Outdoor living has become increasingly popular within recent years. I want to show you some easy steps on how to add style to your decking, whether yours is old and needs updating, or you are in the planning stages of adding one.
There are many things you can do to give it your own style, whether that's carrying a theme from inside your home to outside or something completely different. Here I'll explain what I did with my decking.
My decking is roughly 12 metres wide and at a depth of 2.4 metres. Half of it is slightly higher with a step. This was the half that I wanted to concentrate on first.
The fence had already been painted in Cuprinol Garden Shades - Natural Stone, but the deck itself had been oiled twice every year, for the last 3 years. It started to look grey and dull. We hadn't used this space much and thought it was time to use it properly (especially with the current Covid 19 situation!).
Prep Is Key!
Before I decided what to use on the decking, I gave it a good jet wash and brushed the water off and any loose bits of dirt. There wasn't much algae so I didn't need to use any soap/cleaner. This was left to dry for the day in hot weather.
As you can see in this picture, the wood had completely faded and looked so dull!
Colour Decisions
After discussions with my partner, it was decided that the decking was to be bright with a tropical feel.
I had researched into painted decks and absolutely loved white!
This was the difficult part, as not many companies offered white and at the time of doing this, paint prices online had sky rocketed, again, thanks to the Covid 19 situation. With this, I decided to use Cuprinol Garden Shades - Pale Jasmine. I must note, that it is not recommended by Cuprinol to use this on decking as I was advised (after asking!) that it is subject to peel and scuff, and can become slippery if it gets wet. For me, I did not mind this as I know anything outside will not stay pristine forever. So if you are after a finish that will not peel, then please do some research on the type of look/finish that you would like.
Painting
Painting the decking took two warm sunny days with no wind, painting one coat each day. Originally I was going to use a masonry brush but this would have taken so long for the whole deck. I used Ronseal Precision Fence Sprayer for the top and for the front of decking a masonry brush as spraying this part would have been difficult! The Ronseal Sprayer can hold 5 litres of paint (make sure the paint you use is sprayable), so was perfect for the task in hand.
Seating
Large patio sets and rattan furniture can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. I wanted something quite large but different, and the things I was looking at were not cheap! I went back to the drawing board, browsing Pinterest and found the magical world of pallet furniture. It was at this point there was no looking back. Fortunately, through my day job working in a bathroom and kitchen showroom, I had acquired a load of pallets from supplier deliveries. I needed at least eight of these to build up my seating area, plus some smaller ones for mini tables.
The pallets for seating are Euro sized (1200mm x 800mm). Tip: If you want pallets, call into local building merchants, bathroom/kitchen showrooms or industrial estates. BUT please make sure you ask before you take, even if they are dumped to the side of a building.
Thinking about my theme of tropical, I decided to paint the pallets in a neutral colour as accessories were going to be my main source of colour. I had some Cuprinol Garden Shades - Natural Stone paint left; the same as our fence. First, I used the electric sander to smooth the outer parts of the pallets, and using the Ronseal Precision Fence Sprayer I was able to quickly paint them. I painted two coats and left them a day to dry. I really recommend spraying the pallets as painting with a brush can increase the amount of time you spend on them.
Styling
Once everything had dried it was onto the fun part, picking out accessories and styling.
For our decking, we wanted a relaxed tropical style, as many of our plants in the garden are either vibrant greens, pinks, and blues. The main thing was sourcing cushions for the pallets. I came across various pallet cushions made to the exact size and were waterproof, but they were proving to be an expense, especially for the amount I needed. Eventually I want to make back rests for the seats!
On eBay I discovered large floor cushions made from crushed velvet. They were the perfect size (1200mm x 800mm), and best of all relatively cheap at £14.95 each (price correct as of 28/6/20), with a variety of colours available. The covers are removable and can be washed. The slight downside is they are not waterproof and shouldn't be left outside all year round, so storage is key.
Adding accessories was the most fun part of this. I had a pine storage unit that was in need of painting as it had been left outside and I thought it would be a perfect addition to storage and display on the top deck.
After sanding this back I used Ronseal Garden Paint - Peacock.
This paint was also used on a small pallet for a little table in the other corner, which had my elephant plant stand on and some plants.
I recently had a large piece of canvas with my Tropic Flower design printed on and thought that the colours were perfect for the deck. This now sits proudly with my mini pallet table and really adds to the scheme!
The final finishing touches were adding my battery powered, nylon lanterns (from Amazon), which hang along the fence, and my own knitted merino wool blanket (from Wool Couture) that I made a couple of years ago.
Most importantly, the decking could not be without my own designs; Tropicana Parrot Blue and Tribal Palm Blue waterproof cushions! They completely finish off the look we wanted to achieve here.
My tips for decking out your own deck:
Create a moodboard or use Pinterest to gather your thoughts and ideas. You may find things you did not think about adding.
Research the type of paint, stain or oil you want to use, as this coincides with the look you want to achieve.
Consider a budget as it's very easy to get carried away!
Measure your space and draw a layout. It makes it so much easier with planning and prep, and gives you no surprises when it comes to putting the scheme together. It would be such a waste of time and materials if you found did not fit into your decking area.
Shop your home! Especially if you are carrying a theme from inside your home to the garden. You may find useful accessories that you can use, like blankets and ornaments, just as I did!
Re-paint existing furniture, storage and plant pots. This saves those much treasure pennies for other things!
Shop my style!
Some useful links if you find you want some of the products that I have :
60cm Waterproof Cushion Covers from The Print Bug - https://www.theprintbug.co.uk
Floor Cushions for the pallets, mine are the Mink colour which turns out to be more of a pink! Other colours available - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-X-LARGE-RECTANGLE-CRUSHED-VELVET-FLOOR-SEATS-CUSHIONS-SLAB-LOUNGER-80x120CM/123911739195?hash=item1cd9b7173b:g:8aQAAOSw3fFeSoH0
Lantern String Lights - Battery Powered - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Herefun-Lantern-Operated-Waterproof-Decoration/dp/B07VD3MW9Z/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pl_foot_top?ie=UTF8
Decking, Fence and Pallet Paint -https://www.diy.com/departments/painting-and-decorating/paint-and-wood-treatments/exterior-woodcare/garden-furniture-paint-and-treatments/cuprinol/_/N-nzbZ1z0s35i
Paint for unit and small pallet, and sprayer - https://www.ronseal.com
Merino Wool Blanket DIY kit - https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/product/lulus-big-blanket-knitting-kit/
I will keep adding to the decking so watch this space for more info.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!
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