3 Smaller Projects that Will Enhance Your Outdoor Living Space Big Time
No time for a total backyard makeover? Or maybe building a patio paradise isn’t in the budget right now? Not to fear. Even if a total backyard overhaul isn’t in the cards this year, you can still enhance your summer living experience with a few fun weekend projects. The key to turning DIY backyard ideas into amazing structures is using a quality material that elevates your surroundings. For this, think wood.
From a design perspective, using a natural building material creates a visual connection between your home and your green space. And because woods, such as pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), boast beautiful tonal ranges and distinct grain patterns, a few well placed smaller structures can pack a lot of visual impact.
SYP is also very DIY-friendly. That’s because it holds nails and other fasteners particularly well, so it’s a great choice for residential construction. As well, SYP is a green choice, From cradle to grave, using wood instead of manmade materials benefits climate stabilization in a number of ways.
Grilling Station
Even if you don’t have space for a deluxe outdoor kitchen, you can still define your cooking area with a mobile grill cart like this one from the Woodshop Diaries. Not only will this ergonomic set-up streamline your BBQing system with extra space for grilling supplies and accessories, it will also make your outdoor area look less haphazard and more intentional. In fact, defined zones for cooking and entertaining create a sense of greater space, even on smaller patios.
Custom Seating
Buying new patio furniture from a big box store can be pricey and it’s not nearly as creatively satisfying than building your own custom furniture. Plus, cookie-cutter sets are often made with inferior manmade materials. Whereas if you build a custom cooler bench, bed swing or sofa with SYP, it’s going to last a long time. That’s because SYP, in particular, is a strong, dense and durable wood, making it ideal for outdoor furniture.
Dining Table
Turn your deck into the place to be this summer with a family-style dining table. Choose from a classic picnic table style – ideal for young families. Or if space is limited, you can build a slide-in picnic table for two. Whichever design you opt for, you can feel good about this build because preserved SYP lasts longer and therefore leaves a smaller footprint compared to untreated materials, which need to be replaced more often.
