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hey there! I'm monica 

I pride myself on making amazing style and design accessible for everyone, regardless of location, budget, or ability! My design philosophy is rooted in authenticity + attainability - If I can do it, you can too! My work has been featured in countless publications, but I take the most pride in homeowners that have been personally inspired by my DIY ideas and have tried something in their own homes!

learn more about ME + MY BIZ

Hey! This post is part of The Weekender Makeover Series- Watch all 10 episodes and get project details using the buttons below!

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 The Weekender:  DIY Urban Patio Makeover – Watch Below!

For this episode of The Weekender, I was given the challenge of transforming a family of 5’s lackluster backyard into a space perfect for kids, entertaining and cooking out… oh, and did I mention it was in Manhattan?!?  Tess and Barry live on the Upper West Side, and by city standards, have a massive backyard, but they never used it because well… this is what it looked like.

yard-before

Technically, could kids play out here-absolutely! But, see that dirt area… the minute it rained, it was mud central for days.  Tess told me the mud her kids tracked through the house was pretty intense.

Here’s the other side of the yard. As you can see, I had my work cut out for me, but was so ready for the challenge!

yard-before2

It was a full weekend, with more heavy lifting than you can imagine (whose idea was it to use cinderblocks?!?), but in the end it was all worth it! Look at their patio now!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Reveal1

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Reveal3

I LOVE this space! I honestly didn’t want to leave. After we finished shooting the makeover, we all sat around after dark, with the string lights casting a soft glow, eating the world’s best homemade guac and Margaritas and it truly felt like a magical escape from the hustle and craziness that is Manhattan.

Screen Shot 2016-07-12 at 8.16.01 AM

So, how did we go from an abandoned lot lookalike to this urban oasis?  We focused on 5 main projects and 4/5 have full tutorials all ready for your DIY reading enjoyment!

 (click the titles to get more info on each project)

1- DIY Modern Privacy Screen

DIY Patio Makeover Modern Privacy Screen

2- DIY Cinderblock Planter

DIY Patio Makeover Cinderblock Planter 2

3- DIY Outdoor Chalkboard & Kids Area

DIY Patio Makeover Outdoor Chalkboard Kid's Area

4- DIY Artificial Grass

DIY Patio Makeover Artificial Grass 2

5-  Furniture & Plants

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Brick Wall Planters

Wondering how you can get a similar look? These pictures below have all my sources linked! Just hover and boom- you’ve got the intel! I hate when I see a makeover and have no idea where things came from, so I’m hooking you up with the goods!

And here’s a bit more eye candy for ya, just because I think at this point, we’re all wishing we owned a home in Manhattan with an epic urban oasis!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Entertaining Pillows Outdoor Seating

Table goods were all from World Market!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Table Setting

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Accessories
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Table Setting Entertaining

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Cinderblock Planter Privacy Fence

The sore muscles culprit… Cinderblocks!  But, they look awesome and were really inexpensive!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Cinderblock Planter
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Seating Kids Area Side Table Privacy Fence

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Seating Pillow
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Kids Gardening

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Kids Area Tic Tac Toe

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Kids Area Gardening Privacy Fence Outdoor Chalkboard

Can I tell you how this artificial turf rocked my world?!? It’s a total game changer for urban outdoor spaces.  I mean, I’m honestly wondering how I can do my 3 acre lawn with it. HA!  No more mowing!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Entertaining Seating Outdoor Pillows Faux Grass

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Table Place Settings Entertaining

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Seating Outdoor Lighting

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Faux Grass Outdoor Seating
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Seating Entertaining DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Seating Outdoor Rug Faux Grass

In case you’re wondering… the neighbor was doing a full building renovation, so their house is wrapped in pretty, white plastic… insert heavy sarcasm here.  It was a minor bummer, but in the end, this patio was so great that even a 75 foot wall of white plastic couldn’t kill our vibe!

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Entertaining Seating Area Faux Grass
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Entertaining Seating Small Area
DIY Urban Patio Makeover Outdoor Small Space

DIY Urban Patio Makeover Small Space Seating Entertaining Space

As you can see, this urban patio makeover was filled with DIY projects. You can find them all HERE or use the links below.

DIY Cinderblock Planter

DIY Artificial Turf (yes, that’s fake grass and it’s amazing!)

DIY Outdoor Chalkboard & Kid’s Area

DIY Modern Privacy Fence

And don’t miss a Weekender Episode- make sure you subscribe HERE to catch all 10!

Screen Shot 2016-07-14 at 7.53.50 AM

*The Weekender Series is a paid collaboration with Lowe’s Home Improvement. I’m thankful for the brands that believe in the mission of East Coast Creative and support my work!*

The comments +

  1. Selma Harris says:

    LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE it!!! Can I say it any LOUDER???!!! Lol. I am so glad I can “see you” (missing Jess) “on tv” again. My daughters (ages 6 and 3) and I watch the Knock It Off episodes often. My oldest loves the show and when I show her these episodes, she might lose her mind. I love the projects you do and the monetary accessibility you bring to home improvement. We currently don’t have boat loads of money to spend on updates in our home but a great deal of your projects get me really excited because it will not break the budget. Thank you Monica and Thank you Lowes. Praying one day, it will be a television show!!!!

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