Overgrown, Neglected Patio Before & After

I was visiting a friend in Maryland, and he has the most beautiful huge backyard, filled with giant trees. We spent a lot of time out there with my dog, Shadow, letting him run and play. Unfortunately there wasn't much space for us to hang out. Not for lack of a great patio, but just because it had gotten wildly overgrown and covered with junk!! So we took some time over the weekend, moved all the junk away, took two trips to the dump, and I power washed the brick till I was sopping wet to get all the grass and weeds out. The brick looked brand new! Then we set up one of the tables and bought some tea lights and plants. We even set up a table out in the yard, so we could sit in the sun and admire the patio and all our hard work. We also planted a few things and mulched the area by the basement door, where my friend had his woodshop. It was the most awesome place to relax after all that hard work. Doesnt Shadow look proud? :)

Before and After- Unpacking an Apartment

I went to Nashville during the Christmas holiday to help a friend unpack his apartment, and in one week was able to get things together and figure out how to designate the best use of the space. The large living room was divided by a walkway from the hall to the kitchen, and the bay window added another odd shape. I was able to snuggle the couch under the window to create a conversation area and place the tv against the wall. The other side of the room against the closets was designated as an office/ music space. The base of the design was all completed in just a few days- without purchasing anything new!