ROOMS & BLOOMS Thank you for your kind words. It brings us great joy to know this picture has inspired so many.

Roma Fence Looks like the Secret Garden! Beautiful

ROOMS & BLOOMS This was one of two original exterior doors off of an 85 year old house. The other is also used as a gate on the other side of the garden. The doors have been finished with marine grade exterior paint.

triipsik I asked from paint shop how to cover a bench that is year-round outdoors. They suggested tinted primer to be covered with colorless boat-varnish. It did last for solid 10 years of snow and rain included. So this summer will do the same job and next 10 years will follow :)

ROOMS & BLOOMS Hi Mike,

Would like to help out, but that is not what we do. I suggest you look up an architect or architectual designer.

ROOMS & BLOOMS The fence was built with pressure treated lumber. There was no finish applied.

youcansing I've seen a recommendation on another picture on houzz about using a product called LifeTime to achieve this look within a short time, a couple days. I believe the website is Valhalco.com. The product looks awesome, and its non-toxic!

ROOMS & BLOOMS These are old clay bricks found on the property. The bricks were dry laid in the soil.

ROOMS & BLOOMS The door, one of two found in the basement of our old house, was original to the house. This one was used as a side entrance door to the basement and is an odd size - 32" X 73".

ROOMS & BLOOMS Dear, Must_Love_Dogs,

The fence is four feet tall. It was initially installed to keep our Golden Retriever, Reilly in the yard and to comply with local by-laws as we have a 5,000 gallon Koi pond in our backyard. The design was completely utilitarian and is now enveloped by a privet hedge. The door, found in the cellar of our century home, is original to the house and was always meant to be the design focal point. I'm certain you can come up with a more attractive design for the fence if the plan is for it to be visible. We never intended it to be seen. The door is now surrounded by the hedge which leads to a woodland garden.

Cheers, Rick

ROOMS & BLOOMS Hi Nikki,
There are several factors to consider.
1) What the article is; i.e., furniture, fence, door, accessories, etc.
2) What landscape style you are trying to acheive; formal, natural, informal, edgy...
3) The kind of wood being painted; cedar, pressure-treated, ipe, etc. (It doesn't make sense to paint out the beauty of some woods).
4) Most importantly, what makes you happy when you sit in the space!
My own yard is a woodland garden, therefore I leave most, if not all wood surfaces in a natural state so as not to distract the eye from the feeling of being out in the forest.
If you are trying to create a space with more energy or want a funkier style, go ahead and paint items such as chairs or tables with whatever pleases your eyes. However, if you use your space as a place to retreat and relax, too much colour will create the opposite effect. That being said, adding a pop of colour to one or two articles such as the door in the picture will add interest and draw the eye to that feature or entice the viewer to explore another part of the garden. When decorating your outdoor space many of the same rules apply as with inside the home. Just think of your garden as a room without a ceiling.
Cheers, Rick

Nikki Enterprise Thanks....

mspolonia89 I just want to compliment your brilliant door idea, I will be doing it at my house in CT. I have 100 year old doors in the attic I didn't want to throw away, now they will be used. Ohhh I'm so excited!

ROOMS & BLOOMS Thank you very much. It is great to put something to use that has been lying around for years and especially something that BELONGS to the house!