Guest contributor Jessica Bruno is the self-described “ring leader” of the Four Generations One Roof blog. It’s about life in, yes, a four-generation family living in one house in New England. The blog covers many of the DIY projects the extended family does together, and celebrates some of the chaos of having such a lively household.

Here, Jessica shares with us how the family got together for a fabulous makeover of their backyard deck. 

Living with so many people can be challenging and personal space is the key to success! Therefore, we are constantly updating, remodeling and organizing/tweaking existing spaces to keep our sanity! Most of our home projects are done by myself, my dad and Gramps.

Our latest deck makeover was a challenge simply because of the size. As you can see in the prior picture, the pressure treated wood was old, weathered and was thirsty for some stain! We decided that the color scheme would be bright and warm, so we chose a natural cedar tone and linen/moon tan color.

Isn’t it amazing what some stain will do? This was a water-based stain so the cleanup was so easy! Adding a two-toned stain treatment to a large area can add tremendous depth and texture. “We” decided that “I” would be in charge of the overall color scheme when it came to creating a sitting area that would serve as our outdoor oasis. My dad can build a house, but when it comes to the aesthetics and decorating end of things, he leaves that to the girls in the house!