by Shane Stratton
source: Better Homes & Gardens
Looking to keep the sun from baking your Nashville porch or deck this summer, or just hoping to keep prying eyes away from your hang space? There are lots of creative ways to create privacy on a porch or deck. Some you can do yourself, and some you may just need to hire us to do for you. Here are five of my favorites:
A privacy wall. Horizontally slatted privacy walls have become super popular recently because they’re a nice, simple retreat from the privacy fences we’re used to seeing. Plus, they go with a variety of home styles.
An attractive trellis. I love the simple trellis shown below, which was found on the Better Homes & Gardens site, but there are plenty of more elaborate trellises, too, using a variety of lattice styles.
Make drop cloth curtains. Just like that umbrella out on your back deck, porch curtains are bound to mildew. Your best bet if you want to create outdoor curtains on a budget (which you’ll want to do since you’re probably going to be tossing them within a couple of seasons anyway) is to make curtains out of the drop cloths that you find for sale at Home Depot or Lowe’s. They’re inexpensive, and a good weight and look for an outdoor space. Plus, most drop cloths come already hemmed, making this a no-sew project. Here’s a post from a Nashville-based blog called Front Porch Ideas and More about how to make equally simple curtain rods for your drop cloth curtains.
Plant a vertical garden. “Vertical gardens” are a great big trend in metropolises where space is short but garden ambitions aren’t. And, when positioned on one end of a porch, vertical gardens can also offer a bit of privacy. Martha Stewart shows how to create privacy with a copper “gutter garden,” while another popular tutorial has rows of clay pots hanging from metal bars. And lots of people are whipping up vertical gardens from old pallets.
A stone wall. We have a huge soft spot in our hearts for stonework. This tumbled stone wall, discovered on the Houzz site, is durable and classically beautiful.
