My Houzz: Sweet Yard With Fresh Floral Accents in Alabama
A designer transforms her overgrown backyard with a cottage-style home office, a deck and a play area for the kids
Before: Thomas and Catherine knew that their backyard would prove to be one of their biggest design challenges. The side yard looked like an unkempt jungle of overgrown plants. Piles of leaves littered the walkway. “Everything was overgrown, and there was an old car parked at the back of the lot with tall grass surrounding it,” Catherine says.
After: The slab of concrete where the rundown car was parked became the foundation for Catherine’s future office. The landscape designer is seen here tending to her window box.
“My office is a nice quiet space a little away from the house for me to work. With all the chaos that a busy family brings, having my own little nook to call my office is important to work productivity,” she says.
“My office is a nice quiet space a little away from the house for me to work. With all the chaos that a busy family brings, having my own little nook to call my office is important to work productivity,” she says.
With the trees and shrubs cleared, there became a clear line of sight down the driveway. Because the yard often would flood when it would rain, the newly renovated outdoor space has a raised deck. The couple considered installing pavers but decided to build a low-profile deck, which was much more economical. They also added a drainage system to the yard to pump out the water that accumulates during heavy rains.
Catherine incorporated two small patches of centipede grass in the front portion of the yard. The family’s Doberman pinscher, Zoë, is seen here enjoying her newly completed green space.
Catherine incorporated two small patches of centipede grass in the front portion of the yard. The family’s Doberman pinscher, Zoë, is seen here enjoying her newly completed green space.
The couple built a fence separating the backyard from the driveway to provide a safe, enclosed play space for their dog and four kids. The wire-and-wood fence is both cost-effective and stylish. Catherine planted a fig vine to grow on the wood portions to soften the look of the fence. They also built a wood fence around the perimeter of the backyard and painted it a dark color so that it would be less noticeable.
Catherine limited the number of plant species in the yard. “To stay with the idea of simple and clean, I stuck with a pretty small plant list for the plants that are in the ground,” she says. Boxwood, society garlic, double vinca, iris, Japanese maple and hydrangea are the main plants. The rest are perennials and, in the window boxes and planters, annuals for seasonal color.
Catherine updated the outdoor dining table from Target by painting it tan. The outdoor dining area also includes touches of blue, gold and pink to match the office door.
Catherine updated the outdoor dining table from Target by painting it tan. The outdoor dining area also includes touches of blue, gold and pink to match the office door.
Catherine’s friend and colleague, Melanie Lobel of Planting the Seed, helped install the final touches for the space and was a good person to bounce design ideas off of. “It’s always great to have another designer to flesh out ideas with,” Catherine says. Lobel also planted everything in the containers.
Before creating the outdoor dining area, the family didn’t spend much time outside, especially in the backyard. “Now, we love to sit out and eat breakfast or dinners together,” Catherine says. A blue hydrangea bloom, cut from a bush on the other side of the house, is the ideal floral centerpiece for the space.
Before creating the outdoor dining area, the family didn’t spend much time outside, especially in the backyard. “Now, we love to sit out and eat breakfast or dinners together,” Catherine says. A blue hydrangea bloom, cut from a bush on the other side of the house, is the ideal floral centerpiece for the space.
Before: Catherine designed the cottage, and Thomas built it on his own in about three weeks. After eight years of work on their house and watching videos online, he’s been happy to continue adding to his tool collection for home DIY projects. Captured here is the shed in progress. “We added the cedar shingles to the front and painted it cream a couple years later to give it a different look,” Catherine says. “The pink door came earlier this year. Stuff is always evolving around here.”
After: A large green area to the right of the office cottage extends the entire width of the house. The grass in this part of the yard is Empire zoysia. It’s a perfect space for the children to run around and play in.
The hanging chair next to the office door adds character and charm. “It’s the most comfortable piece of furniture I own, indoors or out,” Catherine says. She got it from a local salvage store for about $300, which she says was a splurge. “I could fall asleep in it in a minute flat!”
Paint: Rachel Pink (office door) and Greek Villa (office exterior), Sherwin-Williams
Paint: Rachel Pink (office door) and Greek Villa (office exterior), Sherwin-Williams
A large potted cactus adds height and visual interest to the flower arrangements next to the door.
To make the space feel more cohesive and unified, the couple painted both the floor of the deck and the concrete slab the same shade of gray.
Catherine and Thomas also built the firewood rack based on a photo they saw online. At the time, they had a fire pit in the backyard. Although they later purchased the fire table seen here, which doesn’t require wood, they still loved the look of the rack, so they left it for added height and to give the space an architectural element.
The fire table was a $40 find from a local salvage store — 90 percent off the retail price. “I bought it back when fire tables weren’t really a thing yet, at least here, so I wasn’t sure about it,” Catherine says. “Once I tried it out, I’ve put one in almost all of my designs since. It’s a great patio accessory.”
As a designer of exterior spaces and a small-business owner, Catherine strives to create ideal outdoor spaces for residential clients. She also produces a web series called Simple.Honest.Design, where she discusses recently completed projects and her design process. “I love getting to know my clients and their stories, especially how they use their homes with their families, which is why I love producing the web series,” she says. Catherine documented her landscape and exterior renovation in two episodes about the exterior and landscape makeover.
This compact desk and office is where Catherine works, answering emails and coming up with designs. “Knowing my clients helps me to design the best solution for them, from budgeting to phasing projects, and the style that would work best,” she says. “I love it when I can suggest something that the homeowner has never considered before, even after living in a home for a decade,” she says.
The couple recently freshened up the outside of their home with a new coat of paint, updating the colors for the siding, foundation and window trim.
They also installed a fountain on the side of the house near the gate and added a quaint wooden rocking chair. The rocking chair was an $80 find from TJ Maxx.
Paint: Greek Villa (exterior), Sherwin-Williams, and Berkshire Beige (brick around the base of the house) and Coastal Fog (window trim), Benjamin Moore
They also installed a fountain on the side of the house near the gate and added a quaint wooden rocking chair. The rocking chair was an $80 find from TJ Maxx.
Paint: Greek Villa (exterior), Sherwin-Williams, and Berkshire Beige (brick around the base of the house) and Coastal Fog (window trim), Benjamin Moore
Catherine bought a farmhouse sink from a World War II-era home for just $15 at a yard sale. At the time, she thought, “I have no idea what I’m going to do with this, but I love it.” It didn’t take her long to realize that it could be used as part of a wall-mounted fountain for the side of the house by the deck. “It’s turned into quite the conversation piece too,” she says.
She mounted a shallow galvanized-metal planter box on the exterior wall. The farmhouse sink, its drain sealed, sits beneath it. A spigot in the flower box drips water into the sink, which has a pump and a tube running out of it that recirculate water behind the box to the spigot above. The flower-filled piece adds a tranquil sound that can be heard through the yard. “It’s such a soothing sound, and I like how neat and clean it all is,” she says.
She mounted a shallow galvanized-metal planter box on the exterior wall. The farmhouse sink, its drain sealed, sits beneath it. A spigot in the flower box drips water into the sink, which has a pump and a tube running out of it that recirculate water behind the box to the spigot above. The flower-filled piece adds a tranquil sound that can be heard through the yard. “It’s such a soothing sound, and I like how neat and clean it all is,” she says.
On the other side of the gate is a fresh arrangement of seasonal flowers.
“As many flowers as there are, it’s all incredibly easy to maintain,” Catherine says. Her routine for keeping the plants healthy and happy is simply watering and keeping the grass cut and edged.
After: After clearing the yard, Thomas and Catherine put the finishing touches on the front of the home by planting a few small shrubs and installing a darling window box filled with seasonal flowers. The grass in the front yard is St. Augustine.
One of the final stages of the renovation was pouring the new concrete driveway. Catherine worked with local concrete contractor Greg Vetter to come up with a simple design that wouldn’t detract from the charm of front exterior. They chose to widen the driveway and pour a smooth gray concrete.
One of the final stages of the renovation was pouring the new concrete driveway. Catherine worked with local concrete contractor Greg Vetter to come up with a simple design that wouldn’t detract from the charm of front exterior. They chose to widen the driveway and pour a smooth gray concrete.
The couple also gave the front porch a face-lift by refinishing the previously painted kiln-dried southern yellow pine floor.
Catherine wanted the new floor to look like an indoor wood floor. To achieve this look, she used a coffee-and-vinegar mixture, which she rubbed into the flooring with steel wool, and then applied Minwax stain in Special Walnut and a satin-finish polyurethane to seal it. “It all sounds crazy, but I did research and found that this was the best way to give the warm brown look I was going for,” she says. “I really love how it turned out, especially with the accents and accessories.”
Catherine wanted the new floor to look like an indoor wood floor. To achieve this look, she used a coffee-and-vinegar mixture, which she rubbed into the flooring with steel wool, and then applied Minwax stain in Special Walnut and a satin-finish polyurethane to seal it. “It all sounds crazy, but I did research and found that this was the best way to give the warm brown look I was going for,” she says. “I really love how it turned out, especially with the accents and accessories.”
This kilim rug was a lucky thrift store find. “My sister texted me a photo and said, ‘This looks like you — do you want it? It’s $35.’ I couldn’t type YES fast enough,” Catherine says. Other accessories include a white side table and an arrangement of succulents and air plants displayed under a glass bell jar.
The mailbox, original to the home, adds personality to the porch.
The love seat on the front porch was another Target purchase and is accented by two fluffy white pillows. “I like how the love seat blends traditional and modern. It’s so comfortable, so we love sitting and drinking a cup of coffee and watching the kids play and ride their bikes,” Catherine says. Now that the renovation of their home and yard is complete, the family spends much more time outside, enjoying the warm summer in Mobile.
Front door paint: Normandy, Benjamin Moore
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Front door paint: Normandy, Benjamin Moore
See more photos of this landscape
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Thomas and Catherine Arensberg; their four children, Addie, 9, Thomas, 7, Gregory, 6, and Cecilia, 3; and their Doberman pinscher, Zoë
Location: Old Dauphin Way Historic District of Mobile, Alabama
Lot size: 50 by 100 feet (15.2 by 30.4 meters)
Thomas and Catherine Arensberg had to remove 26 trees, cut the overgrown grass and clear their driveway before they could finally see the potential in the yard of their 1920s bungalow in Mobile, Alabama. “I wanted clean and simple, but blooming and pretty,” Catherine says. She also hoped to build a home office space for her growing landscape design business, Catherine Arensberg Design. She wanted the yard to be a good fit for working and entertaining, and open enough for their four children to play and enjoy being outside.
When designing the outdoor space, Catherine wanted the focal point to be the pink door that opens to her design studio. “I liked the idea of building a cute cottage as the focal point down the driveway, so we came up with this design, which resembles a smaller version of our cottage home,” she says. The couple also built a patio area with a living and dining space in front of the patio.
My Houzz: Casual, Thoughtful Design for a 1920s Bungalow