Help!

I live in southern TN, would someone please give me afordable ideas on how to decor my back deck. It gets full sun in the hot afternoon and evening in the summer. As you can see we do not have a cover over it so furniture is limited because of the weather and heat element. Thanks ahead of time. Look forward to your ideas. What is the next step?
  16 answers
  • DF DF on Apr 22, 2015
    I'd say clean and stain floor using one of the darker stains, then paint the rails a lighter color to coordinate with brick. Add few flower pots, outdoor rug and an umbrella over seating. Home talk gives lots of easy ideas so have fun with it!
  • Susan Strohl Susan Strohl on Apr 22, 2015
    I would say a shade sail, paint your deck and your plastic furniture blue or yellow.....blue/yellow/white is a lovely combination. A plastic planter on the wide rail with heat tolerant plants and a few solar lights or items. Take advantage of the sun.
  • Darla Darla on Apr 22, 2015
    First, get a shade or umbrella so it will not be to hot to be there!
  • Cassie Cassie on Apr 22, 2015
    Since it's a full-sun spot, I'd load it up with a container garden. Scour your home, yard sales, etc. for unique containers to use as planters and it's amazing how you can transform and personalize a space.
  • Nancy Nancy on Apr 22, 2015
    Don't ever complain about sunshine. Wish we had more of it here in Michigan this spring. Think about your three favorite complimentary colors. Paint all the furniture. I have had great success with Krylon on plastic. I even painted my small vinyl cushions with it. Power wash the deck and fencing. Get a good outdoor uv stain for the floor. Find something for that blank wall--- or just hand a few hanging baskets. A white trellis on the brick wall on the right side of the window could help add some symmetry. A morning glory or clematis on the trellis would look fabulous. I planted mine in a pot and did this on the back of my brick house. Worked out fine and grew quite full. Once you have painted the metal furniture, center it in front of white wall. Use the two plastic chairs with a small accent table in front of the brick wall. Take it a step at a time. Enjoy the sunshine. With each finished step, stand back, appreciate what you have accomplished. When it's all done----everyone will admire your creativity and hard work. Great potential for the perfect place to relax. Good luck.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Apr 22, 2015
    @Cindy Burrow Glover everyone is right about the shade. Walmart has an inexpensive canopy that is actually rain resistant for sitting outside during a light rain (about $80-90) and lasts for years (taken down for the winter. Refreshing your boards is also a good idea. If you decide to stain/paint I would recommend the lighter shades as you are in full sun and dark stains will be hot under foot. I think I see a built in bench, but not sure, if so you could paint that one of the accent colours you choose for your deck accessories and then add some inexpensive pillows in a complementary colour. The idea of a lattice, painted white is a great idea. You could build a small rectangular flower box for the bottom and plan a vine type plant in it - ivy, morning glory or sweet peas etc. I would also add some pots of of colourful annuals for your area. You could likely get them in shades of your complimentary colours. You can even spray paint the pots to go with your colours. Lastly - take your time, bit by bit - start with refreshing the wood and putting shade up. Then sit and think of what you would like to see and what colours come to mind. Check out the garden deck decor on the site - amazing ideas await you. Please update us with pics if you can.
  • Lee Cunningham Green Lee Cunningham Green on Apr 22, 2015
    a colorful umbrella, or canopy would do wonders and plants can really make it more intimate.
  • Tina Tina on Apr 22, 2015
    flowers, umbrella or two, cleaned and stained deck, maybe a new chair or two (Lowes has inexpensive adirondack plastic colorful chairs... under $18 each) and you will enjoy your patio even in the heat!!
  • Gail Gail on Apr 22, 2015
    Some sort of structure for shade is preferable, I know. I've lived in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The heat and humidity from mid to late June through the end of September is difficult--high heat, high humidity, little air movement. I've struggled with southern and western exposures that are dreadful in the summer and absolutely wonderful in the winter if no permanent shade structure is installed. I've moved a lot. What I've found-- no permanent shade structure makes it cool enough to use in the high heat of the summer and any permanent structure keeps you from completely enjoying any sunshine that might have been available in the cooler months from any windows overshadowed by your shade structure. Many years later my solution is no permanent shade structure. Make it pretty enough to enjoy when the temperatures are pleasant and forget trying to use an outside space all year long in Tennessee.
  • April ferns April ferns on Apr 23, 2015
    My yard gets full sun too. I bought a 10x10 gazebo with the netting at home depot for $200. It not only gave me shade but it kept the bugs out. It also had four triangle shelve in each corner for flower pots. I hung white Christmas lights inside for evening time. Had my table and chairs inside for company. We ate dinner a lot outside. just be sure to secure it down mine blew away in a bad storm.
  • Lori T Lori T on Apr 23, 2015
    How about one of those pergolas?
  • Suz1343480 Suz1343480 on Apr 24, 2015
    I bought a gazebo at big lots mounted it too my deck added an outdoor rug, furniture & tropical plants . I take the canopy off in winter & store indoors so the mice don't get to it
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Apr 26, 2015
    Agree you need shade. Like the gazebo and umbrella ideas.
  • Shirley Kalinosky Shirley Kalinosky on Apr 26, 2015
    When we bought this house over 7 yrs ago, there is a Sunsetter awning on the back on the North side of the house. Now you would think that North side wouldn't get much sun. Wrong! It's gets a full sun all summer and the awning can't be unrolled and left out in the rain. Haven't figured out why. Sooo, we have only opened it to see if it's worked and put it out once. We were going to have an outdoor party for our wedding reception, and it rained. Soooo, that being said---Oh, and my patio table and chairs, they are in the shed and have never been used. Maybe at the new house we will be moving to in this summer---it has a screened-in porch--- I may get to use them. I will let the new owners deal with the awning. Maybe they won't get to use it either.
  • CarolB. CarolB. on Apr 26, 2015
    The first thing I thought when I scrolled down and saw the picture was "sail". That's weird for me because I've not liked them before, but this situation seems perfect for that to me. I also love the idea of the dark-painted deck and the railing a lighter color.
    • 861650 861650 on Apr 27, 2015
      @CarolB. You have a wonderful idea. I have seen the "sail" on HGTV and just loved it.
  • 861650 861650 on Apr 26, 2015
    There are so many great ideas here. Have you thought about a "beach theme and/or beach colors?" And don't forget your window, maybe some shutters? After looking at your home several times, I wonder what is that white wall on the left side? It really sticks out when you look at the photo--would you paint it to coordinate it with your brick and maybe hang a large decorative 'something' on it? Or, at least consider painting it another color of some kind. About that Krylon spray paint for plastics; do not ever clean with Clorox as it breaks down the paint and becomes sticky. (I did this and made a mess.) Last, take your time and look at many decks that have been decorated. Take pictures of the ones you like and put in a folder. That way you won't get confused. I did this and it helped so much. Happy Hunting!
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    • 861650 861650 on Apr 27, 2015
      @Gail Salminen You are so smart and have a great idea. Thanks for sharing!