We all need privacy in our lives. But, more often than not, if you live in a big city or in a densely populated area, your backyard is not as private as you’d like. I’ve always thought of our backyard as an extension of our home. Having privacy on my deck is a must and these privacy screens were the perfect answer.
“Don’t underestimate the importance of privacy when designing your yard”
In the picture above, you’ll see that on our deck, we have complete privacy in front of us…
But we don’t have privacy to the left and right of us.
So to fix this, we decided to build two privacy screens on each side of our deck. They are 5ft wide x 6ft high. We chose the height by researching building codes in our area. We discovered that 6ft was as high as we could go, so to be on the safe side… we listened. Do your due diligence, it could save you a lot of headaches.
This is a shot of the right side of our deck.
On the screens on the right side, we planted a Clematis vine to soften the space. In the above picture, the Clematis is newly planted but will be covered with beautiful vines and flowers by the end of the summer.
The picture above is a shot of the left side of our deck.
On the left side screens, we decided to do a potted plant wall. It was such a simple and effective way to dress these screens up. As shelves for the pots, I simply cut the leftover planks we had from the screens and used a nail-gun to set them in place. I also secured the plastic pots to the shelves with a nail as well. They’ve already been through a few windy storms this summer and haven’t budged.
Privacy screens also add a level of intimacy to your space
While obviously providing privacy, the screens also made our deck seem so much more intimate, especially when we dressed them up with greenery.
“Steps to making your own Privacy Screens”
The best part was that these screens were made in a day and cost less than $30 each.
For each screen, we bought 3 – 2×4’s (2 for the sides and 1 for the top) and the slats are 1×6. I actually wanted the slats a bit thinner but we went with what the store had. The wood is pressure treated Micropro Sienna. I loved that it came as a nice warm colour and not the typical green hue.
Since we had an existing railing, we simply screwed the 2x4s to the existing railing. Then we cut the slats to size and nail-gunned them into place (alternating nailing the slats in front and then behind for a bit of interest). Then we finished it off by screwing on a 2×4 on top.
Add lights for the final touch
Lighting can make or break any patio. Functionally, it adds lighting when the sun goes down but more importantly, it adds a sense of luxury and intimacy – a softly lit area in a night sky is instant atmosphere, and who out there isn’t a sucker for atmosphere?
I bought these ones a Costco. Here is the link so you can check them out. Click here.
Here are some other great ideas to add intimacy and privacy to your deck
Tiered hanging pots and vines are simple and effective. Vines like Morning Glory can reach up to 20 feet in just a matter of months.
Such a simple and effective ways to add absolute privacy while still letting in the light.
How important is privacy to you? Do you have an unique way to add intimacy and privacy to your outdoor space? I’d love to hear about it!
Ciao for now,
Natalie
