Easy Outdoor Upgrades That ACTUALLY WORK for ANY Space + Budget!

Season 2 of the Backyard Makeover BEGINS! And we’re starting it with a backyard refresh! I’m also sharing 5 of the BEST transformational outdoor decorating hacks I’ve picked up along the way—and showing you exactly how to use them by incorporating them in my own backyard, in real time!! These tips are easy, renter-friendly, and affordable, and they work whether you have a front porch, balcony, or small patio. So I’ll also show you how I used some of these same ideas to update my old apartment balcony—and how you can adapt each tip to your own space, no matter the size or vibe! So hopefully by the end, you’ll feel inspired to get outside and start with some of these small decorating hacks that make a big difference, no matter where you live.

Let me know in the comments below what kind of outdoor space you have and what you plan on doing with it this spring!

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_Every week I share smart, renter-friendly ideas for making ANY indoor or outdoor space feel curated for living. From practical design advice, to vintage decor + thrifted finds, to DIY upgrades and outdoor projects, I show realistic ways to make your home feel well-designed and more like YOU without a big budget or renovation!_

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0:00 5 Transformational Outdoor Design Hacks!
0:09 This video has LAYERS
1:16 Tip 1
4:34 Adding Tip 1 into my yard!
5:50 Tip 2
8:05 Adding Tip 2 into my yard!
9:21 Tip 3
12:27 Adding Tip 3 into my yard!
15:34 Tip 4
18:45 Adding Tip 4 into my yard!
21:20 Tip 5
22:33 Adding Tip 5 into my yard!

#interiordesign #homedecor #diy

hello everyone I have a very exciting video for you So this video is basically onepart mini backyard makeover/refresh One part tips and tricks and hacks on how to design an outdoor space Whether it’s a patio a balcony a backyard a front porch anything that’s outside the home that you really want to enjoy It doesn’t matter if you’re a renter or an owner or you have the tiniest space or the largest space These are universal ideas that can be applied to any space to really give it some life and design Everything I’m sharing with you today I’m actually putting into practice into my own backyard so you can see how to implement it in a space like mine But I’m also going to be peppering in some ideas of how to decorate a smaller space like an apartment balcony considering I used to live in one of those And I have some proof to show you how I really transformed it from a dingy space into a really great place to be So you don’t always need really expensive outdoor furniture or professional landscaping Sometimes you just need some simple structures materials plants and ideas to create a space that really feels inviting and finished All righty let’s get started I have so much to show you and there’s a lot of really great updates that happen in the backyard So let’s get to it [Applause] [Music] I think most of us wouldn’t leave raw subfloor or concrete on the ground unless that’s an intentional design choice So outdoors it’s no different Ground cover isn’t just about function It defines areas creates pathways for direction and also just becomes a design element Gravel mulch and stepping stones are probably around like $5 or less each at your local hardware store which makes them the most budget friendly way to upgrade your outdoor space And of course outdoor rugs and decking tiles instantly add some style to the space as well as some comfort So for example my cute secondhand table and chairs area under the lowquat tree was such a nice place to sit but the loose dirt just made the space feel unfinished and hard to maintain So I added a bag of $7 pee gravel in a circular shape edged it with some rocks that I found on the property so the little pea gravel didn’t go everywhere and it instantly created a really defined seating area And in some walkway areas I placed some stepping stones to guide foot traffic And then in order to keep down a lot of the dust and weeds that are in this area that we’re in right now I added about $30 worth of wood chip mulch from the hardware store which really cleaned it up and just kept the dust down and really made this space feel like an intentional square that we can hang out in And then for our seating area the existing terracotta tiles were uneven and since we’re renting I didn’t want to spend the money leveling it So instead I got a big large outdoor rug from IKEA which created a more stable surface for our secondhand furniture while adding in some color and style and just anchoring the space overall But these upgrades aren’t just for people with traditional backyards or typical outdoor spaces When I lived in an apartment I used some IKEA decking tiles to break up the balcony into some distinct zones We mixed a combination of their turf and acacia wood tiles to separate our seating and our barbecue area And honestly it was such an upgrade It made the patio look so much nicer than it did before It looked like we had professional flooring installed or something So if you’re renting a place with a balcony this is one of the best upgrades you can do because they completely change the vibe of the space and you can take them with you when you leave Plus they are super customizable for any size space And just a quick ground cover tip not all of it can be treated the same way Gravel really needs a defined border something like rocks or like garden edging so that it doesn’t kind of just spill out everywhere and look really messy And stepping stones should be partially buried into the ground so that they’re not a tripping hazard and that they’re secure when you walk on them They should be almost even with the ground level And then if you want to do mulch and wood chips they do break down over time So just expect to kind of replenish them every 6 months or so Thinking about this from a design perspective you really have to think about materiality and texture So choose some ground cover that’s going to meet your ideal vision for your space I think peak gravel works great in a Mediterranean setting or a cottage setting or something that’s just a little bit more minimal And stepping stones come in all shapes and sizes and styles so they can really set the tone for a space They can also be placed in such a way that you can have ground cover growing in between them And I think wood chip mulch is great for garden heavy spaces as it really does help the soil It keeps in the moisture and it also just has more of that natural look If you stick to one ground cover style in similar areas like all of your seating areas have decking tiles and all of your garden areas have wood chips you’ll have a really cohesive and curated looking space So a quick little DIY project and a little update to the garden here I’m just going to be adding some more mulch into this area I recently refreshed this space by adding a bunch of native flowers Some I planted from seed and others that I got from a nursery The hope is that by summer this will kind of act as a colorful wall for pollinators to really enjoy I’m just putting the wood chips on top of the weeds for now because come May they’re just going to burn off and die anyways It’s not the worst to have some weeds in the yard So I’m not super super worried about it So I got this apron I think for my birthday last year and I was using it for like barbecuing but it’s been such a good like gardening apron and so it like really helps me not ruin all of my shirts But I really like the way this is looking I think it feels so much more finished and just clean But I do think that adding some more stepping stones here would just kind of complete the path So I really want to do that as well So let’s do that really [Music] quick You know this area doesn’t look too bad for just spending like maybe 20 minutes and $40 to just create a cohesive pathway and make it feel more landscaped [Music] So you can make any outdoor space feel well-designed and functional as long as you create some distinct zones that have a purpose It’s just like creating a little reading nook in your living room with a chair and a lamp and some books Outdoors using smaller elements like a well-placed planter or some table and chairs or a trellis can be just as effective as using a big outdoor dining set I think even in a minimalist space clearly defined areas make the biggest impact So for example I’m trying to make my entire yard feel full and refined And I’m trying not to ignore any kind of like random corners where I could put something intentional So we’re over here near my loquat tree and I have some beds and a little table and chairs But I also had this like dead area and there was nothing wrong with it and it wasn’t really detracting from the yard but it wasn’t really adding anything either So I placed a half wine barrel and overplanted it with herbs and flowers I’ve got borage dill chamomile and stersums that I grew from seed plus some nursery plants that were only $5 each And here’s what it’s looking like now So a quick tip here is if you’re going to use potted plants as a design element in your yard you really want them to feel finished And the best way to do that is to just overplant them A little plant in a big pot can look kind of sparse So I suggest just going all in and making a commitment to a giant plant in a big pot because a mature plant like that will really just make a statement Or you can do what I did which is just overfill a really big pot with a bunch of plants that work well together I think this makes it look really abundant and just finished overall Another trick is to go for much bigger planters than you think you might want or need just because larger pots and items can always make a space no matter the size feel much larger which just gives the space a more substantial grounded feel And when thinking of this from a design perspective imagine how the look and feel of the pots and planters that you get can really give you that desired look that you’re going for For example I think this wooden barrel works perfectly for like the cottage herb style garden that I’m going for but I think it can also fit into the Spanish style of the home The wood is still really neutral and natural which is a really prominent theme in Spanish design So I’m not really loving the randomness of all these little pots that are the same size grouped next to this really big pot So as a quick little DIY project I have this other wine barrel here that I want to put some of my lavender into I actually dug it up and moved it in the yard because it wasn’t doing so well where it was But now that it’s about to bloom I really want to kind of give it a place to shine And I think having some more cohesive pots over here can make more of a statement And I think choosing a different size just gives it a really nice [Music] variation I really like this a lot I think it adds a lot of like cohesion and kind of makes the space feel a lot more substantial than those little pots And because these three lavender plants are looking a bit barren in this pot I’m going to take my own advice and fill it with some additional lavender [Music] [Music] Now this little space has a definitive purpose It’s my own little private herb garden and it smells really good and the pollinators love it [Music] Now that we’ve created some purposeful zones and refined them with some ground covering let’s move on to structures Inside the home things like walls doorways or even shelving provide structure And outdoors we don’t have those things but we do have trelluses fencing pergolas umbrellas sculptures and other vertical elements that help define spaces and keep your eye moving around the yard [Music] So for example I wanted to create some kind of visual division amongst this little flat area right here and then the little walkway where we just put the stones There was some kind of division due to the fact that there’s like a little curb or wall but it really didn’t feel like much So I ended up finding this little old black metal fence on the property that was being completely unused And I placed it in the middle of this area just to create some kind of separation and make you feel like there’s a little fence or a wall so that this flat area becomes its own little zone And then to further that idea last summer I filled this area with winter squash beans zucchini and some native flowers And then after the summer I replaced it with all of these native plants and pollinator flowers that I either grew from seed or I picked up from the nursery for like $15 or less And then to take this concept even further I went on Amazon and found this $30 trellis And I added it to the right side of this fence to further just define the walkway that was coming off of the patio This trellis was really easy to set up And I’ve always wanted a passion fruit plant of my own So I planted this $30 passion fruit vine last June and just started training it to grow over the top of the trellis And then to fill it out while it just establishes I planted six sweet pea plants to hopefully meet it in the middle which smell and look so amazing while they bloom So for $60 total this trellis adds structure and vertical interest Now it’s become a really functional space for food production I literally can’t wait to walk underneath the arch and just like pull a passion fruit down And a quick tip is if you want to do something like this trellis but you don’t want it to be permanent you could actually just plant whatever perennial vining plant you want to put on a trellis like passion fruit jasmine or vining roses into a pot down below This way if you’re renting you can take it when you leave You can also find little fences like this one at Lowe’s for example for a really affordable price if you wanted to try to use a little landscaping fencing to delineate some areas in your yard Of course you can use structures that are not really plantrelated like pergolas umbrellas tables standing cedar planters raised beds if you do want to grow your own food or even something like boulders as long as they’re strategically placed to create division in the yard And when thinking about this from a design perspective this is all about framing and focal point For example a really well-placed arched trellis can frame a view beyond it and guide how you experience that space rather than just acting as a structure or a focal point If everything’s hugging the walls in your outdoor space how can you bring in some height and a focal point through structure you can add something like a bird bath or even a water fountain something that just draws the eye and guides you through the space As always you should choose something that will fit the ideal look of your yard So maybe you want something that’s black and metal in a more modern space and something that’s more dark wood in like a more rustic cottagey space So as a quick little DIY and a fun garden update I wanted to create some kind of delineation between the patio space that I’m sitting in now and the flat wood chipped area where we were I feel like there is some division because there’s kind of like a curb wall that separates it It’s a little bit higher up here than it is down there However there really isn’t a delineation unless I like put up a wall kind of at the end of these bricks here that lead into the wood chip area So I got this cedar bed from Epic Gardening It’s really big but not too big And I think it’s at the right height where it’s going to add some delineation So once I plant things in there the greens will come up and kind of just create like an additional wall Not really for privacy but just to kind of enclose in the patio space I really like the idea that all of these pieces in this bed were pre-cut and I didn’t have to go to the hardware store and build something myself And cedar is a little bit more expensive because it’s weatherproof So this is going to age and look really good over time I thought about maybe putting in some lemongrass in here or ginger but then I remembered that I don’t really have an area to put my potatoes considering they took up half of the yard last year And this bed would be the perfect spot for them because it’s really deep [Music] [Music] So this year we’re planting some big russet potatoes Last year I’m not sure what kind we did They were just like yellow gold small ones from Trader Joe’s But what’s great about potatoes is that they produce a ton So you can just take one from the grocery store plant it like 6 in deep here and then let it grow So we’re just going to plant three big ones here and see what happens And what’s nice is that the greens from the potatoes will grow and they’ll be quite big if you remember from last year if you saw my other garden updates So it’ll be some like nice greenery With time and watering the soil is going to drop So I’ll just top this off a little bit later maybe a week or so later with some more soil And then I’ll follow up with you in the summer to show you how they’re looking So I pulled the olive tree down here as I think this kind of creates a nice little barrier here and it just kind of fills in the space I think from here the cedar box is really just kind of enclosing the patio a bit more and you can still see beyond the garden in the background but it’s providing just like a little bit more of a structured space So now that this is done we’ll just wait for this to start growing and create some kind of like greenery and barrier between the two spaces But I love this so much I think it’s a great solution to my problem of needing to grow potatoes honestly And uh I bought this bed through Epic Gardening and they gave me a discount code Not sponsored in any way but I just wanted to share it with you guys so that maybe if you wanted to get started on some kind of planters or trelluses or just gardening supplies they gave me I think 5% off It’s living with LK is the code I’ll put it on the screen and in the description below But yeah I really have spent so much money with them and I’m a huge fan of their products So anyways let’s move on to tip number four [Music] So now that we’ve defined zones brought in some ground cover and created some structure the next step is layering Just like styling a room with weighted pieces and tall focal points and small details outdoors we can mix tall trelluses midsize planters outdoor lighting good ground cover and midsize statement pieces to create a space that’s inviting and dynamic instead of flat and unfinished The goal here is to really create some depth and balance while moving the eye throughout the space So for example I already started doing this with the trellis as well as the cedar bed that we just made But I also wanted to create some more mid-level focal points So instead of keeping all of my strawberries in a raised bed or a big pot as those are lower to the ground like most of my plants I built this tiered tower using Dollar Tree pots It’s a practical option for small spaces like balconies patios or even a front porch And it’s great for growing just about anything from flowers to strawberries lettuce or even herbs In addition to some static verticality like these towers I also have brought in some movement and some verticality with windchimes as well as this little bird bath over here I found this old bird bath stand on the property and then thrifted a pot and turned this whole thing into a faux water fountain/bird bath I’m getting the fountain effect with a solar powered fountain from Amazon And sometimes I take it out for the birds And for something so affordably made it makes such a statement And when you’re thinking about layering in your space here’s a quick tip Get some perspective on what your space looks like in different areas or at different levels Meaning what does it look like when you’re standing sitting from a window or even just from a different angle adding in a bench or a base row table can give you a whole new focal point to work from And while sitting there it might show you where you need to add some density or some height or some variety This is something that you might not notice or see if you’re always standing or always coming at it from one angle You can also create layers with lighting whether it’s string lights or pathway lights or even solar powered tiki torches It’ll look great at night but it also makes a statement during the day I would also really suggest using potted trees whether you rent or own You can do fruit trees or conifers or whatever is local to your area but they give so much height and you can move them around just about anywhere that you need to You could also get a couple of them to create a natural divider or just define a space Even two potted trees in a rental could frame an entryway or a view or make a space feel enclosed without permanent landscaping You can also use freestanding furniture that’s for outdoors like something with shelving to hold all of your pots or decorative items or even a storage bench to hold all of your barbecue stuff Adding these layers everywhere can really help you draw the eye around and make your yard feel lush and full even if it’s just an outdoor balcony So when we’re thinking about this from a design element you really just want to focus on visual hierarchy Instead of focusing on individual pieces try composing a scene as if it was a room in your home Some of your tallest elements to add that vertical drama could be those windchimes or hanging pots Your supporting elements at your midle could be like your chairs or a midsize planter or some of your pots on different risers to create variety And then as we mentioned your base layer is your ground cover and pathway lights or outdoor rugs So as a quick little DIY project and an update to the garden I’m going to be adding some more tears to my strawberry tower And then I want to place it in more of an intentional area and kind of make a moment out of it just to add some more of those mid-level layers So I’ve been harvesting juicy strawberries from this since February and I literally just cannot believe like how good they are They’re so big and they’re perfectly ripe So good Right now these strawberries are just like a couple tiers high but I can add some additional layers in order to make it like a tall vertical tower or I can make it like a half size tower I did this last year and grew a lot of lettuce and beets and things in here and it was absolutely fantastic And then when everything died back in the summer I emptied it all out So now I’m ready to fill it back up I already have my three strawberry layers but I’m going to add in some lettuce and bok choy that I grew from seed and some purple alysums and some daisies And then I’ll put some bush bean seeds in the rest of these so it’ll really bush out and fill up the space I think putting one over here by the cedar bed will kind of balance out the other side where the olive tree is and it’ll get some nice shade especially during the summer And then I have another one on the other side of the fence of the flower wall to just kind of like balance out the trellis side And again it’s getting partial shade so it’s great for the summer I think I’m going to add some herbs in here as well just because they smell really good And these ones are completely different than the ones that I have in the wine barrels So I’ve got some curled parsley French teragon oregano towering lemon basil some spearmint and peppermint which smells exactly like a candy cane So I have this little IKEA stool here and I thought I might use this considering it’s also kind of a triangle shape and I think it looks really good with this tower on top I think it’s also creating a division between the patio and the flat wood chipped area because it’s just adding a little bit of height and creating some variation amongst all the different objects over here I think this looks really cute And let me know in the comments what you think Now I feel like this area is just a little bit more cohesive It’s got some structure and layers and also just that midlevel element I also really want to repot some of my peppers that are just in some plastic pots just to make more of an intentional moment So I got these really big terracotta ones at Home Depot I think they were like $25 each and they kind of match the pots that I found around the property So I’m creating some cohesion [Music] [Music] [Music] But if you’re feeling like you’ve done all of these tips that we’ve talked about and something still just feels off it’s probably because you have not defined an overall style in your yard Committing to a look whether it’s minimal modern southwestern cottage or something in between is going to be the difference between a space that feels randomly thrown together and something that feels curated and complete You can create a committed look by sticking to a consistent set of materials like terracotta antique or black metal and dark wood or by using matching pots and planners or cohesive pathway stones or repeating colors all throughout the space But more than that you want to think about your space with a clear purpose Whether that’s having a really lush cottage garden or having an edible area to grow your own food or entertaining space or maybe just a family-friendly vibe It’s really similar to designing a home as a whole When you layer in cohesive finishes materials and colors everything just feels more pulled together The same applies outside Coordinating everything from textures and styles to even something like fencing can really just make your entire space feel thoughtfully designed For example I started with a big wooden bed in the lower half of the garden Built on the cheap with $2 corner blocks and construction lumber Then I added in this round Birdy’s bed from Epic Gardening And at first it felt like progress I realized that I really like growing my own food and I really love the idea of using raised beds as removable landscaping But over time the space was overrun by weeds and gophers And even though I had some strawberries thriving in the round bed and some leftover potatoes and heirloom tomatoes in the square bed the whole area ended up just feeling like this random collection of things instead of an intentionally designed space So I committed to one style one setup one vibe I moved the strawberries into a wine barrel and put it on the other side of the garden since they’re only in season from spring to summer Then over the next few months I saved up and got some more birdies beds to match the round one They’re configurable in a few different ways so I went with the 4×3 size to fit the space perfectly And even with just two matching beds the space was already starting to look so much more pulled together As time went on I added more One rectangle then another square and then completely by chance I found a bigger taller birdie bed on Facebook Marketplace for only $50 Now this whole area looks super intentional and put together while also being a functional space to seriously grow my own food It really took some time to bring this space together but I’m so glad I did because it has made such an impact on the entire overall feel of the yard And just a quick tip if you’re wanting to do something similar like this I knew I needed a long-term solution for weeds and gophers So I decided to invest in chicken wire and a good base layer of cardboard secured with landscaping staples To bulk up the beds without spending a fortune on soil I reused the soil from my old beds which is already full of nutrients and then added some logs literally the ones that you can get from the grocery store for fireplaces dead tree trimmings dried leaves and I even cut up our old Christmas tree stumps from the last 2 years Then I topped everything off with new compost soil and mulch The logs and organic material will break down over time improving the soil naturally while saving money on extra dirt So when thinking about this from a design perspective we’re really incorporating every other tip that I discussed in this video as well as like repetition and unity To really tie the space all together I made sure to choose the same color of beds And I chose this softer green specifically just because I feel like it added to the real verdant vibe back here And then to add in some of my ground covering and contrast and to make it feel a little bit more connected together I covered all the surrounding ground in these natural wood chips They’re a little bit more expensive than the ones I used in the flat area but they look so good The wood chips also hide the extra cardboard and chicken wire around the beds and suffocate the Bermuda grass and other weeds Now instead of this area giving half-ass it really does look super intentional and cohesive and really well-designed And it’s kind of giving my own like small homestead vibe I’m growing so much food here like celery garlic kale chickpeas sunflowers cucumbers squash watermelon and so much more So as a quick little garden update I’m going to kind of just update the wood chips around here and define the area around the pepper pots that I just upgraded in the last tip I love using these natural wood chips because they’re chunkier and they just have a really nice natural vibe to them and they smell like cedar which is a really nice addition to like the sensory vibe out here Now this space feels like a deliberate design choice rather than just some random floating beds And I love it so much This is my favorite part of the garden and the biggest update I’ve done to this yard so far [Music] Heat Heat [Music] [Music] This backyard is nowhere near where I want it to be officially but after implementing these ideas over time and spending these Saturdays working on the yard it has come so far I still can’t believe what a flat dust bowl it used to be and what a lush space it feels like now And honestly I’ve really enjoyed the process of learning how to work with a space like this So I hope these tips have inspired you to get outside and to create a space that feels livable and enjoyable especially in these spring and summer months No matter what kind of outdoor space you have you just have to start somewhere As you can see small changes over time make a really big impact So let me know what part of your outdoor space you’re working on And please let me know in the comments below what tips and tricks you have And for even more backyard design ideas and even some gardening tips check out my outdoor living playlist There you’ll see the very first tour of this backyard and then my very first patio and backyard makeover that really set the tone for this outdoor area I’ll be sharing my makeover of the breezeway soon So make sure you subscribe and click the notification bell to be alerted of when that comes out Other than that I will see you guys on the next one [Music] Bye [Music] Heat Heat What