How we transformed our overgrown Brooklyn garden into a family room

• Homeowners: Jess + Henry posted their Brooklyn deck renovation on Sweeten
• Where: Brooklyn, New York
• Primary renovation: Renovating a 350-square-foot backyard with a raised deck, built-in seating, and planters
• With: Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner’s quote: “We found a Sweeten contractor who stayed in constant contact, giving us progress updates.”

Written in partnership with homeowner Jess. “After” photos by Kate Glicksberg for Sweeten

Overhaul an overgrown urban garden

Two years ago, we bought this 2,000-square-foot townhome, located between the Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts neighborhoods. The attached single-family house was built in 1908, and we’ve been slowly working on updating it. Last year, with the pandemic grounding us at home, we got to work renovating our backyard.

The backyard was a blank canvas. The previous owners had laid concrete slabs on the ground in the area closest to the house, but the space was otherwise covered in grass. We allowed it to grow wild our first summer here. The brush got so high that our dog, Sasha, would walk out and disappear. We wanted to turn our barren backyard into a place that we—my husband, Henry, our son, Gavin, and myself—could enjoy.

Solving the rain problem

Henry and I knew we wanted a deck with built-in seating, and we loved the modern look of horizontal fencing. We liked bluestone pavers and wanted to incorporate it. But our first concern was to identify and solve some engineering problems. We’d had a water issue in our fence-enclosed backyard since we bought the place—flooding whenever it rained. We needed a contractor who could fix that.

Seeking the right expertise

The process of finding our Sweeten contractor was streamlined and direct. We posted our project and soon received a bid from a small firm we thought we wanted to hire. We threw out many concerns as well as ideas when we discussed the job with the contractor, and when we saw his great sketches incorporating everything, we knew he was the one we were searching for.

Designing an outdoor living room

Once we had what we needed, the team began the work of reengineering the drainage system on our property. This made for a lot of holes in the ground, but they knew what they were doing and they ultimately solved the water problem. To create the deck, they drilled down in a series of spots, so large deck beams could be sunk into the earth. They then created a structural platform connecting the beams, which became the deck foundation.

Our Sweeten contractor and his team were wonderful from beginning to end. We’d decided on the raised deck to break up the flow of the backyard. We agreed there should be a clear delineation between the ground and the spot where you “step” up onto the deck, like an outdoor living room. Whenever they had an idea, they would either lay it out or draw it for us. The result was a truly collaborative design that perfectly reflected our aesthetic.

Customizing a Brooklyn deck renovation

Long boards were framed horizontally to create the high vertical walls. The contractor came up with the idea of spacing between the boards, and we loved it.

Atop the foundation they’d made, the contractors built the large platform deck. Benches and planters were built around the perimeter. They customized everything. The contractor had Henry and me sit on a “mock” bench and rest our arms with drinks to determine what height to build the side tables. The bench seat slides out to reveal built-in storage for pillows and gardening tools.

We picked a wood stain in a color we love—it gives the wood a mixture of brightness and warmth we were looking for. A small but impactful detail was that the design team chose nails in a similar color so it blended with the wood. I didn’t even realize that nails came in different colors. 

We chose square, untextured slabs of bluestone pavers to surface the area between the house and the step-up onto the deck. The backdrop is the beautiful old brick of the building behind us!

Loving our Sweeten construction crew

The project manager and crew were great. We found a Sweeten contractor who stayed in constant contact, giving us progress updates. He was knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and efficient, and he was also great with kids. He informed us of any challenges we were running into ahead of time, so that Henry and I were mentally prepared. This helped us to make informed decisions.

Our Sweeten contractor shared everything from design and decor ideas to recipes and movie recommendations. The crew brought such great energy to our backyard that we missed them when work was complete.

Feeling beyond satisfied

Now that our backyard is finished, we love everything about it. Having a private spot of green in the city feels like an absolute must. Our backyard is a sanctuary where we can relax, eat, drink, enjoy nature, and feel at ease.

Thank you, Jess and Henry, for sharing your inspiring Brooklyn deck renovation with us!

Renovation Materials

DECKPlus Transparent Waterproofing Wood Finish in Cedar: Behr.

Updated on May 23, 2023

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Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation with Sweeten.

When a house addition adds almost 800 square feet and enhances daily life

• Homeowners: A Morris Park couple posted their house addition remodel on Sweeten
• Where: Bronx, New York
• Primary renovation: Add a new deck, sunroom, and dormer to a 2,500-square-foot Dutch Colonial built in 1932 
• Sweeten general contractor
• Homeowner quote: “We knew Sweeten would be there if we experienced problems with our contractor. Luckily, we didn’t need that assistance. Our contractor’s team was excellent!”
• Sweeten’s role: Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and secure payments—for free.

Written in partnership with homeowner. “After” photos by Pixy Interiors.

Choosing between a house or apartment

My husband and I used to live in Manhattan in a one-bedroom apartment. Once we decided to have children, we knew we wanted to live closer to our families. So we opted to buy a house in the Bronx and have our parents partake in child-raising. Originally we thought we would have one child, live in the area for a few years, and then move back to Manhattan once school started. 

We were most excited about having a bathroom on the first floor and not having to go upstairs.

Our house addition plan: Envisioning more space

However, we soon fell in love with having a house and wanted to have more kids. Our neighborhood is quite ethnically and socioeconomically diverse. It feels like a nice mix, like we’re away from the city, but not quite in the suburbs. 

An overview of how to start planning for your outdoor remodel

Sprucing up the out-of-doors

Whether your outdoor space is seasonal or livable all year-round, having an exterior spot to relax is an upgrade in lifestyle and property value. You may be wondering how to make the most out of a rooftop deck or an urban backyard. Preparing for an outdoor remodel has many moving parts—some projects more complex than others. We break down how to begin planning and share a timeline so your green space can be ready by summertime. 

Decide on your outdoor space plan

Santi, the Sweeten general contractor who transformed K.V.’s backyard, shared the following advice with us: “Just like any other project around the house, I recommend taking some time to decide what your goal is” for your outdoor space. Will you be using the space primarily for dining, grilling, gardening, or play? Decide what you want to prioritize: functionality or ornamentation. If there are kids involved, that will be a determining factor.

Turning her attention to her brownstone’s backyard, K.V. knew she wanted to use the space to host friends and barbecues. She took inspiration from gardens in Mexico and Brazil, leaning toward a more tropical atmosphere. A tall cedar fence to provide privacy was a must-have.

Michelle and Nate remodeled their rooftop deck to double as a “bonus room” for hanging out. It was outfitted with comfortable seating and plants to make it feel cozy. However, the rooftop felt open and exposed, so a visual barrier of plantings was placed along the perimeter. The couple also brought in a fire pit for chilly, late-summer nights.

Be flexible with material choices

K.V. had her heart set on bluestone to create a walkway to the elevated patio in her backyard. “She had a budget she didn’t want to go over,” Santi said. “She asked us to price out bluestone, but it was a little too high, so we looked for other materials.” He added, “Homeowners should always price projects with different materials [because] changing the materials doesn’t mean changing the final goal or look of the design.”

In a surprise twist, they discovered bluestone buried under the dirt in the yard during demolition. K.V.’s backyard remodel paved the ground with gravel, pavers, and bluestone. While a budget might limit some choices, your contractor may be able to suggest alternative materials that fit the budget and achieve the look you want.

Choosing plants for color, texture, and to enhance privacy

We asked Justin, a horticulturist at Costa Farms, to fill us in on how to choose the right plants. “The first and most important thing is to get a realistic sense of your area’s growing conditions,” he said. “Consider the sun, moisture, and exposure to wind, and then pick plants that like or at least tolerate what your space has to offer.”

For those sunny spots, Justin recommends heat-loving tropical plants, such as hibiscus, mandevilla, and allamanda. In shady areas, birds of paradise and majesty palm are perfect for adding drama. Croton and colorful aglaonema provide a pop of color. If you choose plants that won’t survive the winter, keep them in a pot so you can bring them indoors when temperatures drop.

Nate and Michelle turned to landscaping to soften their space. Their landscape designer proposed lavender and feather reed grass to frame the seating area and a Japanese Maple tree. Justin also suggests other tall plants, like arborvitae, columnar juniper, and yew for privacy.

In K.V.’s yard, Santi filled in the spotty grass with fresh sod to transform the lawn into a thick green carpet. He also added a row of mulch along one wall for a small but manageable garden. Potted plants fill out the patio and walkway, providing color and texture.

(Clockwise from left to right): Angelonia Archangel, Mandevilla, Ipomoea Spotlight Red (also known as sweet potato vine), Lantana Bandana Cherry. Photos: Costa Farms. 

Choose low-maintenance plants and automated irrigation

According to Sweeten contractors, New Yorkers prefer outdoor spaces that are low maintenance. A landscape plan with a three-season oasis, automated irrigation in the morning, flowering shrubs during the day, and accent lights illuminating trees and fences at night would be ideal. If you find yourself unlucky in plant-love, Justin has some advice: “Coleus is a fun choice that thrives in sun or shade and has delightful, dramatically colored foliage you can enjoy from spring to frost.”

“Similarly, consider sweet potato vine: It spills down over the side of a planter, creating an elegant look. It also grows as a groundcover or can be trained to grow up a trellis or other structure,” Justin said. “Torenia, also called wishbone flower, is another option you can grow in sun or shade.” And if watering is your biggest concern, he advises planting mandevilla, lantana, angelonia, purslane, and evolvulus.

For the renovation, your landscape design should be set before demolition begins, said NYC-based Sweeten contractor Shenna. “The design will determine where plumbing and electrical lines are run, as well as the rough-in for the sprinkler system,” she said. “These are laid down right after demolition.” However, there’s time with final landscaping choices. They get planted around the last month or so of the project. 

Plan your outdoor remodel in the off-season

If you are looking to remodel a green space, start planning and working in the off-season. For those not ready to plant or are just building up towards a green thumb, use the warm seasons to find inspiration, and plan during winter.

Here’s a typical timeline to guide you. Pro tip: Start the process early. Use the summer months prior to gather inspiration. In the fall, begin mapping out the design, landscaping, and materials with an architect/designer/contractor. “Planning, designing, and finalizing the fine details of the project can take months,” said Shenna. This gives the contractor enough time to work with the homeowner and/or designer to get all of the pieces in place.

By December, permits should be submitted, your contractor hired, and materials ordered (keep delivery times in mind). Demolition should break ground by March/April for an outdoor remodel. “The best time to physically start working on an outdoor space is in the spring.” said Shenna. “The weather makes it possible to get everything prepped and ready.”

(Above) Sweeten homeowners Jess and Henry renovated their Brooklyn backyard

Managing the outdoor remodel infrastructure

Sweeten contractor Mike, who is based in NYC said, “The scope of the project, the square footage of the outdoor space, and material delays” will affect how much time goes into the planning phase in advance. Depending on the complexity of the project, an outdoor remodel typically takes two months to finish. However, an outdoor kitchen that requires plumbing, gas, and electrical could take longer for approvals than a deck remodel.

With an outdoor space, there’s a lot more to consider, like drainage. Your general contractor should have an in-depth understanding of how bulk water will be managed and how your plans will impact the neighbors. If you’re working on a roof, make sure you have access points for clearing roof drains.

Organizing material delivery and approvals

Your team will also have to haul all of the materials to your outdoor space. Hauling roof deck lumber, soil, sod, and plant matter up through service elevators can be costly and time-consuming. An alternative is booming materials to the roof by crane. Contractors usually have partnerships with local greenhouses and lumber yards. They can move materials from the street to a garden more efficiently and cost-effectively than using a service elevator.

Finally, make sure you have the necessary approvals. Most exterior improvements will require an alteration agreement and approval from the building’s architect, and many will require filing with the city. If you live in a landmarked building, special regulations will apply.

Start and plan early with the right professionals onboard. A well-planned deck or garden can greatly increase the value of a property. It will be time and money well-spent. When you’re ready to get started on your outdoor remodel, work with Sweeten to renovate with the best contractors.

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Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

From condo to brownstone overhauls, a few of our favorite projects in the neighborhood

Distinguished by its deep cultural and historic roots, Bedford-Stuyvesant, (aka Bed-Stuy) is a sprawling area also known for 19th-century brownstones, festive block parties, community gardens, and a lively culinary scene. Dough Doughnuts, anyone? The ever-changing neighborhood offers the best of what’s old and new, making it a place worthy of settling down and staying for a while. See how Sweeten renovators did just that and made Bed-Stuy home.

Having their hearts set on a Brooklyn brownstone led Bellamy and Zak to a two-family home in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Restricted by the home’s layout and their budget, the couple focused on the structural changes that would most impact the flow. They flipped the house to make the top two floors the owner’s duplex and renovated the garden floor as the rental property. Removing doors in the main entryway instantly opened up the space and created a larger living area. Two walls were torn down to expose the full length of the home—and two mismatched walls—which led to repointing and experimenting with painting techniques.

Ursula loved almost everything about her recently converted two-bedroom condo—except the kitchen. Between the dark mahogany cabinets and flooring, the room felt anything but open. The space was revamped with white glossy cabinets, a geometric backsplash, and a sleek hood where the microwave used to be. Ursula and her Sweeten contractor got strategic when it came to storage: the new island featured three drawers for silverware, cutlery, and dishes, and they made the most of an underutilized area next to the oven by installing a pull-out spice rack.

It all came down to location during Marsha and Adam’s house hunt for their family. They searched across Brooklyn and at one point, New Jersey, before realizing the borough was the place for them. The two-family home they finally found in Bedford-Stuyvesant offered the space and light they were looking for, and just had a “good feeling about it.” A full renovation proved necessary to bring the 2,000-square-foot townhouse up to snuff. Taking inspiration from their #1 must-have—white oak floors—the couple set out to create a simple, clean vibe to carry throughout the home, including the all-white kitchen. The rest of the project centered on knocking down walls to open the living room, dining area, and kitchen.

Every New Yorker’s dream? An outdoor space to call their own. Inspired by the gardens of Mexico and Brazil, K.V. Harper set out to turn the once unusable outdoor space behind her two-bedroom Bedford-Stuyvesant duplex into a lush retreat for entertaining. A framed cedar fence became the defining element of the oasis, encompassing different seating areas and gardening plots. Another fun bonus: The crew found bluestone during the demolition and repurposed it to build out a pathway leading to the yard.

Nazli and Larry weren’t expecting a gut renovation when they purchased their single-family home in the Bedford Historic District. While trying to sort out the mechanicals and ductwork, however, they came to the realization starting from scratch would be more efficient overall. To build a home that would grow with them over time, accommodate guests, and most importantly meet their day-to-day needs as a family, they set priorities. For him: the bells and whistles necessary to create a smart home, and for her, the flow and design crucial to making the house fit their lifestyle. The result? A welcoming, open home thoughtful of visiting and family friends. Seriously, the guest room was the first one ready!

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Take a tour of the best Sweeten renovations in Queens, the Upper West Side in Manhattan and Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you’ll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.