All Decked Out

I’m on a roll here, so I’ll just keep on blogging.  Late last summer, I started working on our deck.  I cleaned it and started staining it, but it seemed like every time I was off work, it rained.  Then the weather got cold, so I had to put the project on hold.  I picked it up again this spring, and we have been enjoying our outdoor space all summer.  We got a nice new grill, and we are on our third propane tank already!  At least part of our dinner gets grilled almost every night.

It was a nasty mess before. We never used it.

The pressure washer made a world of difference!

 

The stain I used was Behr semi-transparent stain with sealer in Espresso.  It took two coats.  Tim liked it.

The old furniture got a fresh coat of paint.

I wanted a cabinet outside with storage for my potting tools and to provide a surface for food and drinks while we are enjoying the deck.  Here is the cabinet:

Here is the story behind it:    Metal cabinets were very popular in kitchens in the 1950’s.  I remember my grandparents still having them when I was little.  Granny and Pop remodeled their kitchen in the early 1980’s and replaced the white metal cabinets with oak cabinets.  Never to throw out something that was still usable, my Pop moved the metal cabinets to his storage shed and filled them with tools and hardware.  I asked my dad about them and he told me they were still there but in terrible condition because the roof of the shed had leaked.  But being the sweetie that he is, my dad got me a cabinet, sanded it, repainted it, put casters on the bottom, and delivered it to me!  I love the result!  I imagine my frugal Pop would be happy to know that the metal cabinet he bought in the 1950’s is now on its third life!

A few more photos:

A typical weekday night. Just ignore the ugly recycling bins.  They have to live somewhere.

The grill master in action

Citronella tiki torches don't work very well for mosquito control.

Two more happy projects:

Rosemary helped me plant a clematis plant by the birdhouse.

I made an address plaque.  It is now hanging on a tree at the end of the driveway.