Mum-of-four Liz Amaya transforms ‘tired’ old pool deck into stylish tropical oasis

A mum-of-four has revealed how she transformed her ‘tired’ old pool deck into a stunning tropical oasis inspired by Bora Bora, and her tips for helping you to do the same.

Stylist Liz Amaya, 40, from Brisbane, and her family spent just over a ‘week of work’ painting, renovating and decorating the deck, and she said she wanted to do something that was ‘easy to maintain’ but also stylish and ‘coastal in vibe’.

‘Our deck was looking tired and needed freshening up and staining again,’ Liz told FEMAIL.

‘Part of the renovation was the deck needing updating, and part of it was doing something that was easy to maintain because painting requires less maintenance than oil staining.

‘The space is in the sun most of the day therefore timber dries so easily.’

BEFORE: She said she wanted to do something that was ‘easy to maintain’ but also stylish and ‘coastal in vibe’

AFTER: Stylist Liz Amaya , 40, from Brisbane, and her family spent just over a ‘week of work’ painting, renovating and decorating the deck

Liz said the Amaya family went ‘back and forth’ about painting it white or white washing it and eventually decided to paint the space. 

‘We chose white because it’s fresh and bright, and I was keen for more of a coastal vibe by the pool. The project brief was take me to Bora Bora,’ she said.

Because they already owned a Gerni high pressure timber cleaner, they were able to clean the deck relatively cheaply.

Liz estimates she spent $700 on paint and non-slip and timber cleaning materials, and another $200 on the new head cleaner for their pressure timber cleaner.

AFTER: Liz said the Amaya family went ‘back and forth’ about painting it white or white washing it and eventually decided to paint the space

The mum-of-four (pictured in the space) said she spent about $5,800 all up on the area, including decor, furniture, plants and lighting

She splashed out a bit and added $3,000 worth of furnishings by way of a beautiful L-shaped sofa, a table and chairs and cushions.

The remainder of the $5,800 total spend went on pots and plants ($1,600) and additional décor ($300). 

‘We worked on the deck in stages based around our work commitments and parental duties, aka being an Uber to our four kids,’ Liz said.

‘It was around one week’s worth of effort over a month in duration, depending on the weather.’

DURING: She said they spent about a week’s worth of work doing the project, but split it over the month due to weather and work and home commitments

The first step was cleaning the deck, which was followed by the pressure wash on the timber and then three coats of white paint (pictured during)

The first step was cleaning the deck, which was followed by the pressure wash on the timber and then three coats of white paint.

After this, it was just styling the furniture and plants to recreate a coastal feel.

Liz shared her tips for would-be renovators, and said it’s all about researching and creating a budget.

‘Have a vision of the space with moodboards and inspiration before you start a project,’ she said.

‘Always refer to it when making selections and as the project continues. This helps achieve the overall aesthetic in a space and execute your vision.’

AFTER: When Liz shared the results of her work on Instagram, she was met by compliments from thousands

AFTER: She said the most important thing when renovating an outdoor space is that you have a mood board (pictured) that you can refer back to

Elsewhere, the 40-year-old said you should always use a ‘quality’ outdoor paint, as well as one specifically for timber exteriors.

‘Rolling paint applies the paint easier and more consistently over timber,’ she added.

‘Using a non-slip sand mix to add adhesive to the deck especially in a wet area was good too.’

The mum-of-four shared the results of her work on Instagram, where thousands were quick to compliment it.

‘This is amazing,’ one person commented.

‘Looks fabulous,’ added another.