Backyard With Folk Flair

This backyard makeover, gift of a devoted sister, reflects the homeowner's colorful style and includes a painted "rug."

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Filed under: Outdoor Spaces, Backyard, Patios, Furniture

The Larreta sisters are more than family, they are best friends. Yvette Larreta couldn't think of a better gift for her sister, Maritza Larreta-Moylan, than a backyard makeover. Martiza is very talented but has used most of her skills inside her home and doesn't have the time or the energy to think about the backyard.

The plain back patio isn't used much because it's full of mismatched furniture, isn't well defined and doesn't reflect the homeowners' colorful style. They'd love a place to read and to entertain, a space that reflects the wife's interest in folk art.

Yvette wants to create an outdoor area for Martiza that will reflect her colorful style and where she can relax and enjoy the backyard. Host Susie Coelho and landscape designer Tisha Kuntz give Maritza's yard some folk flair by adding color and useful furniture arrangements.

The painted living room "rug" defines that area while a fresh coat of paint ties all the mismatched furniture together.

Taking inspiration from a quilt Moylan made, some patio squares are painted in bright colors. A roller with an ivy pattern adds interest to a few, while dragonflies are handpainted on others. Use painter's tape and sidewalk chalk to plan the pattern before painting.

Tisha plans to add colorful dishes and linens to the dining area, a chaise lounge for reading, a variety of plants and a water feature in the side garden plus an outdoor living room complete with a fire pit.

Textile paint sprayed on in layers brings a plain white lampshade into the color scheme. Beaded trim and dragonfly appliques complete the new look. (Be sure outdoor lamps are protected from rain and plugged into a GFCI [ground fault circuit interrupter] outlet.)

Three flea market doors are recycled into a screen to provide a backdrop near the chaise, plus hide the unused air-conditioning unit. Once the doors are primed, two shades of green paint used in different areas make them fresh; hinges secure each together. A swag of matching fabric and wrought-iron pieces complete the project.

The use of color and the creation of distinct areas with specific functions — like a dining, reading and living room — provide definition and interest to the large patio. A whimsical low picket fence between two planters further defines each separate area.

serenity fountain (Orchard Supply Hardware)
wrought iron chairs and bench (Jackalope Pottery)
wooden planters between picket fencing (Home Depot)