The Duplex Backyards: Patios, Sheds, & Outdoor Showers!: a house log

AT LAST! The backyards of the duplex are DONE DONE DONE! And with in short zero time to spare (our first weeklong summer renters arrive this Saturday and we in fact have some early-birds staying on one side right now until Saturday since we wrapped up in the nick of time and they inquired with simply sufficient time to squeeze them in!). There are plenty of pics in this post, so I will try to keep the words under control – but this is one of our go-to makeovers in the whole renovation.

Let us go back in time for a second to appreciate how far the back of this house has come. This is what it looked like when we picked up it:

Let alone the structural changes we made to the back of the house (which you can read more about here), it is simply remarkable what some grass and hardscaping and string lights (and some cute little sheds with decorative oars on them – ha!) can do for ambiance. I took this picture while it was lightly drizzling the other night and it is STILL CUTE. What kind of magic is that? It is literally the power of string lights, which make anything 1000% more charming. Beauty pointer: Wrap them around your face a few times and tell me you are not positively radiant (this is a joke, but truly they are miraculous beautifiers).

Also, I cannot underplay what a heroic role the metal awnings and the secondhand diamond doors play in the whole backyard makeover scheme, so let us dive right into the specifics of what we did back here.

Since the keypads to get into each unit are on the back of the house (along with the outdoor showers, where people will rinse off after beaching it up, and the shed, where they’ll get/return the beach chairs and umbrella we provide) we brought in a pleasant paver path to lead people back there on each side of the house. Update: getting questions if renters can use the front door – yes there is a front door key and a shed key inside for them to use as they like).

These were extremely inexpensive $2 pavers, but the herringbone layout truly upped the style-factor, and that little shed awaiting each guest in the backyard is not only extremely cute, it is extremely practical (it is where we are storing the beach chairs, toys, umbrella, and other stuff for our guests to use throughout their stay). Also the picture below underscores simply how remarkable green stuff is. Same exact shot before the trees greened up and we planted grass. Fairly crazy, right?

Oh and I teak oiled the bench that you see on the front porch after the grass came in (I use this stuff – you simply rub it on with a rag). Can you see how it is richer in the photo with the grass? That is a strong way to protect wooden outdoor furniture. I plan to do that to the backyard furniture set too – along with covering that in the off season.

Ok, but onto the backyard! Our contractor built the sheds for us (we priced out ready-made options and his were cheaper! Plus we got to use the same matching HardiePlank siding as the house and even do metal on the roof like the front porch! We painted the shed doors the same color as the diamond back doors and the front shutters on the duplex: Pale Patina by Sherwin Williams. And the decorative oars – we in fact picked up them at HomeGoods and painted them to match the colors of the house. Overkill? Perhaps BUT I LOVVVVVVE THEM!

As for the consistently-vivid string lights, we set them up so they run on an outdoor timer (they click on for two hours in the evening, although our guests have info about how to change that if they want them on longer or shorter). We also planted small Japanese maples in each of the compact backyards for some color, and we think they’ll be so fairly when they grow in a little more. The pressure treated wooden 6′ privacy fence makes each yard feel pleasant and nestled – and it’ll get a bit darker/grayer so it is less new looking over time, which we think will be pleasant.

The patio furniture was a steal of a deal! I got this giant set of two sofas, four chairs, and two coffee tables for simply $534 during a big Wayfair sale, and it broke down to being under $90 per furniture item (under $90 for a wood sofa or even a wood chair with cushions!). THAT IS CRAZY AND THEY ARE SO WELL RATED! They are still an remarkable price right now ($619 for all 8 pieces!) if you are in the market, and I enjoy the idea that you can break them up (some on the front porch or side yard, and others out back for example).

So far we are extremely pleased with them and we heard from tons of people who already owned them when we ordered them and apparently they are strong, simply throw down a few accent pillows for brought in comfort & back support – which we did (I grabbed a few of these striped pillows and these double-sided pillows from Target). Again, I plan to cover these in the off season (and will teak oil them likely every spring/fall to keep them looking good). And do not forget our pointer for keeping light outdoor cushions clean… we pressure wash ours on a low setting every season (this is our pressure washer).

We in fact have two more tan colored adirondack chairs in each shed for people who want more seating, but to keep it plain and uncrowded we are not leaving those out – folks can simply pull ’em out if they’d like to use them.

Wait but the oars. Have I told you how much I enjoy them? I have? FINE I WILL MOVE ON.

If you spin around with your back to the shed you will see the sweet diamond back door, which you’ve seen back in this post about the makeover of the back of the duplex itself (it also covers how we brought in the awnings and our overall changes in the facade of the house itself). We did add a little address plaque that we got (ours is the chocolate/gold color) simply to make sure folks are on the correct side of the house when they are entering their code. We do not want people standing in front of the wrong door and wondering why the code does not work, which is totally something I’d do… so… address plaques!

Here is a more pulled back shot so you can see the dividing fence between each side – as well as the outdoor showers back there under that larger awning.

I know folks will ask about the showers, so here is the deal. The actual outdoor shower kit is this exact one (our contractor Sean has tried all sorts and likes this one best). And the no rot composite shower surround is in fact simply fencing from Lowe’s that he buys and uses to build the surround. Oh and it is essential to have a draining base under an outdoor shower, so that is Azek (a composite no rot product like Trex) with little gaps between it so the water drains into the gravel filled base below, so it does not flood the patio or pool anywhere. Works so well!

Each shower stall is fully walled off from the one on the other side, so you cannot even stand in one and bend down to see the other person’s feet on the other side (see that extra board along the bottom of this picture below?). Pleasant & private.

We doubt anyone who would feel self conscious using one next to a stranger would ever end up doing that anyway, because each family would have to return home from the beach at the exact same time to shower off, which seems unlikely – but even if they do, that fully divided bottom ledge hopefully feels pleasant to have. Speaking of pleasant to have…. hooks galore! Consistently AND EVERYWHERE FOLKS! Each side has 8 out here and 12 more in the mudroom.

Here is a wider shot to orient you and show you how the back is arranged. They are in short mirror images of each other, but that pleasant tall 6′ privacy fence keeps them feeling separated if the two groups that rent each side do not know each other and want some privacy.

But if relatives or friends booked both sides of the duplex together and want to hang out, we designed that fence to have a giant 6′ opening that can be revealed so it essentially goes from being two private yards into one big shared one. WE ENJOY HOW THIS TURNED OUT SO MUCH! We have at least a few renters who are friends/relatives so we know the gate will get some use in the open position this summer, which makes me so glad.

Also, this is Exhibit C that I present to you in the case of String Lights Make Anything Look Significantly Better. They are simply so charming when they are glowing overhead.

If you approach the left half of the backyard via the path on the other side of the house, there is also some pleasant greenery lining that path (both of the side yards are full of crepe myrtles, which are trees that flower for nearly the whole summer – so I will certainly share photos when that is going on because it is bananas striking. We feel so lucky to have already had fences and lovely established greenery on each side of this home, so we truly only had to focus on adding a few plantings in front and that maple out back and some grass.

This is the view of the left side’s backyard as you look out on it from the back door. More string lights, the same furniture set (remember we split this larger set in half) and MORE OARS, GLORIOUS OARS.

That taupe building you see in the background of the shot below is the duplex neighbor’s shed, so it is not like someone’s kitchen window looks out onto the backyard over here (which also makes us feel quite fortunate). These yards are in fact more private than ours at the pink house!

Here is the view if you spin around. Once again we brought in a little address plaque by the back door, and you can see how lovely those crepe myrtles along the white fence on the side will be when they are in full bloom. It is gonna be SO MAGICAL. Stay tuned for approximately 78,902 photos on Instagram.

Relocating our new AC units to each side yard instead of sitting them right where the outdoor showers now live was a big upgrade. Here is a before shot again to refresh your memory about where those used to live.

You can also see that the back steps & railing situation is a little nicer now. Thanks to having wood back steps & side steps over at the pink house (that took us way too long to stain/seal) we made the call to use no-rot composite over here for the back porches – and we are so glad to report that they are in short zero maintenance except for blowing them off when little leaves and stuff land on them.

Plus the white railings tie into the outdoor shower nearby.

Speaking of the back steps, you’d be surprised how many builders have the instinct to narrow the steps when there is a wide landing like the one in front of the back door (picture centered steps that are about a foot narrower on each side). But we are LARGE believers in the steps being as wide as the whole platform that you step out of the house onto. So my pointer to you would be if you are adding steps or a patio or something, have a long chat about the step width and go as wide as possible, because it makes the whole thing feel gracious and less crowded & closed in.

Around front you might have noticed that we at last got the duplex landscaped! We kept it plain with three hydrangeas on each side and one larger boxwood nearest to the stair rails on each side. I cannot wait for the hydrangeas all to be in bloom. Stand by for 87,990 photos of that too!

This historic downtown area of Cape Charles truly is so cutely landscaped with plenty of flowering things (no deer here to eat them!) and since there are sidewalks and the whole place is so walkable, it is pleasant to at last have more than dirt out front of the duplex!

Also is there anything that fresh mulch cannot make better? Cover your face with fresh mulch and simply see how polished you look! This is also a joke, but truly, fresh mulch makes everything look so much crisper.

Here is a shot from the front for ya. We cannot wait until those crepe myrtles in the front grassy area grow and bloom! Someday they’ll frame the house and be as tall as the ones that you see on the right side next to the blue house – so they’ll even add shade when people stroll under their canopy on the sidewalk below. SIGH.

So yeah, this duplex project has been one of the hardest but most rewarding renovations we have ever taken on – and we ARE SO THRILLED TO BE DONE! I know we still owe you a full video walk-through (it is coming!) but in the meantime, let us soak up the moment of virtually screaming FINITO from the rooftops.

Let us not forget where we began…

This house is such a gem and we are so glad we got to bring it back. In the fall of 2017 when we picked up this place, at least a dozen locals confessed to us that they thought this was the ugliest house on the street – and some even said things like “without a tall peaked roof like the others, I do not know how it can be good looking” – but I am glad to report that everyone can see it now! They see the beauty! Even without a peaked roof.

In fact yesterday someone who did not know us from Adam asked if they could take a photo of the house for their wife (I was outside weeding) because he said he knew it would be her go-to of all the homes he had seen on his vacation. I NEARLY CRIED YOU FOLKS.

P.S. You can see all of the other wrapped up rooms in the duplex that we have already revealed (two kitchens! the front and back of the house! four other bedrooms! two bonus sleeping nooks with wall murals! six bathrooms! two living & dining rooms! two mudroom/laundry rooms!) along with how we planned the layout, tiled the floors & backsplashes, etc, here in our duplex category. It is nearly two years of updates covered in simply 20-something posts!

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