Hey! This post is part of The Weekender Makeover Series- Watch all 10 episodes and get project details using the buttons below!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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)
3- DIY Outdoor Chalkboard & Kids Area
5- Furniture & Plants
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!
Table goods were all from World Market!
The sore muscles culprit… Cinderblocks! But, they look awesome and were really inexpensive!
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!
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!
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 Artificial Turf (yes, that’s fake grass and it’s amazing!)
DIY Outdoor Chalkboard & Kid’s Area
And don’t miss a Weekender Episode- make sure you subscribe HERE to catch all 10!
*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!*
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!!!!