, Holly
Awesome job…bet you’re loving it!! I would be out there all day if I could.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Bobbi – I will not confirm or deny how many naps I’ve had out there already! 🙂 Hugs, Holly
WOW, WOW & WOW is hardly a description for that transformation. Thanks for sharing. Stopping by as co-host from Wonderful Wed Blog Hop. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
Hi Carrie – Thank you for your kind words! Hugs, Holly
Wow, what a transformation. It looks great. Hope you have a fantastic day!
Hi Heidi – Thanks so much! Hugs, Holly
Great job!!!! I hope you enjoy a beautiful summer there!
Hi Zografia – Thank you so much for visiting! Happy summer! Hugs, Holly
what an awesome transformation, what a great place to sit and relax. GREAT WORK. Happy Saturday SHarefest.
Hi Karen – Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Happy Summer! Hugs, Holly
Wow! This turned out great. I want to have a beautiful outdoor living area like this for relaxing in the summer or having friends over.
Hi Jenna – Thank you for stopping by and your kind comments. Hugs, Holly
totally loving it!! I am showing hubby, I have been asking for a patio area and this will be great inspiration!
Hi K&M – It really was two years in the making (and still working through my comments to see if you made it to the entire transformation yet). Even though we had help, it was a lot of work but well worth it in the long run. I still can’t believe it. Hugs, Holly
Great redo! Aren’t you glad you have photos! I wish I could come and enjoy it with you.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a beautiful weekend on your new patio!
Sherry
Hi Sherry – It was before I was blogging that I took the pictures, so I’m very glad I did. Thank you for stopping by! Hugs, Holly
That is fantastic. What a transformation!
Hi Michelle – Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope to see you again soon. Hugs, Holly
Well my goodness what a great makeover, it looks so inviting and comfy, I hope you will enjoy lots of time in your new out living area!!! Thanks again for sharing!!
Hugzz Karren
Hi Karren – Come on over any time! Hugs, Holly
I think that is one amazing transformation! What a great place to hang out and have a glass of something cool. 🙂
Hi Stacey – We really do love our new space. Thank you so much for stopping by and hope to see you again soon. Hugs, Holly
That is just gorgeous! What an amazing space!
Thanks so much Jeanette! Hugs, Holly
Love the transformation. You guys did a fantastic job! Love the colors and that stool too! Want!
Thanks for sharing on Worthwhile Wednesdays!
~Allie http://thecraftiestallie.blogspot.com
Hi Allie – Thank you so much for your kind words, we are very pleased with how everything came together. Hugs, Holly
omgsh! How beautiful!! So love your transformation! You did good!!
Hi Dee – Thank you so much! Hope to see you again soon. Hugs, Holly
Wow, this is awesome!
Hi Mila – Thanks so much for visiting! Hugs, Holly
Great work!!!
Thanks Mari! Hugs, Holly
I’ve just pinned this-what a transformation! Thanks for joining the Say G’Day Saturday linky party. Hope you can join us again this weekend.
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Hi Natasha – Thanks so much for pinning! G’Day! Hugs, Holly
This transformation is absolutely gorgeous!! Is there instructions on how to make the corner seating area? Love this area so much!!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lisa – Thank you for your kind words! No instructions sorry, our PM Chris built it from scratch. Hugs, Holly
Wow, what a transformation! You must love using the space and I hope you do every day.
Hi Lulu – Thank you so much for your kind words and for stopping by! We love our space! Hugs, Holly
We are in the beginning stages of building a deck of our own. I was just wondering how tall it is from the ground to top of patio? Ours will be very short and I like how you did not put a railing around it.
Thank You
Anna
Hi Anna – I want to say it’s about a foot? The original deck never had steps or a railing and it was a bit of a jump, and we added the long risers as you can see in the after. When we had our party for Memorial Day, there were folks sitting on the steps for extra space and it was pretty awesome to see it all being used. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs, Holly
It appears that you covered up a crawlspace vent. Do you still maintain adequate ventilation under the house?
Hi Connie – Good observation. We also lost a gutter in the reno too. Both were re-directed so all is well. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs, Holly
I like it too – a technical question – I noticed a vent on the foundation in the space that was filled in. What did you do about that?
Hi Liz – Good eye my friend! The vent is to the crawl space and we have additional vents that compensate so closing this one off wasn’t a big deal. Thanks so much for stopping by to say hello and I hope to see you again soon! Hugs, Holly
Wow, Holly! What a stunning redo! I know you will really enjoy it this year!
Hi Christy – Thanks so much we absolutely love our new space! Hugs, Holly
Fabulous makeover! Thanks so much for sharing it at Whimsy Wednesday last week. I will be featuring it at tonights link party! Hope you stop by and link up again!
Susan
Hi Susan – Thank you so much for the feature! Hugs, Holly
What a great space! Nice job:)
Hi Heather – Thank you for your kind words. Hugs, Holly
What a fantastic makeover! I would love to kick my feet up out here. Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday – I’ll be featuring your deck at our upcoming party.
So kind, thank you very much for the upcoming feature! Hugs, Holly