03 May 2013

The Home Depot | Patio Design Challenge

Friends. Remember this little sneak peek I shared with you a few weeks ago? Remember the few mentions I made about Home Depot, and working our little tails off to whip our courtyard into shape for their Spring Patio Challenge?


Well, I've been superbly patient, wanting so badly to tell you just what in the world I was up to...and what in the world we did with our dilapidated little courtyard. But, somehow, someway...I kept it all to myself...until this morning. Because friends, it's finally published on Home Depot's amazing DIY-centric blog, The Apron. And I can finally show you.

So let's start from the beginning. Maple and I made an unbelievably swift decision to uproot our Charleston lives and plant them back in Lexington, Kentucky. We found a quaint little cottage, hailing from the 1800s, nestled amongst an up-and-coming corner of downtown's historic district. The cottage needed work. But it's courtyard really needed work. See what I mean?


It was red. And terrible. Filled with broken beer bottles, rusted bottle caps, and lifeless weeds. And heinous, splintered boards disguised the adjacent building's windows. And...that RED. Really?!

So we worked, and we worked...and then we worked...and family and friends helped (thank you ALL times one million, especially that incredibly patient, hard-working, selfless Maple of mine). And we painted. And we built things. And it kept snowing. And I stressed. And we worked. And then somehow, someway, it turned into this:





A bright, airy, sun-filled courtyard that's just beckoning to be lived, worked, and entertained in. It's just so incredibly happy out there...and so not red.

And didn't the incredibly talented Bradley Quinn Photography do a stunning job with the photography? He captured my vision and my work so perfectly well (and guess what, he can do it for you, too)!

So there you have it, readers. My entry for the Home Depot Patio Design Challenge. Please go check it out on their uber-amazing blog, and take a peek at the other talented participants' entries. We all worked so hard, and are so appreciative of HD for asking us to take part in such an incredible experience.

So, HAPPY SPRING! I'm headed outside...to that courtyard...with coffee...to work...and enjoy it.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

8 comments:

Jen said...

who needs models with a designer and fam like that!? ya'll are gorgeous & now so is your courtyard - TREAT! good work!

Thehouseofhampton said...

Oh I miss Kentucky! I'm back home in Calif.now. I love the changes. Amazing. I'm ready to get going on my back yard. Thanks for the inspiration. I'll be sure to shop at Home Depo! I get all my plants from them!
Sharon

Blair said...

Great work, Hannah! Looks so good :)

Blair said...

Good work, Hannah! Looks great :)

Anonymous said...

Please, please, please- what is your fire pit and/or where did it come from? It is perfectly rustic and charming. Aloha!

Mike Seary said...

I salute you for transforming a gloomy area of your home into a comfortable living space.

Lauren said...

Your courtyard design is proof that you don't need a patio to create a great outdoor living space. Beautiful!

Hannah Maple said...

Thank you so incredibly much, everyone! I truly appreciate all of your kind words.

And, to the anonymous reader longing to know of my fire pit, I'm sorry to say it's an antique from Indonesia that I found at a favorite storefront in Charleston, SC.