Tour America's Most Desperate Landscape 2019

Take a tour of the incredible renovated yard belonging to Peter DeBree and Kat Lewis of Tampa, Florida, who now enjoy a multi-functional outdoor space made for entertaining and relaxing in style.

By: Jeannie Matteucci

Backyard Beauty

A fire table with clean, modern lines and a divider wall with succulents on one side and a theater screen on the other creates a focal point for this beautiful backyard with pops of color, that was designed for enjoying various outdoor activities.

Gather Around

The propane fire table with granite top helps warm guests on chilly nights, with four easy-to-move poufs for seating. Two of the poufs are wicker, while the other two have a black and white geometric pattern for contrast.

Dazzling Divider Wall

The divider wall made from pre-treated wood with decorative panels helps define the patio from a large section of grass that can be used for open-air theater seating.

User-Friendly Space

Items from the kitchen inside the home can be carried right to the patio’s BBQ grill and bar area, to the dining table or seating area with sectional sofa and umbrella. This makes it easy to entertain when having a quiet dinner with a couple of friends, or hosting a large outdoor party.

Connected Areas

This detailed patio was designed for entertaining with zones for different activities, with a strong connection between spaces. “The bar in the BBQ area faces towards the sectional in the seating area for easy conversation,” says designer Jennifer Petronella.

Short Stone Walls

The short walls with stacked stone that light up at night help define the different zones of this inviting backyard. Keeping the layout of the patio open allows good flow between the different features.

Touch of Color

Coral pillows add comfort on the charcoal-colored sectional sofa, with a black umbrella above for shade from the sun. The pops of coral color in this backyard reflect the home’s tropical feel and location in Tampa, Florida.

Contemporary and Chic

The larger gray pavers used for this user-friendly backyard patio have a contemporary feel that coordinates with the clean, modern lines of the chic outdoor furniture chosen for this space.

Flexible Space

This one image highlights three of the entertainment areas of this backyard patio, with the seating area with sectional sofa for relaxing, the dining area for sharing meals, and the fire table for staying warm on cooler days and nights.

Colorful Extras

In addition to coral, touches of gold add a bit of glamour to the backyard. A gray and gold pedestal table and a gold lantern on the dining table are two examples, with more gold accents used for the new lounge space inside the updated garage.

Function and Purpose

Thanks to this major facelift, the inviting backyard not only looks more attractive and larger in size, it has the function and purpose that was missing before.

Great Flow

This wide view shows how the revamped backyard connects with the door that leads to the home’s kitchen, as well as the updated garage with desk area, laundry facilities and lounge space inside.

Easy Entertaining

The set up at the BBQ and bar area allows the cook to grill up favorite dishes and serve guests food at the bar for casual gatherings, or at the nearby outdoor dining table for more formal meals.

Stylish Stools

Lightweight contemporary style black stools at the bar offer seating for enjoying a cool drink and snacks while watching the action at the grill.

Bold Striped Rug

A striped area rug adds a touch of pattern and texture under the backyard seating area with sectional sofa and coffee table with granite top.

Lovely Landscaping

Assorted tropical plants used to landscape the patio area add softness to the clean lines seen in the pavers and modern outdoor furniture.

Double-Duty Accents

In this multi-purpose backyard, a potting table added by the backdoor of the house to the kitchen inside can do double duty as an outdoor butler’s pantry for large gatherings.

Beauty and Warmth

The wooden arms seen on the chairs in the dining area coordinate with the long-lasting wood-look vinyl fence that now surrounds the property.

Gorgeous Garage Doors

The beautiful remote-controlled garage doors have glass inserts and a contemporary style that work perfectly with the new patio and upgraded yard.

Relaxed Vibes

This bird’s eye view of the backyard patio highlights the relaxed feel of the space, with plenty of options for getting some fresh air and enjoying time outside.

Natural Beauty

While a few trees had to be removed during this major outdoor facelift, many were left to gently frame the property and help filter sunlight.

Stylish Outdoor Dining

A durable indoor/outdoor rug with a geometric pattern was included under the patio dining table. Tropical palm leaf placemats and lanterns sit ready for the next outdoor dinner party at home.

Extra Living Space

This image gives an inside look at the updated garage that gives homeowners Peter DeBree and Kat Lewis extra living space. The garage includes a new easy-care light gray epoxy floor and wood panels added to the walls for a touch of warmth.

Sit and Relax

The ceiling in the garage was painted a charcoal gray color to give contrast for the lighter epoxy floor. Peel and stick wallpaper used for the area surrounding the flat screen TV creates a focal point. The seating area includes comfortable and stylish furniture made for lounging.

Under the Stars

Back outside, the theater screen side of the divider wall backs up to a new lawn area that can be used for picnics and various outdoor sports and activities.

Room for Everyone

The ample lawn area also offers plenty of space for family and friends to sit back and relax for a movie night under the stars. A favorite drink and snack and few beach towels or blankets are all that’s needed for enjoying a fun comedy or action film outside.

Lush Feel

The new sod and well-placed landscaping adds a lush feel to this spacious yard, with the new wood-look vinyl fence adding a beautiful barrier that defines the perimeter of the property.

Easy-Care Landscaping

The yard’s new top-notch drip irrigation system helps keep the yard looking beautiful and healthy, with a mixture of plants that create a border along the fence line. This landscape design plan keeps the yard looking clean and green, with just enough color and texture.

Green With Envy

This wide view shows how the new sod, plants and trees all work together to give the formerly bare-bones yard a lush look. A modular herb garden also gives homeowners Peter DeBree and Kat Lewis fresh herbs for their daily meals and dinner parties at home.

New Location

The yard’s renovated chicken coop that was previously out in the open was moved to the left side of the backyard, to create a cozy space away from the dining area and patio.

Place of Their Own

Now the couple’s chickens have their own part of the yard where they can enjoy some sun and fresh air, in a semi-concealed space away from the main activity zones.

Fresh Look

Pieces of pre-treated wood were added to the front of the updated chicken coop for modern, clean look that coordinates with this updated backyard with contemporary style.

Quiet Spot

An empty area between the house and garage was transformed into this outdoor reading nook with chocolate brown swing egg chairs, a bohemian-style indoor/outdoor blue area rug and pebble stones. This charming get-away spot in the yard also includes two crane figurines that represent homeowners Peter DeBree and Kat Lewis.

Warm Welcome

To upgrade the front yard that lacked symmetry and had a mish mash look, new sod, flowers and planter boxes were added. The attractive planter boxes are made from the same durable vinyl used for the new wood-look fence added around the perimeter of the property.

Incorporating Existing Features

Removing rotted landscaping and cleaning up the overgrowth on the driveway of this one-story Tampa, Florida home was a way of incorporating an existing feature into the updated design of the property.

Pop of Color

Painting the front and side doors and window shutters of the home a navy blue helped spruce up the exterior of this one-story house, and made this drive-up entry on the side of the home more attractive.

Photo By: Raif Fluker / Getty Images

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