Places: Water Gardens

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 19th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Water gardens are a wonderful way to bring a sense of nature’s beauty and mystery to a patio, deck or any other outdoor space. And, much like other types of gardens grown in pots and planters or various and sundry repurposed vessels, a mix of plants in different colors, shapes and textures will make your aquatic gardens more striking. They’re also relatively easy to create and maintain.

If you would like to take some time to reflect on the many ways you could arrange a water garden for your home, we invite you to take in the rest of this post.

Water Gardens In Containers

A collage of images showing Container Water Gardens

Images via Lorenz’s OK Seeds (clockwise from top left), What’s Ur Home Story, Our Fairfield Home & Garden, Fresh Home Ideas, The Planted Tank and The Homestead Survival

Combine different aquatic varietals to create a veritable garden of delights in whatever container your choose. True aquatics prefer to remain completely submerged in water (like parrot’s feather), while semiaquatics are varietals whose roots are wholly or partly underwater (like umbrella palm). Floaters such as water lilies or hyacinth rest delicately on the water’s surface.

Repurposed Water Gardens

A collage of images of repurposed containers used for water gardens

Images via Flickr, photographed by Victor Verkerk (clockwise from left); Flickr, photographed by Deb Alba; Living Home Grown; Pinterest; and Dear Gladys

Let’s make a list of all the things that could possibly be reclaimed for water garden purposes. We found vintage infant tubs and old washers, light bulbs, tree stumps, and even thimbles being used to make aquatic gardens. Let us know your suggestions!

Tabletop Water Gardens

Images via Indulgy (clockwise from top left), Rad Megan, Dragonfly Aquatics and Martha Stewart

Whether floating in a glass or vase with goldfish, submerged in bowls, or minimally arranged in a colorful earthen planter, when you need to retreat to that calm and tranquil place where you can relax and regain your focus, your water garden can be a welcomed sight.

If you have aspirations to construct a larger, more permanent in-ground water garden, please refer to our water gardens buying guide. You may also want to review the water garden pumps guide for information on pond pumps and accessories that will help to keep your in-ground aquatic garden free from algae and insects.

See more inspiration and ideas in our Places series here on the Apron Blog.

Tags: Garden, gardening, Gardening Ideas, How To Plant A Garden, Landscaping Ideas, places

Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Your Backyard

Posted by: Caroline Inge on June 18th, 2013 | One Comment

Warm summer nights should be enjoyed outdoors. But to do that, you’ll need to incorporate lighting into your outdoor space. During our Patio Style Challenge this spring, our bloggers incorporated lighting in several different ways. Here are a few of their outdoor lighting ideas.

HANG STRING LIGHTS

In the photo above, Whitney of The Curtis Casa added custom iron posts to her deck so that she could easily string bistro lights, giving her deck a warm and romantic feel. We love the way they look next to the potted Weeping Yoshino Cherry Tree.

Bryn added wooden posts to her brick patio so that she could easily string lights. We love the laid-back feel it gives to her classically styled space.

Dana of the blog House*Tweaking used top rail fencing with a looped end cap to support her string lights. Anchored in cement, these bases are portable, so they can be moved around Dana’s patio to accommodate a larger seating area or party!

Tags: Lighting, outdoor lighting, Outdoor Living, Patio, patio style challenge, style challenge

Make a Beautiful Wall Organizer with Repurposed Shutters

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 18th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Shutters on most residential homes today are merely window dressing. Nailed in place to the side of your house, they are unlikely to provide much privacy or security.

But please, don’t take these statements as an indictment of shutters. We love them, and they perform a much-needed decorative function, framing windows with architectural detail and often a splash of color. They have attractive and useful applications inside the home as well.

The team at Martha Stewart Living created this short video to show you how repurposed shutters can make a beautiful wall organizer for your home office or almost anywhere around the home. Anduin Havens, design director for video at Martha Stewart Living, demonstrates just how easy it is to do, using little more than a drill, a few screws, paint and shutters (of course).

Anduin uses Martha Stewart Living Brownstone Brick Textured Metallic paint to give her shutters a dazzling bronzed finish. You’ll find many other exciting options to suit the style and décor of every room in your home in the Martha Stewart Living Paint collection.

If you like this idea, you’ll find a million-and-one useful storage and organization solutions for your home online and in-store at The Home Depot. Plus, check out more decor and home improvement videos here on the Home Depot blog and on The Home Depot’s YouTube channel.

Tags: Decorating, Decorating Ideas, Shutters, Video, youtube

3 Ways to Bring a Fire Pit into Your Outdoor Space

Posted by: Caroline Inge on June 17th, 2013 | One Comment

If you live in an area that has lots of chilly evenings, a fire pit is an easy way to make your outdoor space function for more than just sunny days. We love the welcoming vibe it gives to a backyard, plus you could indulge in s’mores anytime you’d like! Here are three fire pit ideas for building a warm seating area in your own space.

USE AN ANTIQUE OR SALVAGED FIRE PIT

Updated, urban courtyard from Hannah of Maple & Shade

In the courtyard of her urban home, Hannah of Maple & Shade incorporated a vintage fire pit that’s been in her family for years. The round, open shape of the pit and its large, circular handles are unusual but interesting, and the years of wear perfectly complement their 100-plus-year-old home.

Tags: Fire, Fire Pit, Firepit, Outdoor Fire Pits, Outdoor Fireplace, Outdoor Living, Patio, patio ideas

How to Build an Outdoor Privacy Wall

Posted by: Craig Allen on June 14th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Completed Outdoor Privacy Wall project

This stylish divider provides a little privacy on your platform deck while letting the breeze through. We have step-by-step instructions for the DIY outdoor privacy wall project. You can also download printable instructions.

Tags: DIY Project, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Projects

Advice from Martha Stewart on Choosing Curtains

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 13th, 2013 | One Comment

If you have ever shopped for new curtains, you know that there are lots of elements to consider. There’s choosing the right color and fabric, deciding on the length you want them to hang, not to mention the drapery hardware. The devil in all the details can get a bit overwhelming. So, we’ve asked Martha Stewart, one of the country’s leading experts on design and décor, for her advice to help you select the right drapes and curtains for your home.

In this short video, Martha unveils the secrets of choosing window treatments for any room in the home. Here’s a sampling of the topics she covers.

The Length

Even before you take your first measurement, decide how high above the window you want the curtains to start. And, here’s a tip some of you may have already picked up from The Home Depot Style Guide: Hanging curtains higher above the window creates the illusion of greater height in a room.

Martha’s advice for a clean, modern look, is to have curtains fall flush with the floor. If you want something more dramatic, add 2 or 3 inches so the curtains puddle slightly on the floor.

On Color and Curtains

Neutral curtain colors are a popular choice because they’re easier to blend into the rest of a room’s décor and are less likely to fade. But don’t be afraid to go with a pop of pattern like a quatrefoil or stripes to add some visual excitement to a room.

About Fabrics for Curtains

Lighter fabrics like linen, silk and variations of these materials filter light beautifully and hang nicely, making them good choices for a sunny room. Blackout curtains in velvet, suede, tapestry and other heavy materials are excellent for blocking light and controlling room temperature.

After viewing the video, you will feel more confident about selecting window treatments that enhance the look of each and every window in your home.

The Home Depot offers a wide assortment of blinds and window treatments in many styles and fabrics. Plus, check out more decor and home improvement videos here on the Home Depot blog and on The Home Depot’s YouTube channel.

Tags: Blinds, Curtains, Decorating, Drapes, Window Treatments, youtube

How To Lay Pavers and Paver Stones

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 12th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Whether edging landscape, laying a patio or driveway, or creating a winding pathway to your favorite spot in the garden, pavers and paver stones are versatile and durable materials that can add beauty and functionality to many outdoor areas around your home.

There are several different types of paver materials to choose from, including natural stone, brick, concrete and rubber composites, as well as many styles and color variations.

As you will see in this short video clip prepared by Rick for The Home Depot Community, laying pavers is also relatively easy to do. In areas small or large, the list of tools and materials needed for this project is not very extensive. You’ll need pavers or paver stones, of course, and paver sand (for filling in and leveling the ground), a square shovel, a level and perhaps a trowel.

Once you get the ground you intend to pave over leveled off at the right height, it’s just a matter of setting the pavers and filling in the gaps.

And here’s a tip you won’t find in the video: An interesting pattern can make even the most inexpensive pavers stand out. So consider the path less traveled when planning the layout and design of your patio, walkway or drive.

If you want to do more research on pavers and paver stones before starting starting your project, be sure to check out our pavers buying guide.

See more DIY and home improvement videos here on the Home Depot blog and on The Home Depot’s YouTube channel.

Tags: Landscaping, Paver Stones, Pavers, youtube

Places: Walls with Stenciling

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 12th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Image via East Coast Creative

Stenciling is a decorative painting technique that dates back thousands of years. Some of the earliest examples of stencils were hand tracings found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. Today, everyone from professional interior decorators to novice DIYers are creating walls with stenciling — and using stencils on countless other surfaces — to create points of visual interest throughout the home.

This brilliant multicolor houndstooth stencil was chosen by the designers at East Coast Creative for a stellar room makeover. As you can see, stencils, murals and wall decals are available in an endless variety of patterns and styles. Investing the time and energy to accent a wall in your home with patterned details can update the look of any room in your home, too.

Tags: Decorating, Decorating Ideas, Paint Ideas, places, Stencils, Stencils For Walls

Give Patio Furniture Sets a Custom Look with These Tips

Posted by: Caroline Inge on June 12th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Accessories dress up a patio furniture set

If you followed along with all of the gorgeous outdoor spaces that our Style Challenge participants put together, then perhaps you noticed the same trend we did. Many of these bloggers added unique touches to their patio furniture for a custom look.

CHANGE UP THE CUSHIONS

In the photo above, Grace of A Storied Style added slipcovers to her Woodbury 7-Piece Dining Set. Her mix of turquoise and yellow cabana stripe fabrics created a cheery front porch dining spot that her whole family loved!

Tags: Outdoor Living, Patio, Patio Furniture, patio furniture sets, patio style challenge, style challenge

Martha Stewart’s Tips for Better Outdoor Living Spaces

Posted by: Jae Warren on June 11th, 2013 | Make A Comment

Making the most of your outdoor living space takes planning and a little creativity. For advice on outdoor entertaining and decor, there is perhaps no better person to turn to than Martha Stewart.

In this short video, Martha covers all of the details that will help you design the perfect space outdoors for cooking, dining and relaxing.

She talks about how to properly divide your patio space into separate zones for dining and entertainment, and how to choose the right outdoor patio lights and patio furniture. You’ll also see popular dining and seating sets from the Martha Stewart Living Patio collection, like the easy-breezy, slingback Solana Bay Patio Dining Set and the irresistibly comfortable Charlottetown Seating Seat. Plus, you’ll learn how to select just the right spot in your backyard to set up for an afternoon or evening outdoors.

As you’re preparing your outdoor space for entertaining family and friends, if you run into any garden-related questions, you can find the right answers by visiting our Garden Club online or the Garden Center of your local Home Depot. And for inspiring ideas from some of our favorite DIY bloggers that you can repurpose for your own outdoor spaces, be sure to check out all the amazing images from our latest Patio Style Challenge.

Check out more DIY and home improvement videos here on the Home Depot blog and on The Home Depot’s YouTube channel.

Tags: Outdoor Living, Video, youtube

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