A gray slab, scorching under the sun, a few weeds wedging themselves into the cracks, and a tired fence… Many homes have that charm-less concrete courtyard where no one ever sits a chair. That was the case for New Yorker Tiffanie DeForest, whose backyard was nothing more than cracked concrete bordered by a torn wire fence.
She recalls: “Our backyard, if you can call it that, was an absolute disaster,” so impractical was the surface for their guests. With her husband, she managed to transform the space into a true multi-level summer living room, ready for big dinners as well as campfire nights. Between the structure, clever furniture, and a luminous ambiance, this makeover hides a method that is more accessible than it appears.
Diagnosing a Concrete Courtyard and Imagining Its Future Summer Living Room
At the outset, Tiffanie DeForest’s courtyard bore little resemblance to a garden. No lawn, just an old cracked concrete on a slope that channeled a stream whenever it rained, and a chain-link fence the seller had merely repainted silver to create the illusion. The couple who loved hosting in the summer preferred to invest in this exterior space rather than keep house-hunting, laying out a realistic step-by-step plan.
To convert a concrete courtyard into a summer lounge, one reflex remains essential: observe. The condition of the slab, the slope and water drainage, the lack of privacy or shade guide the project. If you need to repair or pour concrete, professionals remind that it reaches about two-thirds of its strength after 7 days and full strength after 28 days; plan major work outside the hot season.
From Basic Work to a DIY Block-Constructed Lounge to Transform the Courtyard into a Summer Living Room
In this project, the first step was to recreate a cocoon. The old, perforated fencing gave way to an opaque white vinyl fence about 1.80 m high, costing around $2,500 (about €2,300). On the slab, a two-level wooden patio was then assembled for around $2,200 (nearly €2,000) and stained a medium gray with Behr exterior stain to curb heat.
For a tighter budget, the base can remain the existing concrete, provided it is sound. Concrete blocks then become a valuable resource for building a garden lounge: lay four blocks for the base, stack them to the desired height, glue the end blocks with special stone adhesive, then slide wooden battens into the cavities to support a bench topped with large cushions.
Ambiance, Plants, Budget: Fine-Tuning Your Summer Courtyard Lounge on Concrete
Once the structure is in place, everything hinges on the layout. On the upper level, DeForest installed a table for eight; below, a seating area around a fire pit, a small bar, and poufs. Outdoor rugs, parasols and cushions stay within a black-and-white palette, but geometric patterns add depth. String lights and lanterns of varying sizes transform the courtyard into a true summer living room as night falls.
To bolster the garden feel, the couple installed large planters filled with evergreen shrubs for about $400 (around €370), then add a few exotic plants each summer. The furniture and decor accounted for roughly $5,000 (a bit over €4,600), spread over two years. “What was once our greatest horror is today truly our place of happiness,” sums up Tiffanie DeForest. If you need to pour or resurface concrete, it’s best to avoid the heat and not extend the mix with water, because adding 10 liters per cubic meter can reduce strength by about 10% at 28 days.
