That is an odd setup. Is that your neighbor's front or back door? Is the left side fence against the building or is there a walkway between the fence and building to that door? To get more privacy you will need a roof/pergola, more ground to plant in/removing some of the decking or large pots to grow large plants.

With the current condition of the deck and fence it may be time to completely rethink this space. Pretend this is completely blank space and go from there.

As far as kids are concerned a lot more greenery and places for them to sit outside and do whatever would be a lot friendlier than the current desert expanse of nothingness that exists now.

IMO creating more privacy will make this feel like a cave, Could you show this space from a different angle to see how it relates to your house. This is a strange set up so I need a bit more info.

Explain what is here. I have all the same questions as my colleagues. I presume you own the floor, the dirt, and the low fence. Tell about everything else. Is this the view of the patio you'd typically be looking at?

I think I’ve heard this type of space be called a Beacon Hill style patio. The deck and surrounding fence is ours. There is a walkway to the left and our other neighbors driveway to the right. The door you see is our neighbors back door (but they never use that entrance).

We‘d love to tear it down and rebuild, but that’s not possible due to budget constraints. Were planning on refinishing the deck wood again this summer. Any budget friendly ideas welcome 😊

Another option - I have two large sails that I could convert into privacy shades. But just as you mentioned - I don’t want to make it feel like a cave.

Thanks for the affirmation of me feeling perplexed, as well!

There are many examples of small yards or patios with lots of greenery to create privacy and to me they don't look like caves.

Are you planning to replace all of the fencing or just repair?

The lilac tree, I assume, is lovely during the summer but in the winter - ugh (I'm dealing with a stubborn husband who won't even listen to pruning back a large, old and scraggly one we have on a patio). I would start with arborvitae or alberta spruce, planted in the "dirt end." At 5' or 6' tall, not super expensive and should provide some privacy.

*If* there are any home or garden centers open in the upcoming months, you can find large potted greenery and/or small flowering shrubs that you can use for dividing play and social areas and to just generally - forgive the pun - spruce up the area.

A lot will depend on refinishing the deck and fixing the fence but you can move potted things around as you redo.

Thanks for these ideas, @tsjmjh!

In addition to repairing the fence, I'd pressure wash all the wood, and paint it in order to instill some new life. The floor could lean dark, the fence medium color and the trim light. An oak leaf (or other) Hydrangea could go at the left side of the garden for some privacy. At back of the right side could be whatever annuals/perennials you wanted, and the remaining frontal space could be a groundcover. Lily of the valley comes to mind as one that might work well. It doesn't look like any of the what-are-maybe-supposed-to-be "window boxes" in the fence are actually practical to use. Maybe somewhere in the ground over there you could plant some annual flowering vines to grow on the fence. Kids would be happy with just some clean, freshly painted floor space as some place to play with their toys.

I would want a small potting shed in your back left corner where your neighbors door and windows are. I would have it built rustic with natural wood siding, and a wood shingle roof. The idea would be something that would blend with the outdoors for your neighbors visual. The potting shed would be open on your side with the roof overhanging. Replace your lattice with wood fencing. I'm not sure that you need any decking in your backyard since it looks like it's already near ground level.

My son has a deck with old peeling paint like that, and we just can't get any stain to stick to it despite prepping it extensively. The wood is just too weathered. We were strongly advised not to pressure wash it because it would raise the grain and drive dirt/algae into the wood pores, which make it even worse.

It's a bit hard to tell how high off the ground your deck is. You would have more privacy from a ground-level patio e.g. pavers. It that is in your budget.

I'd go with a wood privacy fence (no lattice) as tall as is permitted by your municipal bylaws. I don't think this is being un-neighborly - your neighbors don't want to see you any more than you want to see them. And I don't think this will make it look cave-like at all once you have planted and decorated.

Strategically-placed pots/half barrels with tall grasses/bamboos will look great and give you immediate privacy above the top of the fence. Do beware of planting some of these things in the soil as they can be very difficult to control. You can also train a vine along the top of the fence, and it will provide more privacy and look good too.

Some great ideas here - I love the curtain idea. Very thrifty if you use something like drop cloths. https://www.thespruce.com/privacy-in-yard-4135143

"We were strongly advised not to pressure wash it because it would raise the grain and drive dirt/algae into the wood pores, which make it even worse." On an old deck where the wood is not in great condition, the choice usually boils down to tearing out and replacing the deck, or putting some kind of much cheaper band-aid on it, such as floor and deck paint. (I wouldn't bother with stain because it is thin and wears away too quickly, in spite of the fact that it is not noticed as much as paint. Even though paint can eventually chip or flake off, overall it is the more durable product.) But either is not going to stick unless the wood is cleaned and the only practical way is pressure washing. Technically, the grain is not "raised," but since the wood is old and soft, the softer wood in every grain layer, is somewhat carved away in pressure washing. It is inconsequential in the overall picture. The project will still look vastly better than not doing it. Too, it will be more durable. After pressure washing, one needs to do a quick, coarse sanding to knock off the wood fibers that come about in the washing. This does not take long. Then apply paint with a roller. Also quick. The paint will adhere and make it possible for the deck to be pressure washed or otherwise cleaned in the future, without a worry of grime getting into the "wood pores."

It’s quite hard to tell how close everything is. Are there any other angles you can take pics from?

For me I would do a significantly higher fence and then I would have planters with evergreen and flowers in them. If you want it kid friendly you privacy want to keep it simple. A higher fence would mean balls stay in your yard and you still have privacy.

What is under the deck? Is it worth keeping or considering taking it out?

Not a Pro.

I think trellises would go a long way in your backyard. I would put a trellis every few feet and have climbing flowers on one, climbing vegetables on another, that you can share with your neighbors. Involve the children. They would love watching their vegetables and flowers grow.

Add an outdoor area rug with kid friendly seating.

Raised Vegetable Garden and Trellises · More Info

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@Yardvaark thanks for the advice. We did give it a good scrubbing and a light sanding, and used a solid stain. Still, it all flaked off. I agree that a new surface will probably be needed. It's full south facing and the wood was without any stain or protection for many years before my son purchased the house.

What about the underside of the deck? I'm thinking I'd be happier with pavers or stone as a paito and using plants rather than the fence for privacy.

Birds of Prey Courtyard Garden by Living Green · More Info

Or grass, dirt for planting, stepping stones and upgraded privacy fencing

Swigart Project · More Info

@ partim ... a "good scrubbing" is not pressure washing and solid stain is not deck paint. I did the procedure on two unprotected decks that were years baking in the hot Georgia sun and for all practical purposes appeared unsavable. The transformation was day and night and let me waste a bunch of money on more important things.

@Yardvaark I wonder why none of the pros at the paint shops ever suggested deck paint to me?? Sigh.

How long did the deck paint last? Did you have to get off every last bit of old stain? (I can't believe I'm seriously considering giving this another go after all the useless work I did last year!)

"Pros at the paint shops" ...? I don't know how many pros you interviewed, but there's nothing I take from retail without a "grain of salt."

The decks were weathered, unfinished, sun bleached wood. No stain to remove. I was surprised, though, that the pressure washing removed the grey and made the wood an actual fresh wood color. Of course, it beat up the grain. But after the quick sanding (with a palm sander and coarse paper) and two or three roller coats of paint, it's formerly beat up look became completely non-offensive. It was still going good for at least 3 years, until I sold the house. The original decks were more or less uncleanable, but easy to clean off with a hose after painting.

1. Privacy

I live in a city, so this kind of backyard set up and proximity to neighbors is not at all unusual or perplexing to me. I have a gangway between my house and the neighbor's, where our dining rooms face each other and have put segments of trellis up in intervals with vines growing up to give some privacy. It is the city, we know we see each other, but with the trellis there is neither a wall nor our faces in their window. (See my pics below.)

This was super inexpensive - salvaged trellis, yard sale planters, the I even got the rhodies from a landscaper who was pitching them into a compost pile.

I think you could do something similar at intervals on the left side of your deck corresponding with the neighbor's window locations. You could plant flowering vines or tall evergreen shrubs in yours. It is nice to have greenery peeking through to the neighbor's side as well because they get to enjoy a bit of your greenery and not just feel like you have a trellis in their face.

2. Create the illusion of privacy

When living close to neighbors, privacy is somewhat a state of mind. You have to create a space of your own where you can block others out mentally. Hanging lanterns or zig zagging stings of lights can really do wonders for delineating a space and making it feel like your own. Also create a sense of space by adding some color cohesion to the furniture, planters, and other materials you bring on to your deck. Also, getting out there and using it helps to claim the space as your own. The more time you spend out there, the more your neighbors will look away to give you privacy outside.

3. Kid space

I don't know how much you love to garden or how old your kids are. I personally would put containers along the side of the deck to grow plants in, and use the back dirt area for a playhouse for the kids and/or a sand box. Get a cheap one off of craigslist. Use it until they outgrow it, then see what you want next in the space. A more grown up club house? It just seems like the perfect place for kids to feel far away and on their own even when they are not.

I'd also get one of those outdoor toy boxes that doubles as seating to put on the deck area and store outdoor toys in it. Leave a lot of the deck space open for play - my next door neighbors have a patio the same size as yours and the kids have been playing some kind of tether ball out there all day today. They do ring toss, hopscotch, even ride trikes. You'd be surprised how much kids can do in a small outside space with the right games and toys.

4. Adult space

Find non-bulky stackable seating so you can rearrange it for adults to sit outside and chill, and also stack and move it out of the way for kid play. Keep one slender rectangular table off to the side that you can use as a bar or pull out to side at when you want to eat out there.

IMO we need more info at least the size of the space would be helpful

Thank you, @kendrah! This is exactly the input we were hoping for. We have a lot of those items you mentioned (just stored away for winter at the moment). I hadn’t considered a potted garden, but that would free up the back end for the kiddos. It currently is their makeshift mud kitchen while we make a plan 😉 Grateful for your expertise!

FYI if you have mismatched items then spray paint can work wonders.

I had some mismatched children's items that I "rescued" from the curbside in my neighbourhood. My grandchildren thought they were great but they were pretty unsightly (mixed colours, faded). A coat of Krylon spray paint (made for plastic) was easy to apply and has lasted 3 years so far without chipping.

Spray paint is also good for unifying the colours of a miscellaneous collection of pots. I used a bronze metalliic on some old pots and they look good without drawing too much attention away from the plants in them.