Summer is about spending time outdoors, cooking barbecues and entertaining family and friends in the garden or by the pool. Of course, we want our exterior spaces to look their very best, right?

If your backyard fence could use a little spruce up, here is an idea to give it a makeover especially if the wood has weathered or you have a chain link that offers no privacy.  Why not reface the fence with reed?  Reed is an inexpensive bamboo-like covering that instantly transforms your fence into a more tropical backdrop.

It normally comes in a roll 6' tall by 16' long for less than $30. It can easily be installed using a staple gun directly over the existing wood structure and I love that reed is a very eco-friendly material since it’s a renewable and sustainable source similar to bamboo.

Keep in mind that because reed is a natural product it will only last outdoors for a couple of seasons exposed to the elements. But, hey, you get an instant makeover of your patio in little time so it’s worth the money. Not only can you use it as fencing, you can also reface bar fronts, use over pergolas as a shade roof, and even create free-standing decorative panels for the yard using 2x4s as frames (similar to a floor screen concept). With some imagination, the possibilities for using reed in our outdoor settings are endless!